Birmingham Phoenix v Welsh Fire women, Edgbaston
Fire beat Phoenix by 36 runs to pick up first win of 2025 season
Result also eliminates Phoenix from contention
Fire 150-3 (100 balls): Dunkley 53 (43), Jonassen 44 (17); Schutt 2-11
Phoenix 114-9 (100 balls): Perry 55 (43); Ismail 3-16
Thanks, Elizabeth.
Well that was a much improved performance from Welsh Fire, comfortably their highest total of the tournament so far this year - their previous best was 122 - and they'll hope it leads to their first win.
Birmingham Phoenix quite simply have to chase these runs down or their hopes of making the knockout stage are over.
Right, I'm off.
Here's Sam Drury to take you through Birmingham Phoenix's innings.
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
This is a competitive score despite the fact that it is a little shy of the average score here when batting first.
Jess Jonassen really did hammer home and it will give her side something to work with.
Georgia Elwiss takes a single before Hayley Matthews, who never really hit her stride, finishes the innings with a dot ball.
Welsh Fire finish on 150-3 - an excellent total, you feel, against a team who need to win and haven't done so since their opening match of the tournament.
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Jess Jonassen was trying to get her fifty with the big shot. A gem of an innings.
She has put Welsh Fire in a comprehensive position.
Matt Floyd
Test Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Jess Jonassen did not get the power this time. What a dangerous innings from her, she has done her job.
Jonassen c Kelly b Schutt 44 (Fire 149-3)
Jess Jonassen's innings comes to an end.
She ended up almost chipping that to Marie Kelly as she tried to go for another big boundary.
She departs for 44 off 17. Has her knock ended Phoenix's slim hopes of finishing in the top three?
Singles traded. Jess Jonassen is back on strike with three balls remaining.
Matt Floyd
Test Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
This is taking Welsh Fire to a new level in the last few balls of the innings.
'Would you believe it?' - Fire's Jonassen hits four sixes in a row
ANOTHER SIX! Four sixes in four balls for Jess Jonassen. Deep mid-wicket, long-on, square leg, cow corner - she'll hit them anywhere!
Jonassen has 43 off just 15 deliveries!
Six more for Jess Jonassen!
Another six for Jess Jonassen. It's a brilliant effort from Ailsa Lister on the boundary but she was just touching the rope as she tried to throw the ball back in.
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
That ball kept gaining momentum and speed as it travelled. A very tricky chance as Marie Kelly was so off balance.
Oooooh Jess Jonassen just gets the ball through the hands of Marie Kelly on the boundary and is rewarded with six.
Four singles follow Jess Jonassen's boundary.
140 is still on for Welsh Fire, if they have a productive final 10 balls. However, the economical Hannah Baker (1-14 off 15 balls) is standing in their way.
Another four for Jess Jonassen, just evading a leaping fielder at fine leg.
She's making Birmingham Phoenix pay for that missed stumping which would've given them two wickets in two balls.
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
That one sped along the turf. No chance for any fielder in the world really.
Jess Jonassen is causing a couple of problems for the seamers and they need to find a way for the batters to stop hitting down the ground.
Jess Jonassen tries again through the same gap at mid-wicket and this time, she perfectly bisects Megan Schutt and Georgia Voll. Four!
Excellent fielding on the boundary by Georgia Voll, who pulls out the Superman dive and flicks the ball away from the rope. She saves two runs.
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Welsh Fire have not had the luxury of a platform in this tournament so far.
Ellyse Perry is chatting plans with her bowlers. With Jess Jonassen being left-handed, it is always a few more questions for a bowler.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Dots | 4s | 6s | Minutes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dunkley,bowled Baker Dunkley, bowled Baker | 53 | 43 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 51 | 123.26 |
Beaumont,bowled Schutt Beaumont, bowled Schutt | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 33.33 |
Matthews,not out Matthews, not out | 34 | 33 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 55 | 103.03 |
Jonassen,caught Kelly, bowled Schutt Jonassen, caught Kelly, bowled Schutt | 44 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 258.82 |
Elwiss,not out Elwiss, not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100.00 |
Extras, no balls 0, wides 6, byes 5, leg byes 5, total 16 Extras, no balls 0, wides 6, byes 5, leg byes 5, total 16 | |||||||
Total,150 for 3 100 balls Total,150 for 3 100 balls |
| Bowler | Balls | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Dots | No balls | Wides | 4s | 6s | Economy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Schutt | 20 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.30 |
Perry | 10 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 14.40 |
Taylor | 20 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 10.20 |
Voll | 20 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.10 |
Baker | 20 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11.70 |
Lamb | 10 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9.00 |
| Fall of wicket | Batter |
|---|---|
28 for 1 (21 balls) | Beaumont |
99 for 2 (72 balls) | Dunkley |
149 for 3 (98 balls) | Jonassen |
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Dots | 4s | 6s | Minutes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Voll,bowled Jonassen Voll, bowled Jonassen | 29 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 33 | 161.11 |
Lamb,bowled Ismail Lamb, bowled Ismail | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.00 |
Kelly,leg before wicket, bowled Ismail Kelly, leg before wicket, bowled Ismail | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
Perry,caught Elwiss, bowled Ismail Perry, caught Elwiss, bowled Ismail | 55 | 43 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 61 | 127.91 |
Jones,bowled Matthews Jones, bowled Matthews | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Kalis,caught Ismail, bowled Jonassen Kalis, caught Ismail, bowled Jonassen | 15 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 93.75 |
Lister,caught Ismail, bowled Jonassen Lister, caught Ismail, bowled Jonassen | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 57.14 |
Schutt,caught Dunkley, bowled Matthews Schutt, caught Dunkley, bowled Matthews | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 60.00 |
Taylor,bowled Matthews Taylor, bowled Matthews | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 66.67 |
Ellis,not out Ellis, not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 100.00 |
Baker,not out Baker, not out | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100.00 |
Extras, no balls 0, wides 2, byes 0, leg byes 1, total 3 Extras, no balls 0, wides 2, byes 0, leg byes 1, total 3 | |||||||
Total,114 for 9 100 balls Total,114 for 9 100 balls |
| Bowler | Balls | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Dots | No balls | Wides | 4s | 6s | Economy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ismail | 20 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4.80 |
Davies | 20 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.70 |
Jonassen | 20 | 1 | 24 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7.20 |
Matthews | 20 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6.30 |
Levick | 10 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7.80 |
Davis | 10 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12.00 |
| Fall of wicket | Batter |
|---|---|
5 for 1 (4 balls) | Lamb |
5 for 2 (6 balls) | Kelly |
61 for 3 (45 balls) | Voll |
61 for 4 (46 balls) | Jones |
91 for 5 (70 balls) | Kalis |
100 for 6 (82 balls) | Lister |
108 for 7 (92 balls) | Perry |
111 for 8 (96 balls) | Schutt |
112 for 9 (98 balls) | Taylor |
