The Hundred women’s competition, Old Trafford
Manchester Super Giants 85-9 (100 balls): MacDonald-Gay 18* (14); Prendergast 4-18
Welsh Fire (91 balls): Wareham 17 (12); Ecclestone 3-14
Welsh Fire won by three wickets
In Wednesday’s earlier game, Ireland international Orla Prendergast took 4-18 as Welsh Fire beat Manchester Super Giants by three wickets at Old Trafford.
Playing only her second Hundred match after arriving as an injury replacement for Sophie Devine, the seamer tore through the Super Giants’ top-order as the hosts slipped to 24-4.
Prendergast bowled Super Giants captain Meg Lanning for a golden duck, had Mady Villiers caught for five and then trapped Kathryn Bryce (4) lbw, before Heather Graham had Paige Scholfield (5) stumped.
India’s Smriti Mandhana made 15 before she was run-out after being called through for a risky single, while Sophie Ecclestone (9) became Graham’s second stumping victim.
Richa Ghosh was Prendergast’s fourth wicket, caught in the covers for 11, but Ryana MacDonald-Gay top-scored from number nine, hitting an unbeaten 18 to help her side reach 85-9.
Fire reached 27 in their reply, before losing Sarah Bryce, caught and bowled by Bex Tyson for 16, while fellow opener Georgia Voll reached the same score before skying a catch off Villiers.
Ecclestone removed Freya Kemp (6) and Prendergast with successive balls, having her England team-mate clip to Lanning at short mid-on and then bowling the Ireland all-rounder. She also had Georgia Wareham caught well by Lanning for 17 in her figures of 3-14.
Graham guided Fire to a nervy victory, losing two further partners but hitting an unbeaten 16, including the winning runs as her side reached 88-7 with nine balls to spare.
The win moved Fire above Leeds Sunrisers into fourth place and two points behind Super Giants who remain third.
