South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail etched her name in the history books yesterday as she became the only second-ever women’s bowler to take a hat-trick in The Hundred.
While playing for Welsh Fire, Shabnim bowled one of the best-ever set in the game’s history. Birmingham Phoenix needed just 4 runs from 3 balls with 9 wickets in hand but still managed to bottle the chase thanks to Shabnim.
Phoenix had their star and in-form batter Tess Flintoff and Amy Jones on the pitch in the last over, but still couldn’t manage to take the chase over the line. Needing just 8 runs from the final over, Amy Jones played a length ball towards the midwicket, she wanted two runs, but managed to get just a single run. The very next ball, Flintoff who was on strike sent the ball towards the fence near the extra cover region. At this point, victory for the Birmingham side looked almost certain.
But Shabnim had some other plans, she bowled full and straight to Flintoff who had moved across to play the flick shot, but left a huge gap between the bat and the pad, this was enough for the ball to sneak past her and crash the stumps. Tess Flintoff certainly did her part in the chase as she scored 55 off 45 at a strike rate of 122.22 while opening the innings.
This wicket brought the new batter Erin Burns to the crease, even with the wicket of Tess, the Welsh side were looking unlikely to win the match. Shabnim once again bowled a straight ball, but Erin had moved to her left side to make room for herself to play the intended shot over the offside field, but a thick outside edge resulted in the ball landing straight in the hands of Claire Nicholas at short third man.
With Burns’ wicket, the match had certainly turned on its head, as the Welsh Fire were now the favorites to clinch the thriller. Issy Wong, the next batter, had to send the ball across the fence to win the match, but she made the same mistake as Burns did, that is moving far to the left side, in the process completely misjudging the line of the ball. It was certainly the ‘you miss, I hit’ situation as Issy failed to connect the ball which later crashed onto the stumps.
Earlier in the match, Welsh Fire’s captain, Tammy Beaumont had scored a brilliant 59 off just 40 balls at a strike rate of 147.50. Some useful contributions by in-form Hayley Matthews and Sophia Dunkley helped Welsh Fire to post an unanswered total of 137. Katie Levick, Hannah Baker, and Emily Arlott picked 2 wickets each and Tess Flintoff took 1 wicket of the Welsh’s team.
In return, Birmingham got off to a flier start, as Sophie Devine took on the bowlers early in the innings. Devine got dismissed on 29 off 19 on the bowling of Alex Griffiths. Amy Jones and Tess Flintoff stitched together a brilliant partnership of 93 before Shabnim’s magical last over.
Watch Video: Shabnim Ismail’s Hat-Trick in Women’s Hundred
4 needed in 1 Ball and Shabnim Ismail does this 👇pic.twitter.com/htbZoYPQ8p
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 10, 2023
After the match, Shabnim said, “Very happy to get the Fire over the line today. I always believe as a bowler there is a bounce-backability. Beaumont asked me if I wanted to bowl the last five or the one before. I was happy to defend even five. I practice a lot with the bowling coach. I told them I was backing my yorker and wanted a leg side field for it.”
Welsh Fire are currently on the top of the table after winning 3 of their 4 games, with one match of theirs being abandoned due to rain. Welsh Fire will now face Southern Brave in the next match at Cardiff, Wales on 12th August 2023.
