END OF OVER:20 | 5 Runs 3 Wkts | BP-W: 134/4 (4 runs required, RR: 6.70)
- Amy Jones48 (34b)
- Shabnim Ismail3.5-0-31-3
- Alex Griffiths3.5-0-23-1
5:48pm Uff! What a game. Thriller to the T. Phoenix were cruising in the chase when Amy Jones and Flintoff were doing their thing. Their 93-run second-wicket stand almost sealed the game for them after an explosive opening, courtesy Devine. But all it took was a moment of Ismail magic to drag Fire back in the contest to upstage Phoenix, who suffer their third loss in four matches now. Fire have a good habit of winning their away games to move atop the standings.
Right then! That is the first of our double-headers done for the day. The action continues at Edgbaston where the men carry on the tussle. Matt Roller has got you covered for the Phoenix-Fire game there. Do hop over. Till the next time, take care, ciao!.
Jethro : "Phoenix looks like RCB now.. unfortunately Devine is n both teams … feel bad for her "
5:42pm What a game at Edgbaston! Ismail takes the ball from the umpire. She is just the second bowler to pick up a hat-trick in the women's Hundred. Lots of hugs and laughs in the Fire huddle and Matthews gives Ismail one of the warmest hugs. She couldn't take part in the defence having injured her right shoulder. But what a finish this was. Just what the over 10,000 at the Edgbaston would have loved.
"Were you panicking?" asks Ismail as she hugs her team-mates after the game. She was calmness personified. Laughing, smiling and calming everybody down in that final set, where she picked up three wickets. Yes, she conceded a four but it was more the batter's brilliance. What a twist to the game this.
Shabnim Ismail, Player of the Match: "Didn't even remember how I picked that. 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. I spoke to the head coach that before there used to be wickets falling in clusters. Want to take baby steps to the final. 100% want to get to another final, love coming to the UK to play cricket."
IECM Wong b Ismail 0 (1m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
Ismail on a hat-trick. Game on line. Fire roaring. Issy Wong in the middle. Four needed off one legal ball
Raji: "So much drama yesterday and today ., phew "