Hayley Matthews ended Southern Brave’s unbeaten home record with a magnificent individual performance as Welsh Fire claimed a four-run win.

Matthews struck an impressive 65 to propel the Fire to 165 for three - their record score in The Hundred – before the West Indies international defended nine in the final set.

Danni Wyatt and Smriti Mandhana both scored half-centuries in the chase but it was not enough as the Brave’s women’s team lost at the Utilita Bowl for the first time since the competition began.

Sent in to bat by Anya Shrubsole, Welsh Fire immediately looked a different prospect to previous seasons and were full of intent from the start of their innings. 

Matthews timed her first ball from Shrubsole through the covers and struck an array of impressive drives, sweeps, and punches as she raced to her fifty off just 26 balls, the quickest half-century in Welsh Fire history.

Fire captain and England star Tammy Beaumont joined in the fun in the final set of the powerplay, cutting loose and hitting Chloe Tryon for three boundaries.  

The Fire had raced to 80 when Beaumont became the first wicket to fall, stumped off Georgia Adams’ bowling. 

The hard-hitting Laura Harris was promoted up the order to capitalise on the fast-start, and she struck two enormous sixes to race to 20 off seven balls, before an incredible piece of fielding from Maia Bouchier with a direct-hit from the long-on boundary brought about her demise.  

Matthews finally fell for a fantastic 65 chipping a return catch back to Tryon. 

Sarah Bryce and Georgia Elwiss rotated the strike well before finishing with a flurry in a partnership of 48 to bring the score to 165 for three, only one run short of matching the record score in The Women’s Hundred. 

Mandhana and Wyatt seemed to relish the task of pulling off a record run chase, and were quickly into their work. Wyatt struck boundaries all around the ground, including two enormous sixes over the leg side, as she raced to a sublime half-century off just 31 balls.  

Alex Griffiths brought the much-needed breakthrough for the Fire, as Wyatt holed out on 67 to Matthews at long on to end a 96-run opening stand.  

Mandhana then assumed the responsibility of leading the home charge and dominated the Fire bowling, not deterred by losing Bouchier who was smartly stumped by Bryce of Griffiths.

Mandhana accelerated to a classy half-century from 33 balls, and continued to score freely, finishing on a stylish 70 from just 42 deliveries. 

But she was unable to see enough of the strike late on and while Brave looked on course with nine required off the final-set of five balls, Matthews took centre stage.

Matthews had Tryon stumped off the first ball, and then limited Mandhana and Freya Kemp to just three singles off her remaining balls to secure a historic win for Welsh Fire.

Southern Brave opener Danni Wyatt:

“We are gutted to not get the win and lose the winning streak.

“I thought Welsh Fire batted really well and Hayley Matthews was exceptional. She, Tammy and Laura Harris really set the tone.

“I don’t think we bowled to our plans but we pulled it back at the end on a really good pitch – when it went through the ring it was four.

“Me and Smriti just said ‘let's just bat, play proper shots, hit our areas and not really think about the score too much’.

“I love batting with Smriti. We complement each other really well. She has different strengths to me and is so chilled out.

“We don’t really talk out in the middle. She hates talking and I don’t like to either. I think that is seven 50 and one hundred partnerships together.

“It was a good game for the crowd to watch. I was confident we would get it done but that is cricket.

“We couldn’t quite get over the line in the end but it is a long competition and it is a quick turnaround to the next game on Sunday.”