6:05 PM IST, 1:35 PM LOCAL TIME: Cricket has a strange habit... it rewards patience, tests belief, and saves its loudest applause for the very last moment. Who smiled at the end? Birmingham Phoenix Women. And what a way to do it. Chasing 145, they held their nerve to finish on 145/3 in 99 balls, sealing a seven-wicket victory with one ball to spare and registering their first win of the season. Welsh Fire posted a competitive 144/3, powered by a magnificent 78 from Georgia Voll and a late blitz from Sophie Devine. But Ellyse Perry had other ideas. Supported brilliantly by Alice Capsey, the skipper scripted a chase worthy of the occasion. Pressure? Present. Panic? Optional. Phoenix chose belief instead.

Let's rewind a bit...

How did Welsh Fire begin after being sent in? With caution. Plenty of it. Georgia Voll and Ella McCaughan respected the new ball as Fatima Sana and Lauren Filer kept things exceptionally tight. The Fire reached only 25/0 in the Powerplay (25 balls), with the Phoenix conceding just six runs in the final ten Powerplay deliveries. Voll remained positive despite the slow start, while McCaughan happily played the supporting role. Both teams quietly ticked their boxes. Fire had wickets in hand. Phoenix had the scoring rate under control.

When did the innings burst into life? Right after the Powerplay. Voll switched gears as if someone had found the turbo button. The opening pair added 58 runs, with the team reaching 50 in just 34 balls, and Voll raced to a superb 50 off only 34 deliveries, smashing six fours and two sixes. Alice Capsey finally broke the stand on ball 42, removing McCaughan for 19, before returning to dismiss Freya Kemp for 3 with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort on ball 62. Yet Voll refused to slow down. Welsh Fire brought up 100 in 69 balls and marched to 106/2 at the Strategic Time-Out (75 balls), with Voll unbeaten on 68 and Sophie Devine beginning to find her rhythm.

Did Birmingham finish strongly with the ball? Yes. Just enough to keep the chase realistic. Linsey Smith finally ended Voll's breathtaking knock of 78 off 55 on ball 91, with Capsey taking the catch at long-on. That wicket briefly slowed Welsh Fire's charge, but Devine ensured the innings finished on a high. Her unbeaten 35 from just 19 balls, including two fours and three sixes, gave the Fire valuable late momentum as they closed on 144/3.

Capsey finished as the standout bowler with 2/24, while Smith chipped in with one wicket. Fatima Sana (9 runs in 10 balls) and Lauren Filer (15 in 20 balls) were outstanding with the new ball. Perhaps Phoenix left a few runs on the table by not completing Sana's allocation. Even so, they kept the target within touching distance.

Now... The Chase!

How did the chase begin? Answer: With an early wobble... and a quick recovery. Grace Potts struck on ball 5, dismissing Davina Perrin for 2, giving Welsh Fire the perfect start. Birmingham reached 33/1 at the end of the Powerplay, still needing 112 from the remaining 75 balls. Tammy Beaumont looked fluent before Georgia Wareham struck on ball 28, removing her for 14. At 35/2, the Fire sensed an opening. Birmingham needed someone to steady the ship. Enter Alice Capsey. Enter Ellyse Perry.

Who turned the chase around? A partnership built on timing rather than panic. Capsey and Perry stitched together a match-defining 86-run stand from just 54 balls for the third wicket. The Phoenix reached 50 in 42 balls, before accelerating beautifully through the middle overs. At the Strategic Time-Out (55 balls), they were 75/2, with Capsey unbeaten on 37 and Perry on 17, needing 70 more from 45 balls. Momentum had quietly changed colours. Birmingham crossed 100 in 67 balls, Capsey completed a brilliant 50 off just 28 balls, and Perry soon followed with her own half-century from 39 deliveries. One partnership. Endless problems for the Fire.

Was there one final twist? Of course. Cricket rarely leaves without one. Georgia Voll picked up the crucial wicket of Capsey for a sparkling 51 off 29 on ball 82, ending the huge stand and briefly bringing Welsh Fire back into the contest. But Perry stayed calm. Very calm. With 12 needed from the final five balls, she delivered the knockout punches. A towering six on the 98th ball off Heather Graham suddenly reduced the equation to four from two. Then came the finish. A fierce cut behind point on the 99th ball raced away for four. Game over. Captain's knock complete. Home crowd delighted.