wide line, full length, yanked up and over point, but it's not enough! "C'mon!" is the cry, as Phoenix win for the first time in 13 matches!
Phoenix vs Rockets, 9th Match at Nottingham, Women's Hundred, Jul 31 2024 - Ball by Ball Commentary
5.35pm That'll do for part one of Day Nine! Over to the men to follow that. From Miller and Chandan, goodbye!
Hypocaust: "Quite an innings by Graham at the death, but great for Birmingham Phoenix to cling on and put their losing run to bed. Also a good result for the competition, which ideally needs all sides to be somewhat competitive."
The Meerkat Match Hero is Ellyse Perry: "Chuffed for the girls, played with a lot of spirit, positively, and nice to get over the line at last. Took us a while to get going, once you were in, there was a breeze so easy to find the pockets and pick off boundaries. It felt defendable, but they chased well, to hold our nerve at the end was awesome. I'm stoked for the girls. You can't worry about last season, different squad, but it has been spoken about by other people. Hopefully people stop talking about [12 in a row] now."
5.31pm Well, that was tense! Phoenix prevail, but not before an almighty scare courtesy of Heather Graham. Nat Sciver-Brunt made a 33-ball fifty too, but in the end it was Ellyse Perry's own onslaught with the bat that made the difference. Her and Sterre Kalis combined for a century stand that left 140 just out of Rockets' reach
DaWolf: "Feel like Rockets lost this by also slow batting the first 50. Sure, they scored 55 rather than 45. But they knew the finish they'd have to match and needed to be 65-70 at the halfway stage. Second game in a row they've failed to chase by using the same tactic."
Well, this has got lively all of a sudden! Graham has the bit between her teeth, Arlott has to nail this ball...
full length, dragged into the leg-side, couldn't quite reach it as it dipped, scuffed out to midwicket, a despairing dive for the second, but the run-out means its six or bust!
Well, that changes things! In the slot, smoked over wide long-on! Humungous strike! Graham has given her side a genuine shot here!
driven hard into the covers, Devine picks up well and the shy is good enough for Arlott to whip off the bails. Graham is back on strike, but a crucial run is lost. Three fours for the tie!
swung away off the legs again! Dragged behind square! Graham is nailing these sweeps at the moment! That was through the legs in fact, but all counts!
Five more of those and who knows... Arlott to finish
steps to the off-side again, another super sweep! Clean through square leg, this is quality hitting but it's still a huge ask
reverse-sweep, straight at backward point
steps across to the off-side, crashed hard through backward square! That will help, but still behind the rate overall..
swung away hard on the sweep, Baker at backward square pounces superbly!
Three a ball needed now, Phoenix can begin to savour their first win in 13!
wide line, has a gallop, can't connect, Jones whips off the bails! That might well be curtains!
leans back on the full length, lashed up and over extra cover! That'll help, but this cause needs at least four more of those!
Rockets need snookers now...
into the blockhole, cracked down the ground to long-on
swings down the leg-side, through to the keeper, is it pad, or bat? Phoenix review... certainly looks like pad flap, is there edge too? No
very full, swinging into the toes, there's protection behind square for the clip off the pads
very full, chipped in the air to the on-side
Right, they can't spill it from here... can they? More than two a ball needed now
tight line from round the wicket, stops on a push back down the pitch. That's a key set from Pavely!
tries to clear short fine leg on the ramp! Huge breakthrough! Baker tracking back, for the big fish, hits the ground in a thump but holds onto the ball! NSB didn't get enough blade on that, and now Phoenix believe!
looped into the toes, clipped to the on-side for another single
back of a length, worked into space on the on-side, good start, to keep up with the rate
Heather Graham, with the duty of being an able sidekick
full and straight, Gardner plays all round it! Big moment, she wasn't the key, but she was the glue... opened the face, couldn't drive out of the aggressive length. Timbers rattled!
Pavely is back. Big set