Summary

  • 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

Live Reporting

by Sam Drury & Elizabeth Botcherby

  1. Fire 106-2

    Boom. Jess Jonassen collects four over the outstretched hands of cover. That's more like it for Welsh Fire.

  2. Fire 102-2

    Dot, dot, dot, bye, single. An excellent set from Georgia Voll.

    20 balls left in Welsh Fire's innings.

  3. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Hayley Matthews is well set and this is a role she is used to in terms of carrying a team. She has been a senior player for West Indies since she was about 18.

  4. Fire 100-2

    100 up for Welsh Fire with a single for Jess Jonassen.

    25 balls left. Welsh Fire will want at least 140 with the platform Sophia Dunkley has built.

  5. Fire 99-2

    Was that a missed stumping? I think that should have been two wickets in two balls as Jess Jonassen comes down to Hannah Baker, misses, and finds herself stranded.

    Will that come back to haunt Birmingham Phoenix?

  6. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    A shame for Sophia Dunkley. She was shuffling across her crease trying to access different areas of the ground.

    A reward for Hannah Baker. This ground suits her with the wider square boundaries allowing her to bowl back of the length.

  7. wicket

    WICKET

    Dunkley b Baker 53 (Fire 99-2)

    Birmingham Phoenix finally break Fire's second-wicket partnership!

    Sophia Dunkley steps away from her stumps and was down on one knee, eyeing a monstrous shot. However, she fails to connect and Hannah Baker takes out her middle stump.

    Dunkley departs for 53 from 43 balls. In comes Jess Jonassen.

  8. How's stat?!

    Ashwanth R Kavuluri
    CricViz analyst

    This is just the second fifty for Welsh Fire this season, both coming from Sophia Dunkley's bat. She is also currently fourth among the top five run-getters this season with 180 runs.

  9. Josh Cobb
    Former Northants batter on Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Welsh Fire have decided to kick on here. The bowlers have been coming back round the wicket which may open up that slog sweep.

  10. Fire 95-1

    Hayley Matthews tries to finish Emma Lamb's second set with a third successive boundary but misses her sweep and is struck on the helmet.

    The physios will come out for a concussion check, but Matthews looks pretty happy.

    11 runs off the set.

  11. Fire 95-1

    Four more for Hayley Matthews. Is this the gear change Welsh Fire need?

  12. 6 runs

    Fire 91-1

    Hayley Matthews just clears the fielder on the boundary, slogging the ball into the offside for six.

  13. Fire 84-1

    Hayley Matthews and Sophia Dunkley have put on 56 runs off 44 deliveries.

  14. Fire 82-1

    Well, that's Tammy Beaumont and Hayley Matthews who've had to take evasive action at the non-striker's end. Sophia Dunkley goes for another almighty thwack down the ground and Matthews flattens herself on the floor.

    Dunkley only gets a single. If only there were points for style.

  15. Josh Cobb
    Former Northants batter on Test Match Special

    Exceptional knock from Sophia Dunkley. She has led the way for Welsh Fire in this tournament and she has hit the ball very hard and straight today.

  16. 50 runs

    50 for Sophia Dunkley

    Zooooooom. Four straight down the ground for Sophia Dunkley, who brings up her half-century off 38 deliveries.

    She's been Welsh Fire's best batter throughout the tournament and is doing everything she can for her side again today.

  17. How's stat?!

    Ashwanth R Kavuluri
    CricViz analyst

    Ellyse Perry is conceding at an economy of 9.1 this year - that is the highest economy rate she has ever recorded in T20s in a calendar year.

  18. Fire 75-1

    Three singles conceded by Georgia Voll, who has 0-8 from her 10 deliveries.

    40 balls remaining and nine wickets in hand - when will Welsh Fire try and put the hammer down?

    While you mull that over, here's WinViz.

    Winz Viz: Phoeniz 37%, Fire 63%CricViz

  19. Josh Cobb
    Former Northants batter on Test Match Special

    Excellent start from the Welsh Fire. 160 is the average winning score here and they will have to go some to get there.

    It is a good batting track so they need to get their foot down.

  20. Fire 72-1

    Six runs off the set. Welsh Fire are keeping the scoreboard moving nicely.

    Georgia Voll will return to the attack.