Fire slump to heavy defeat by Superchargers
Northern Superchargers claimed a commanding 47-run win as last year's finalists Welsh Fire collapsed to 94 all out in The Hundred at Headingley.After Superchargers posted 141-4 from their 100 balls, Fire quickly fell to 6-2 as openers Sophia Dunkley and Hayley Matthews departed.Captain Tammy Beaumont briefly gave Fire hope, but when she was dismissed for 36 from 21 balls, the game was up and the visitors slumped to their lowest total in the women's competition.Australia all-rounder Georgia Wareham starred for Superchargers, hitting an unbeaten 29 from 17 balls in an unbroken stand of 52 with skipper Hollie Armitage, before taking 2-14 with her leg-spin and contributing to two runs out as well.The margin of victory gives Superchargers a significant net run-rate boost - something that could prove important later in the competition.
Wareham leads the way for impressive Superchargers
Having chosen to bat first, Superchargers found themselves pegged back by a wicket every time they seemed to be building momentum.Annabel Sutherland looked in good touch but the Australia international - one of three in the home team - holed out off Matthews for 28 and at 89-4 from 65 balls, the innings could have gone either way.Armitage and Wareham ensured things went in the Superchargers' favour as they stayed together for the remainder of the innings.The pair found the boundary regularly enough to keep the score moving and Wareham ended the innings with a bang, smashing a Jess Jonassen full toss into the stands.Fire's chase got off to the worst possible start with Dunkley run out after setting off for a single that was never on and, when Linsey Smith bowled the dangerous Matthews, the pressure was on.Beaumont countered well, her experience shining through as she hit three sixes in an innings of controlled aggression, but a stand of 42 with Georgia Elwiss was ended by another run out.Wareham removed Jonassen before Grace Ballinger struck the telling blow, having Beaumont caught at cover by Armitage to leave Fire 58-5 at the halfway stage.There was no way back for Fire, with Superchargers bowlers targeting the stumps to great effect, taking five wickets from 19 balls that would have hit the timbers - including three bowled dismissals.Despite some late resistance from Shabnim Ismail and Katie Levick, Superchargers wrapped things up with two balls left in the match and go top of the table on net run-rate.
What is happening on Friday?
It's a midlands derby on Friday as Birmingham Phoenix and Trent Rockets get up and running for the year in another double-header at Edgbaston.The women's game starts at 15:00 BST with the men's match following at 18:30 BST.You can follow ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
11 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Joe Root's appetite for runs impresses fellow ‘Fab Four' member Kane Williamson
England batter Joe Root's insatiable appetite for runs has left even his fellow 'Fab Four' member Kane Williamson in awe. The pair, plus Australia's Steve Smith and India's Virat Kohli, have lived up to their billing after being banded together and touted as future greats by former New Zealand batter Martin Crowe in 2014. Root shows no sign of slowing down with 22 hundreds in his last 61 Tests and he recently moved up to second on the list of all-time top run-scorers in the format, now sitting 2,378 behind India's Sachin Tendulkar. The 34-year-old's prolonged purple patch has so impressed Williamson – the former New Zealand captain – who is no doubt his contemporary seems like he could keep going for a lot longer. Williamson, who turned 35 on Friday, said: 'Joe's just remarkable with what he's doing and where he's going and the things he's ticking off, at the moment. It's incredibly special and great to follow. 'I'm just full of admiration for that. He's a little bit younger than me, which is even scarier, he could keep going and it feels like he could well do for about 20 years!' While Williamson, Root and Smith continue their Test careers, Kohli, the eldest of the quartet, called time on his career in the longest format earlier this year. Williamson said: 'You never really consider it and you do see some of your opponents and mates making some of these decisions and you think 'gosh, it has been a while', and you're not getting younger. 'It's a reality at some stage. For someone like Virat, who made that decision to go out on his own terms and do what he's done for the game, that's amazing. That's so special. 'Everyone was caught by surprise because you feel like it will never happen, but it does. I'm more aware of that than most – and that's great.' Williamson, with New Zealand's blessing after electing against signing a central contract, has skipped the Black Caps' ongoing Test series in Zimbabwe to play county cricket and The Hundred this summer. David Warner and Kane Williamson are in the house! 🚨 #TheHundred — The Hundred (@thehundred) August 5, 2025 As well as a stint with Middlesex, he is captaining London Spirit, again joining forces with former Australia batter David Warner, an ex-international foe and team-mate at several franchise leagues. Williamson added: 'He's without doubt been one of the greatest in the franchise T20 game. The heights he reached in the Indian Premier League, he's so highly-regarded, he's been one of the all-time greats. 'He's a little bit further down the line in terms of his career but he still has that quality in him and it's great to have him in our team.'
-Kyogo-Furuhashi-(left)-and-George-Hall-after-the-pre-season.jpeg%3Ftrim%3D1%2C0%2C1%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Is Birmingham City v Ipswich Town on TV? Channel, kick-off time and how to watch Championship opener tonight
Ipswich Town travel to Birmingham City in the Championship opener tonight as both sides compete for promotion to the Premier League this season. Kieran McKenna 's side are the favourites to win the Championship and go straight back up after suffering relegation last term. But Blues, with Tom Brady part of the ownership group, are tipped by many to go up after promotion from League 1, with their new documentary 'Built in Birmingham' detailing their ambitious project. Both sides should reveal their promotion credentials early in what promises to be a lively atmosphere at St Andrew's, with the likes of Southampton, Sheffield United, Coventry, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Norwich and newcomers Wrexham all competing to go up this term. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the match. When is Birmingham City v Ipswich Town? The match will take place on Friday, 8 August at St. Andrew's in Birmingham, with kick-off set for 8pm BST. How can I watch it? The match will be shown on Sky Sports Football in the UK, with coverage starting at 7pm BST. Subscribers can also stream the action via Now TV or the Sky Go app on mobile devices. Team news Scott Wright is out for Blues, while Kanya Fujimoto is still nursing a knee problem and Tyler Roberts is another doubt. Summer signings Bright Osayi-Samuel, Phil Neumann, Tommy Doyle and Demarai Gray could all start. Town will be without Conor Townsend after a crushing blow, with the left-back sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the friendly against Auxerre. Harry Clarke and Wes Burns are also out. Leif Davis and Jaden Philogene are 'struggling,' and Omari Hutchinson is also doubtful with a knock, though McKenna remains'hopeful' after 'a medical issue in the last two days' meant the winger 'hasn't been with the group'. Ipswich Town potential XI: Palmer; Johnson, O'Shea, Greaves, Young; Matusiwa, Taylor; Philogene, Szmodics, Clarke; Hirst Odds Birmingham 7/5 Draw 23/10 Ipswich 19/10
Daily Mirror
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Alexander Isak sealed transfer despite 'protection' and was at centre of ugly club fallout
Liverpool's Alexander Isak is no stranger to transfer sagas, having been told to train alone by Newcastle United following the Premier League champions' £110million bid Alexander Isak's tense standoff with Newcastle United is unwanted but not unknown for the Liverpool transfer target. After making his intentions clear that he wants to explore opportunities away from St James' Park, the Reds have had a bid worth £110million offer knocked back by the Magpies. Despite Newcastle's repeated claims that Isak isn't available, the 25-year-old has been told to train alone after missing the pre-season tour to Asia. As things stand, it would come as a massive shock if he features in Eddie Howe's squad for their Premier League curtain-raiser against Aston Villa on August 16. Liverpool remain interested in Isak and could table a fresh offer before the transfer deadline. However, they will not be held to ransom despite offloading Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich and agreeing to sell Darwin Nunez to Al-Hilal. With the clock ticking, Mirror Football looks back on the various transfer sagas Isak has already been at the centre of in his career... Real Madrid snub and Tuchel row During his teenage years as a rising star with AIK Solna in Sweden, Isak caught the attention of numerous European giants, with Real Madrid among the suitors. He agreed a deal with the La Liga giants just after turning 17, before having second thoughts. Instead, he chose Borussia Dortmund, drawn by their track record of nurturing promising youngsters. Speaking to FourFourTwo magazine, he explained: "Everyone knows that Borussia is a good club to develop at as a young player because so many of them are in the first-team. I want to play here and I am waiting for my chance, and I'll take it when it comes." However, his arrival only created friction behind the scenes between then-boss Thomas Tuchel and the club's top brass. Tuchel made it abundantly clear Isak wasn't his choice by admitting in a press conference that he'd never heard of the youngster, forcing chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke to issue an apology to the player. The now-England boss was furious that he hadn't been involved in discussions about the deal. When quizzed about Isak, he curtly responded: "Talk to [Dortmund sporting director] Michael Zorc [about it]." Tuchel departed the club shortly after but Isak still struggled for opportunities as three different managers came and went within a year. A temporary stint in Dutch football with Willem II helped resurrect his career before his switch to Real Sociedad for a modest £7.5m in 2019. Buyback clause Despite offloading him for a relatively small fee, Dortmund included a buyback option of approximately £26m in the deal. With Isak finding the net regularly for Sociedad, Dortmund mulled over bringing him back to Signal Iduna Park as a long-term successor to Erling Haaland. Nevertheless, with Isak determined to remain in Spain, Sociedad struck a £5m agreement with Dortmund to scrap the clause in 2021. Isak made his feelings clear, saying: "I'm fully aware that there is a clause. "All I can say is that Dortmund is in my past and not in my future. I'm doing very well here, and I'm not thinking about going back at all. I'm only focusing on Real Sociedad at the moment." Arsenal interest As Isak's reputation soared, he began catching the eye of Premier League sides, with Arsenal among those keen on him. The Gunners made an attempt to secure his signature in early 2022 but were unable to reach a deal. Sociedad sporting director Roberto Olabe responded to the speculation surrounding Isak by declaring the club was "well protected" thanks to his release clause, believed to be around £75m. Perennial nearly-men Arsenal have been hunting for a world-class striker ever since, finally landing one this summer with Viktor Gyokeres' arrival from Sporting CP. Isak forces move Newcastle didn't need to fork out £75m for Isak's services, though there were fraught talks as they battled to complete the transfer, ultimately stumping up a club-record £63m for the forward. Just before the switch materialised, Sociedad were still anticipating Isak would remain at the club, with president Jokin Aperribay revealing to Spanish media: "We did not expect Isak to leave." Nevertheless, once Isak's agents made Sociedad aware of their client's ambition to join Newcastle, they were left with little choice. Whether a similar scenario unfolds with Liverpool over the next few weeks remains to be seen.
