Nicola Carey holds nerve to inspire overdue first win for Welsh Fire

They were singing 'Hymns and Arias' at Sophia Gardens in the end as Tammy Beaumont's side came back from the dead to notch Welsh Fire's first win in either the women's or men's Hundred this season, as they beat Northern Superchargers by 11 runs.

Having set the visitors 124 to win, Fire seemed out for the count after Superchargers skipper Hollie Armitage and South African star Laura Wolvaardt put on 90 for the third wicket to leave their team needed 21 to win off the last 17 balls with eight wickets in hand.

But then Wolvaardt, who took over from Beth Mooney as this season's leading run-scorer, went for 41 and Beaumont's side started to breathe fire. From 103 for 2, the Superchargers slumped to 112 for 6 as they lost four wickets in the space of 17 balls and added only 10 more runs.

Nicola Carey was the star of the show for the home side with the ball as she removed Wolvaardt, Armitage, who reached her highest total in the tournament with 40 off 38, and Alice Davidson-Richards. "That win has been a long time coming," she said. It was nice to get one over the line in front of a home crowd."

While Fire broke their duck for the season after four successive defeats to fall out of the running for the knockout phase, Superchargers are still in with an outside shot of reaching the top three but will need a huge win against unbeaten Southern Brave in their final game and for other results to fall in their favour.

Beaumont won the toss and opted to bat first as her side chased that elusive first win of the season. She then went out to open with Scottish international Sarah Bryce and helped to steer her side to 32 off the 25 balls in the powerplay, but was bowled by Jenny Gunn.

The experienced Rachel Haynes, returning to action after illness forced her to miss the last two defeats, didn't last long, scoring four runs off her 10 balls to leave the Fire 56 for 2 at the half-way mark.

While Bryce kept swinging, hitting four boundaries in her 36 in 30 balls, Annabel Sutherland also came good after Bryce and Fran Wilson had both departed within the space of 12 balls. Sutherland and Lauren Filer both hit sixes in a final flourish that same them put on 17 off the final six balls.

Those runs, along with the 19 scored by Carey, proved vital as Fire reached 123 for 6. That gave them something to bowl at on a tricky wicket and they got off to a great start: Alyssa Healy and Bess Heath fell early to leave Superchargers struggling at 12 for 2 off the first 13 balls.

Wolvaardt and Armitage took Superchargers close but when Wolvaardt, who had scored an unbeaten 90 in the win over Manchester Originals last time out, holed out at deep mid-on off, the late wobble was on. Beaumont's team turned the screw and came up with that long awaited win - and celebrated with a sing-song with the crowd.