Hayley Matthews and Nicole Harvey starred with the ball for Welsh Fire © Getty
Despite posting a below-par total, Welsh Fire's collective bowling show helped them overcome Oval Invincibles by 12 runs in the Women's Hundred game at The Oval on Monday (August 2). Invincibles' bowlers came up with an economical performance to restrict Fire to 112 for 6. But Fire's bowlers were even better, with Nicole Harvey and Hayley Matthews sharing five of nine wickets to fall as Invincibles were kept to just 100 as they slipped to their second successive loss.

Asked to bat, Fire were off to a slow start as Bryony Smith managed only 3 off 9. Mady Villiers, who accounted for the opener, saw Georgia Redmayne and Hayley Matthews score three fours off her in four deliveries. Despite that, Invincibles kept things quiet during the powerplay in which Fire managed 25.

Redmayne and Matthews added 47 for the second wicket in just over 30 deliveries before Dane van Niekerk dismissed Matthews. Bowling 10 deliveries on the trot after a strategic time-out, she put down Redmayne on her follow-through but the batter was run out after managing to add nine more. However, Alice Capsey putting down a simple catch of Sarah Taylor when she was on 12 was a costlier miss as the wicketkeeper-batter, who had scored a run-a-ball 12, struck 17 more off the next 12 deliveries she faced while skipper Sophie Luff scored a useful 12 to help her side past 110.

Georgia Adams was run out for a duck in the chase and Invincibles managed only nine off the first 15 deliveries. But Capsey and Grace Gibbs upped the ante with a few boundaries as they helped their side to 28 when the powerplay was done. They put on a 34-run partnership before Nicole Harvey picked up the wicket of Capsey while Gibbs was trapped in front by Hannah Baker in what was a quiet period of play for Invincibles.

Things slowed down even further as there was a drought of boundaries. After Fran Wilson's four off Baker off the 54th ball, it was only on the 90th delivery when Joanne Gardner struck a six off Bryony Smith. Meanwhile, Invincibles also lost three wickets and did not have any kind of momentum leading into the closing stages of the chase. Needing 26 to win off the last 10 balls, all Invincibles could manage was 13 as Fire continued the stranglehold with tight bowling and regular wickets, eventually registering their second successive win after starting their campaign with two losses.

Brief scores: Welsh Fire 112/6 in 100 balls (Georgia Redmayne 30, Sarah Taylor 29; Dane van Niekerk 1-10, Alice Capsey 1-17) beat Oval Invincibles 100/9 in 100 balls (Grace Gibbs 21, Fran Wilson 20; Hayley Matthews 3-23, Nicole Harvey 2-11) by 12 runs.