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 36-1

    Spinner Georgia Voll enters the attack. Five singles.

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

    It will be interesting to see where Sophia Dunkley targets now. She was targeting clearly down the ground but she is going to have to try something different now that the wicketkeeper is up at the stumps at both ends.

  3. Fire 31-1

    Hmmmm, a pretty even powerplay.

    Sophia Dunkley has come out flying with the bat - she has 21 (18), including four boundaries - but losing Tammy Beaumont is disappointing for Welsh Fire.

  4. Fire 29-1

    Oooh, that was a lovely shot from Sophia Dunkley - a crisp drive which yields a satisfying thunk off the bat. Alas, it's straight to the fielder at mid-off.

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

    A very Megan Schutt delivery. Tammy Beaumont played across the line which often makes her a very lbw candidate.

  6. Daniel Norcross
    Test Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Megan Schutt is getting that ball to talk. Tammy Beaumont's miserable summer continues after moving herself to opener.

  7. wicket

    WICKET

    Beaumont b Schutt 2 (Fire 28-1)

    Oh dear. Megan Schutt goes right through Tammy Beaumont and scatters both of her bails.

    The skipper departs for 2 (6) - her fourth successive single-figure score.

  8. Daniel Norcross
    Test Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Sophia Dunkley has started in pretty explosive fashion. We should see Megan Schutt come in now to bowl the last set of the powerplay.

  9. Fire 28-0

    Mary Taylor comes into the attack and concedes just two singles from her first four deliveries.

    Then, Sophia Dunkley frees her arms and adds a fourth four to her individual tally, over mid-off and just beating the chasing fielder to the boundary. She has 19 (15).

  10. How's stat?!

    Ashwanth R Kavuluri
    CricViz analyst

    Megan Schutt is averaging 74 with just one wicket in the powerplay this season - the highest for any bowler with 50-plus balls bowled in this phase.

  11. Fire 22-0

    Wicketkeeper Amy Jones comes up to the stumps for the final delivery of the set to try and deter Sophia Dunkley from searching for another boundary.

    Dunkley sensibly settles for a dot ball. 12 from the set. Welsh Fire will be happy with this start.

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

    There is not much swing out there so Sophia Dunkley knows she won't be beaten by any extravagant movement.

  13. Fire 22-0

    A dot ball is followed by a third boundary in four deliveries from Sophia Dunkley, up and over cover.

    This bowling change has not worked for Phoenix.

  14. Fire 18-0

    Aaaaaand another four for Sophia Dunkley, this time driving through mid-off.

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

    Sophia Dunkley hit that so hard she almost took down Tammy Beaumont at the other end. That full-toss had to be put away.

    Ellyse Perry is under pressure early.

  16. Fire 14-0

    Phoenix captain Ellyse Perry enters the attack and is immediately driven through mid-on for four by Sophia Dunkley.

    The first boundary off the bat for Welsh Fire.

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

    Running between the wickets is something you can fix. It has been noticeable this year that the boundaries are bigger and there is more scope to get those runs.

  18. Fire 10-0

    A single apiece for Tammy Beaumont and Sophia Dunkley.

    After 10 balls, Welsh Fire are 10-0 with seven of those runs coming from extras.

  19. Fire 8-0

    Welsh Fire are profiting from extras early on. Three wides from Megan Schutt to add to the four leg byes from the first set.

  20. Fire 5-0

    Welsh Fire get the scoreboard moving with four leg byes before Sophia Dunkley bags the first run off the bat off the final ball of the set.

    It's a little bit dicey - up and just over the mid-wicket fielder - but Dunkley takes a single.