Verma puts an exclamation point on her innings! Full on off stump, whips this flat over wide midwicket, one bounce over the rope. Phoenix steamroll the Fire!
Fire vs Phoenix, 23rd Match at Birmingham, Women's 100, Aug 09 2021 - Ball by Ball Commentary
Phoenix won by 10 wickets (with 24 balls remaining)
5.40 pm Well if that's not a demolition, I don't know what is. The Shafali Verma-Eve Jones juggernaut absolutely obliterates the Welsh Fire bowling unit. An unbeaten 131-run partnership between them clinches the match with 24 balls to spare.
Match Hero today is Shafali Verma: "That was so nice, so good for me. I was not doing good for the team but I backed myself and played my game. I was slowing down because of [Eve Jones'] fifty. I enjoy the team. They are so nice. I'm still learning in every match."
Fingers crossed the skies are able to stay dry, if not clear, to allow the full doubleheader to be completed. That's it from the Women's Hundred coverage today. Flip over to the men's match scorecard feed for coverage of that game starting shortly.
Scores level.
full toss at knee height on sixth stump, slaps this one-handed over mid-off but doesn't make it to the rope so they complete two.
full on fifth stump, shuffles across to slog flat along the turf to deep midwicket for one.
good length ball on the hips, chips this to wide long-on.
full and wide, driven firmly but straight to mid-off.
full on sixth stump, enough width for Jones to flay this high over extra cover. 50 up for Jones off 32 balls. She's been no slouch in this partnership despite Verma blazing to her 50 first.
full on off and defended.
full and flicked out to the sweeper for one.
full on off, driven just short of mid-off.
missed runout! Verma tries to tap a single into midwicket trying to get off strike so Jones can get to a half-century but in the process nearly does herself in. Harvey runs into midwicket to field off her own bowling and has a free shot at the non-striker's stumps from eight yards way but misses with Verma long gone.
Baalajee T: "Not fair from Jones, denying Shafali her first hundred in 100"
full on fifth stump, tries to flick a single and mistimes it into the ground.
quicker ball at 62 mph lands short and catches Verma by surprise, goes back to defend this to the bowler.
flighted a bit more at 43 mph, into the legs on a full length and slapped over the non-striker for one to long-on.
full on the legs, clipped into midwicket for one.
good length ball on off, tip and run into the covers for one.
Ashish: "Shafaliiiiii. Finally you have hit the supersonic gear. Woohoooi!"
flighted full on sixth stump, slog sweeps this off the toe of the bat and it loops well short of deep midwicket.
Matthews is back for her third set of five.
short on the body, pulls this flat to deep square leg.
short on the hips, goes back to flick into midwicket for one.
short and wide, clatters a cut that whistles through backward point to the rope.
length ball on fourth stump, gets on a knee to slog this flat over the non-striker to the long-on rope.