Welsh Fire Women's innings of 100 in the 27th match of The Hundred Women's Competition 2026 proved insufficient as Sunrisers Leeds Women chased the total down with six wickets to spare. The Fire's batting effort was held together largely by Freya Kemp, while regular wicket losses throughout the innings prevented any substantial acceleration.

A Shaky Top Order

Georgia Voll and Sarah Bryce opened for Welsh Fire against Cassidy McCarthy. The first four balls of the innings produced two wides and a wide before Voll and Bryce began to find their footing. Bryce struck a boundary through third man before being dismissed lbw by Kate Cross for four off just four deliveries. It was a sharp early blow for the Fire, leaving them with work to do.

Georgia Voll continued more steadily, rotating strike with Freya Kemp and working the ball into gaps consistently. Kemp's arrival introduced an energy to the partnership that kept the Fire's run rate ticking. However, Voll fell for 16, trapped lbw by Deepti Sharma, and the middle order began to fracture. Georgia Wareham came to the crease and contributed three before being caught by Phoebe Litchfield off Hannah Baker. Orla Prendergast was bowled by Baker for a duck — three deliveries, no runs — representing a damaging collapse through the middle overs.

Graham and Thompson Fail to Consolidate

Heather Graham offered a glimpse of stability, hitting a four through deep extra cover off Jonassen and rotating the strike calmly before being caught by Cross off Deepti Sharma for seven. Grace Thompson, next in, made only two before being run out — the throw coming from Cross with Annabel Sutherland completing the dismissal at the bowler's end. Two more batters came and went cheaply, and the Welsh Fire's ability to post a challenging total was reliant almost entirely on what Kemp could contribute herself.

Kemp Carries the Innings

Freya Kemp's innings was the constant around which the Welsh Fire's 100 was built. She struck sixes off Jess Jonassen — one to long-on — and off Annabel Sutherland, including one to deep mid-wicket and one to long-on. Boundaries through third man and deep mid-wicket supplemented a consistent work rate of ones and twos throughout. Kemp was at the crease for the vast majority of the innings and provided the bulk of the Fire's impactful scoring.

Niamh Holland added a useful cameo — two fours, including one through fine leg — before being bowled by Deepti Sharma for nine. Rhianna Southby was run out for one in the final ball of the set, the dismissal coming from a combination of Winfield-Hill's fielding and Sutherland's involvement. Sophia Smale arrived but faced no further deliveries as the innings concluded on 100.

The total, while competitive in theory, lacked the depth of contribution needed to put sustained pressure on the Leeds chase. Welsh Fire's bowlers would need something exceptional to defend it — and the Leeds batting response made that task impossible.