Match Center

That is it from this game well we didn't see any action in it but there are still three more games to come today throughout The Hundred competition. The next Women's game will be between Oval Invincibles Women and reigning champions Southern Brave Women at the Oval. That game will begin in some time and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). However, you can join us about an hour in advance for the build-up. Cheers!

Right then, as we feared, rain has had the final say and the MATCH HAS BEEN ABANDONED! What a shame though as two of the stand-out teams of this season were all set to battle each other in a battle for supremacy but Welsh Fire Women and Northern Superchargers Women can only now go up against each other if both of them make it into the knockouts. They both get a point each and keep their spots on the table which allows others beneath them to make up some ground and move up the table.

UPDATE - 4.40 pm IST (11.10 am GMT) - No update yet from the ground and things don't look too bright either. This game could well be abandoned but there's still a lot of time for that and we can still get a 25-ball per side encounter if things do improve. Not just that but the Men's game following this one could be affected as well. Given it is a doubleheader day, we have a couple of matches upcoming from the Oval as well where barring a passing shower, the weather seems to be holding up well. Stay tuned as we should get some official news from the ground soon.

As we wait for things to improve at the Sophia Gardens, let us now divert our attention to Paris where the 2024 Olympic Games have been going on for more than a week now. United States of America leads the medal charts with a total of 94 medals which include 27 golds. China, previously on top thanks to a superior number of gold medals, follows at number 2 with 25 gold medals and a total of 65 medals. Great Britain's medal tally is one short of 50 and they have won 12 gold medals, putting them at number 5 behind the likes of Australia and hosts France.

UPDATE - 3.55 pm IST (10.25 am GMT) - The visuals show that the broadcasters are in conversation with Aussie all-rounder Jess Jonassen who is a part of Welsh Fire Women for this edition. But behind the studio, the ground is visible and we can see the groundstaff moping up the covers which were earlier almost flooded with water. There doesn't seem to be much rain in the background, so, it might still be a light drizzle but the ground does look like it has taken a fair bit of water. Stick around as we bring you the latest updates.

UPDATE - 3.35 pm IST (10.05 am GMT) - Unfortunately, it has been raining in Cardiff since early morning and for now, it is a light drizzle but the damage has already been done. The toss is officially delayed, and if the play doesn't start even half an hour after the scheduled time, we will start losing balls. For now, everyone can only hang tight and hope that we do at least get a curtailed game in this top-of-the-table clash. Stay tuned for more updates.

Similarly, the Welsh Fire Women are coming into this game on a 3-match winning streak as well. However, their bowling unit seems to be doing the heavy lifting. Hayley Matthews has been amazing with the ball but seems to be struggling in the batting department which is a bit worrisome. With Tammy Beaumont giving a strong start at the top, the others will need to bat with more responsibility and keep the pressure on. This is expected to be a high-octane encounter which might give us a massive change on the table. Stay tuned for the toss and team news.

With a difference of just one point, the Northern Superchargers Women will want to win this and establish themselves at the top. A loss, however, would put them three points behind their rivals. Their openers will have to find their form back, especially in a crucial encounter. However, Annabel Sutherland and Alice Davidson-Richards have shown a lot of intent down the order which is a huge positive for them. Their bowlers have left no stone unturned and have often emerged as the match winners. With such an effective lineup, this team will have their eyes set on getting to the top. With three consecutive wins, they should be confident coming into this game.

Hello and a very warm welcome folks. The Sophia Gardens in Cardiff is all set to host a thriller. Yes, the top two teams in the league, Welsh Fire Women and Northern Superchargers Women will lock horns to earn that coveted P1 on the points table. The advantage to finish at the top is that you get a ticket directly to the finals.

... MATCH DAY ...

The battle for the top spot and a chance to directly qualify for the Final is brewing up nicely and now, the top two sides in The Women's Hundred, 2024 go head-to-head in Match 21 to get the edge over the chasing pack and solidify their claim on the top of the table. Yes, it is table-toppers Welsh Fire Women going up against second-placed Northern Superchargers Women at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales in what is set up to be an enthralling encounter. Last season, these two sides made it to the knockout stages but it was Southern Brave Women who claimed the title. However, this season, with the Brave Women down and out, these two teams have only bettered their performances from the last season. In the 2023 edition of the competition, Welsh Fire Women faced heartbreak against Northern Superchargers Women in the Eliminator game which was abandoned due to rain and the Superchargers made it to the Final as they finished about the Fire in the table. There's only one point separating the teams at the moment and a win for the home side will see them move 3 points clear at the top whereas a win for the Superchargers will mean that there will be just 2 points separating the top 3 teams. Welsh Fire Women come into this contest on the back of three successive wins and have lost just one game this season against Oval Invincible in what was a one-off under-par performance. Tammy Beaumont and her troops have been simply sensational and Hayley Matthews, one of the premium all-rounders in the world has been at the center of it all. In their last game against the reigning champions, the Fire bowlers bundled out the opposition for just 84 runs and Matthews picked up three wickets. Matthews failed to fire with the bat and so did Sophia Dunkley but skipper Tammy Beaumont led the charge and sealed a straightforward win. On the other hand, Northern Superchargers Women have also lost one game all season but they had a tied game against Souther Brave Women which is why they are just a point behind Welsh Fire Women. The Superchargers have undoubtedly been the best side with the ball and have won their last three games in a row, bowling out oppositions in all three games for under 100 runs with only one side even managing to get into the 90s. Not just that but with the bat as well, they have put on a couple of huge scores and look like the most balanced outfit heading into the business stage of the competition. Kate Cross has led the attack brilliantly and the others have managed to rally around her experience with the likes of Linsey Smith and Georgia Wareham proving to be quite destructive. Annabel Sutherland has also managed to shine with both bat and ball with Phoebe Litchfield completing that on-song Aussie trio as she has done her job with the bat quite well too. There's hardly anything separating the two sides coming into this contest but Welsh Fire Women are playing at home which has become a bit of a fortress for them this season and they have the misery of last year's Eliminator to overcome as well. Northern Superchargers Women have been playing wonderful cricket whether be it at Headingley or away and will be looking to shoot up to the top of the table. Who are you backing to get the win?