Potts leaves London Spirit 2 for 2 in seven balls, and Welsh Fire sign off in fifth
Grace Potts removed London Spirit’s top three to leave them two for two inside seven balls. Welsh Fire won by 15 runs at Sophia Gardens and finished fifth, with the women’s Hundred playoff line-up now settled.
Aug 12, 2026
Welsh Fire finished their Hundred campaign with a 15-run win over London Spirit at Sophia Gardens on Wednesday, and for a while it looked like being over almost immediately. Spirit chose to field, chased 139, and were two for two after seven balls.
Grace Potts took the game in the powerplay
Potts had Grace Harris caught by Orla Prendergast off the sixth ball of the chase. One ball later Marie Kelly edged to Sarah Bryce for a duck. Amy Jones went the same way soon after, caught by Georgia Wareham for 10, and Spirit were 18 for 3 inside 17 balls.
Potts finished with 3 for 23 from her 20 balls and took the player-of-the-match award. Ten of her 20 deliveries were dot balls, which in a format this short is closer to the point than the wickets are.
Spirit never really recovered the rate. The powerplay produced 27 runs for the loss of three, and while Charlie Dean and Charis Pavely rebuilt to 44, the required rate had already climbed out of reach of a side that had lost its top three.
Wareham’s 50 gave the Fire something to bowl at
Put in after Spirit won the toss, Welsh Fire made 138 for 7, and their captain was most of the reason. Wareham made 50 off 34 balls with six fours and a six, reaching the mark off 33 deliveries, and was the seventh wicket to fall on the 98th ball.
Freya Kemp gave the innings its early shove with 26 off 14, five of them boundaries, and Georgia Voll hit four fours in a nine-ball 17 at the top. Sarah Bryce’s 17 took 19 balls, which tells its own story about how the middle of the innings went.
Grace Harris was the pick of the Spirit attack with 3 for 15 from 15 balls, and Charlie Dean bowled 13 dots in her 20 for 2 for 18. Katie George had the harder shift, going for 36. Harris then came out and was dismissed for 1 by the sixth ball of the reply, which is the kind of evening it was for the visitors.
Dean fought it, briefly
Dean top-scored for Spirit with 27 off 20 before Abi Norgrove caught her off Prendergast, and at 75 for 6 the game was effectively settled. Seren Smale’s 17 off 14 kept it alive a little longer, and after she went at 107 the last of it was Deandra Dottin, who made 15 before being given out lbw to Sophia Smale on the 95th ball, Welsh Fire having reviewed the original decision successfully.
Spirit were bowled out for 123 with a ball to spare in front of a crowd of 6,253. Prendergast took 2 for 25, Heather Graham 2 for 16, Sophia Smale 2 for 21.
The women’s playoff line-up is now set
The win lifted Welsh Fire to 16 points and fifth place, four points short of the eliminator and out of the competition regardless. Spirit finish sixth on 10.
Above them nothing is left to decide. Trent Rockets topped the table with seven wins from eight and 28 points, and go straight into the final on 16 August. Sunrisers Leeds and Southern Brave both finished on 20 points, with Leeds taking second on net run rate, and they meet in the eliminator on 14 August. Manchester Super Giants were fourth on 18.
The one game still to be played, MI London against Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston, decides seventh place and nothing else. Both sides sit on six points and cannot reach the Super Giants.