Neil Whitaker reports
DEFENDING women’s Champions Welsh Fire lost their opening match of the 2025 season to Northern SuperCharges by 47 runs at Headingley.
The wickets were shared by all the Supercharges bowlers with Georgia Wareham the pick of them with two for 14 in her 20 balls.
Needing 142 to win the Welsh Fife lost an early wicket when Sophia Dunkley was run out after she was sent back by Hayley Matthews after Dunkley had turned Kate Cross off her legs. They went two down when Matthews tried to cut Linsey Smith but the ball was too close to cut and was bowled,
The Welsh Fire needed their captain Tammy Beaumont to take them over the line and for a time it looked like she would. She launched Cross straight for the first six of the Welsh Fire’s reply. She got her second six off Smith but this time she didn’t hit right and was resigned to being caught at long-on but the ball just had enough sail over the boundary.
Beaumont needed support but the only support she got was from Georgia Elwiss and they added 42 for the third wicket from 29 balls before Elwiss became the second Welsh Fire to be run out. She drove Wareham straight and set off for a single but she couldn’t beat Cross’ throw to Wareham.
After her dismissal it was a procession to and from the hutchJonassen drove Wareham to Sutherland at min-on. Beaumont drove Grace Ballenger to Hollie Armitage at extra cover. Emily Windsor was cramped up for room by left arm spinner Smith and was bowled.
Sara Bryce backed away from Annabel Sutherland and was bowled. Katie George tried reverse sweeping Wareham but missed the ball and was leg before. She reviewed it and the replay showed it to be hitting.
Freya Davies chipped Cross back to the bowler. With two balls left Katie Levick slogged Ballenger but found Wareham at mid-on.
After winning the toss Northern Supercharges captain Armitage decided to bat and top scored with an unbeaten 34. She shared in an unbroken 5th wicket partnership of 52 with Wareham. The 50 partnership was brought up off the last ball of the Supercharges 100 balls when Wareham pulled the last ball from Jonassen over the square leg boundary for a six
The Northern Supercharges lost an early wicket when Alice Davidson-Richardson was trapped on her crease and was leg before to Davies.
The Supercharges thought they had a boundary when Phoebe Litchfield smeared Ismail but instead of finding the boundary she found Beaumont at point who took the catch.
Matthews was the pick of the Welsh Fire bowlers and took two wickets for 18 in her 20 balls. Davina Perrin took a couple of paces down the pitch and drove her down the ground but found Shabnim Ismail at deep mid-off who took the catch.
She got her second wicket when Sutherland pulled Matthews but found George coming in from the deep mid-wicket boundary.