Fire vs Originals, 12th Match at Cardiff, Jul 31 2021, The Hundred Men's Competition

RESULT
12th Match, Cardiff, July 31, 2021, The Hundred Men's Competition
(95/100 balls, T:151) 153/3

Originals won by 7 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
58 (31)
joe-clarke
Match centre 
Scores: Chandan Duorah | Comms: Matt Roller
Scorecard summary
Welsh Fire (Men) 150/6(100 balls)
2/11 (15)
32 (21)
1/25 (20)
Manchester Originals (Men) 153/3(95 balls)
58 (31)
1/9 (10)
33* (27)
1/36 (20)
after 95 balls12 runs
MO-M: 153/3
Colin Munro33 (27b 4x4 1x6)
Carlos Brathwaite1 (1b)
David Payne 0/25 (20)

Thanks for joining us this afternoon. Clinical stuff from the Originals who go second in the table, with five points from four games, leapfrogging the Fire who have a game in hand. There's one more game to come tonight in the Hundred, the Superchargers' men against the Invincibles, so jump over there shortly.

5.10pm: Pretty convincing performance from the Originals. Three key performances: Hartley and Ferguson with the ball, and Clarke with the bat. Munro and Salt played important hands too in the chase. For the Fire, du Plooy, Duckett and Critchley all played important cameos but their bowling didn't really click, and once the Originals got ahead of the game it was always going to be difficult to peg them back.

Joe Clarke is the hero of the match. "I was a bit everywhere after my first five or six balls. I love batting with Salty, we're always taking the aggressive option. [Better player now?] I had the experience of playing some franchise cricket over the winter and the responsibility of being an overseas player which I think makes you a better player. [No. 3 vs opening?] It doesn't change the way I go about things, just playing that aggressive brand of cricket that most teams play now. We thought it was going to be a worse wicket than it played. The bowlers thought they were 15-20 short which gave us confidence. [Disappointed to miss out on ODI squad?] Not really, I was actually isolating. I had Covid, so I was stuck in the room. It was so good to watch the depth of English cricket. [Far away?] I'm not sure, to be honest... just trying to enjoy playing for Notts and this opportunity with the Manchester Originals. [Word on Stokes] I'm sure all the cricketers around the world are with you and hoping you feel better soon."

95
4
Payne to Munro, FOUR runs

back of a length, Munro upper-cuts over short third, and the Originals win by six wickets with five balls to spare

2 off 6 required.

94
4
Payne to Munro, FOUR runs

nails the yorker, but Munro digs it out straight down the ground for four! Bottom hand takes over, and he beats long-on, running round to his right

93
1
Payne to Brathwaite, 1 run

looks for the big shot down the ground, outside edge skews out to deep backward point

92
1
Payne to Munro, 1 run

yorker, Munro skips down and inside-edges down to long leg

92
2nb
Payne to Munro, (no ball)

slower ball, banged in short, and it's too high! No-ball above head height Munro let it go through

91
Payne to Munro, no run

airshot. Slower ball on a length, grips in the pitch, and Munro's big swipe only manages to connect with thin air

Payne to finish his allocation.

10 off 10 required as Carlos Brathwaite, the stand-in skipper, strides out to the middle.

Craig: "Controversial opinion- Welsh Fire look bang average minus Bairstow's leadership" -- Their attack has looked weak throughout to me.

CHANGE OF END
after 90 balls10 runs • 1 wicket
MO-M: 141/3Need 10 from 10 balls
Colin Munro24 (22b 2x4 1x6)
James Neesham 1/31 (15)
90
W
Neesham to Ackermann, OUT

played on! Short ball, angled towards Ackermann as he backed away, and he looked to run this away behind square with a late dab but was cramped for room, only managing to deflect it into the base of his stumps!

Colin Ackermann b Neesham 17 (13b 2x4 0x6 16m) SR: 130.76
89
2
Neesham to Ackermann, 2 runs

gives himself room, top-edges the pull as Neesham follows him. Phillips puts in the Superman diving running in from midwicket but can't quite get underneath it!

88
1
Neesham to Munro, 1 run

gives himself room, Neesham follows him. Heaved leg-side for one

87
6
Neesham to Munro, SIX runs

ooft, how on earth do you describe that?! Dug into the pitch, angled across Munro as he shuffled across to lap it, and ends up scooping a cross-batted pull over the rope for six! Remarkable batting

86
1
Neesham to Ackermann, 1 run

yorker length, dug out down to long-off for one

Neesham to bowl the final five from the Cathedral Road End. 20 off 15, should be straightforward from here.

after 85 balls10 runs
MO-M: 131/2Need 20 from 15 balls
Colin Munro17 (20b 2x4)
Colin Ackermann14 (10b 2x4)
Matt Critchley 1/36 (20)
85
1
Critchley to Munro, 1 run

skids on, cut firmly in front of square, excellent diving stop by Cobb on the bounce to cut it off and keep them to one

84
1
Critchley to Ackermann, 1 run

flat leggie, punched out to deep point

83
4
Critchley to Ackermann, FOUR runs

legbreak, wide outside off, and slaps a cut away through backward point off the back foot! Excellent shot, sweetly struck, and all the pressure that had built up has vanished in the space of two balls

82
4
Critchley to Ackermann, FOUR runs

googly, reverse-lapped up and over, beating short third and racing away to the rope! Much needed, releasing the pressure. Didn't nail it, via the top edge, but it does the job

81
Critchley to Ackermann, no run

skips down, Critchley goes short and flat with the legbreak and nudges it back on the bounce

Critchley to finish up.

30 off 20 now. Tight five from Higgins.

CHANGE OF END
after 80 balls5 runs
MO-M: 121/2Need 30 from 20 balls
Colin Ackermann5 (6b)
Colin Munro16 (19b 2x4)
Ryan Higgins 1/9 (10)
80
1lb
Higgins to Ackermann, 1 leg bye

strays onto the pads, nudged away into the leg side

79
1
Higgins to Munro, 1 run

full and straight, into the arc, chipped out to deep midwicket on the bounce

78
1
Higgins to Ackermann, 1 run

full on the pads, leading edge down to long-off, just past Higgins' dive in his follow-through

77
1lb
Higgins to Munro, 1 leg bye

angled in, struck on the pad with the yorker, deflects to short third

Round the wicket

Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
JM Clarke
58 runs (31)
4 fours4 sixes
Productive shot
slog shot
16 runs
0 four2 sixes
Control
61%
JL du Plooy
43 runs (22)
0 four4 sixes
Productive shot
slog shot
13 runs
0 four2 sixes
Control
77%
Best performances - bowlers
TW Hartley
B
15
0s
8
R
11
W
2
RPB
0.73
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
RF Higgins
B
10
0s
3
R
9
W
1
RPB
0.90
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
Match details
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
TossWelsh Fire (Men), elected to bat first
Series
Season2021
Player Of The Match
Match days31 July 2021 - day (100-ball match)
Umpires
TV Umpire
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
PointsManchester Originals (Men) 2, Welsh Fire (Men) 0
AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
Originals Innings
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The Hundred Men's Competition

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