Welsh Fire quash London Spirit to maintain prime three hopes burning
Welsh Fire 110 for 4 (Bairstow 41, Worrall 3-24) beat London Spirit 109 for 9 (Dawson 24, Henry 2-15)
Welsh Fire’s seamers set them on the trail to a victory which retains their prime three hopes alive, with Jonny Bairstow prime scoring as they chased down 110.
Captain Tom Abell and Glenn Phillips completed the match with a partnership of 41 off 24 balls, after the platform had been set by the seam bowlers who took 8-65 between them.
New Zealand pair Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson impressed of their first recreation whereas David Willey and David Payne additionally took benefit of a seam-friendly wicket, all taking two wickets every. London Spirit had Ravi Bopara to thank for getting them to 3 figures after an early batting collapse, whereas Dan Worrall took three early wickets to offer them hope within the discipline.
The end result sees the 2 groups swap locations within the desk between fifth and sixth, whereas Welsh Fire are degree on factors with third place, however behind on web run price.
Welsh Fire had misplaced Pakistan pair Shaheen Shah Afridi and Harris Rauf as they returned to worldwide responsibility, however Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson flew in from New Zealand as high quality replacements. The new-look bowling assault was quickly unleashed after London Spirit captain Dan Lawrence received the toss and elected to bat.
The tone was set by David Willey who didn’t concede a run in his opening 5 balls to Zak Crawley. He didn’t have to attend lengthy so as to add a wicket, returning for the third set and dismissing Crawley, caught behind by Joe Clarke by way of bat and pad.
Henry was proving equally efficient as his bounce noticed the tip of Lawrence second ball, caught within the covers by Tom Abell, quickly adopted by Australian Matthew Wade caught behind attempting to scoop Willey.
In-form Adam Rossington had been watching the carnage from the opposite finish, however he fell attempting to hit Henry out of the bottom, a prime edge effectively taken by Abel operating again. Willey and Henry bowled all the primary 30 balls between them and the Spirit rating at that stage was simply 21 for 4.
Daryl Mitchell and Ravi Bopara began rebuilding, however may solely amass 42 on the half manner stage. Then Mitchell went to David Payne, Willey taking the boundary catch from a brief ball. Matt Critchley’s breezy 21 got here to an finish when he skied an tried pull from Ferguson, Glenn Phillips taking the catch.
The run price was all the time sluggish, it was solely the 92nd ball that the runs equalled the balls bowled for the primary time. Ravi Bopara performed responsibly, ending 24 not out off 20, whereas Liam Dawson’s 24 was a helpful contribution in addition to Spirit crept as much as 109 for 9.
The bowling figures have been spectacular, Willey, Henry, Ferguson and Payne all getting two wickets every, with Henry, Willey and Payne all conceding lower than a run a ball.
Any doable complacency within the Welsh Fire line-up would quickly have been dispelled by Spirit opening bowler Dan Worrall, whose away swing with the brand new ball proved exhausting to play. Steve Eskinazi went on the assault and skied the ball, whereas Joe Clarke and Luke Wells each have been caught behind misjudging the swing.
Worrall bowled 20 of the primary 25 balls, Bairstow hitting a few fours to go away the Australian’s last figures as 3 for twenty-four. Bairstow and Tom Abell placed on fifty earlier than Barstow was bowled for 41 going for a giant swipe off Liam Dawson.
Abell survived to see it by means of, given good assist by Phillips, the pair taking 15 from a Daryl Mitchell set of 5 balls to settle nerves within the last part of the innings. Phillips completed it with a straight six off Nathan Ellis. Abell completed on 37 and Phillips on 21.