London, Aug 18 (IANS): London Spirit secured their first-ever women's Hundred title with a nail-biting four-wicket victory over Welsh Fire in the final, culminating in a finish that saw Deepti Sharma smash a decisive six to seal the win at the Lord's.
Chasing a modest target of 116, the match reached a fever pitch as Spirit needed four runs from the final three balls. Deepti lofted the ball high over long-on, destined for a catch but the ball burst through the hands of Fire's bowler Shabnim Ismail and sailed over the boundary, sending the crowd at Lord’s into a frenzy as Spirit claimed victory on their home turf.
The dramatic ending was a cruel twist for Ismail, who had been outstanding for Welsh Fire, taking 3-24 with a spell that nearly swung the match in her team’s favour. Her triple strike removed the experienced trio of Meg Lanning, Heather Knight, and Danielle Gibson, keeping Fire's hopes alive as they fought to defend their total.
Earlier in the match, London Spirit’s bowlers had set the stage for victory with a disciplined performance. England spinners Sarah Glenn and Charlie Dean were instrumental in restricting Welsh Fire to 115-8. Despite a resilient half-century from Australia’s Jess Jonassen, Fire struggled to build momentum.
At the halfway point, with the target in sight, Spirit’s chase got off to a steady start but soon hit turbulence. The pressure began to mount as wickets tumbled, and it looked as though the match might slip away from the home side.
Enter Danielle Gibson, who provided the spark that Spirit desperately needed. Coming to the crease with her side teetering, she unleashed a flurry of boundaries, striking five fours from her first six balls. Her aggressive innings shifted the momentum back in Spirit’s favor, giving them the push they needed to stay in the hunt.
However, the drama was far from over. Gibson was bowled by Ismail, and when opener Georgia Redmayne was trapped lbw by Freya Davies, the match seemed destined for a nerve-wracking conclusion.
As the game hung in the balance, Deepti Sharma stepped up, her match-winning six securing a maiden title for Spirit.
Brief scores:
Welsh Fire 115 for 8 in 100 deliveries (Jess Jonassen 54, Hayley Mathews 22; Sarah Glenn 2-17, Eva Gray 2-26) lost to London Spirit 118 for 6 in 98 deliveries (Georgia Redmayne 34, Heather Knight 24; Shabnim Ismail 3-24, Georgia Davis 1-15) by four wickets.