After three and a half weeks of exhilarating cricket, the Women’s Hundred concluded with a thrilling final between London Spirit and Welsh Fire at Lord’s. London Spirit’s captain, Heather Knight, opted to field first after winning the toss. Welsh Fire’s openers, Tammy Beaumont and Sophia Dunkley, began cautiously, reaching 15/0 after two sets.
However, their innings stumbled when Tara Norris dismissed Dunkley on the 15th delivery. Things went from bad to worse as Sarah Glenn quickly removed both Beaumont and Sarah Bryce, leaving Welsh Fire reeling at 32/3 after 29 deliveries.
Despite the early blows, Hayley Matthews and Jess Jonassen fought back, adding 27 runs to take Welsh Fire to 58/3 in 60 balls. Matthews and Jonassen found it difficult to accelerate, but Jonassen’s gritty 39-ball fifty helped Welsh Fire post a total of 115/7 from their 100 deliveries.
In reply, London Spirit encountered early setbacks, with Shabnim Ismail dismissing Meg Lanning, followed by Georgia Davis taking down Cordelia Griffith. Heather Knight and Georgia Redmayne steadied the innings, bringing the score to 44/2. Ismail struck again to remove Knight, but Danielle Gibson and Redmayne kept the chase alive.
London Spirit needed 37 runs from 35 deliveries, which later came down to 28 from 30. Ismail returned to dismiss Gibson with a brilliant delivery, adding tension to the chase. With 11 runs required from 10 balls, Freya Davies removed Redmayne, setting up a nail-biting finish.
— Gill Bill (@bill_gill76078) August 18, 2024
Unbelievable scenes! 😱
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 18, 2024
Check out the London Spirit dugout as they watched the ball go high into the air and sail over the boundary for 6️⃣ to win #TheHundred! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/2r3W9bG2dX
However, Deepti Sharma held her nerve and smashed a crucial six off the third ball to seal the victory. London Spirit won by four wickets, claiming the Women’s Hundred title for the first time.
