125/7 (20.0)
CR : 6.25
131/8 (20.0)
CR : 6.55
London Spirit won by 6 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
David Willey
3/201(3)
Root was dismissed for 31 but Cox kept going. He did hit a couple of big hits but wasn't really able to time every ball. The middle order faltered under pressure and they somehow managed to bottle a chase that looked like was in the bag all along. Chasing 15 runs in the last set, Ravindra lost his wicket. Chris Woakes smashed his first ball over the ropes but failed to take his team over the line.
In reply, Welsh Fire lost Matthew Short for a duck in the first set. Phil Salt and Joe Root struggled to get the boundaries away but did well to keep the scoreboard ticking. Salt perished for 26 off 21. Root then joined hands with Jordan Cox and the duo added 47 runs off 36 balls for the 3rd wicket.
Jonny Bairstow was the top-scorer with a knock of 34. James Coles made 29, while Jamie Overton chipped in with a handy contribution of 21 runs off just 11 balls as the London Spirit finish at 131 for 8.
Earlier in the game, Welsh Fire won the toss and opted to bowl first. The bowlers proved Phil Salt right by taking wickets at regular intervals and not allowing the London Spirit to gain any sort of momentum. Chris Woakes, Marco Jansen, and Lockie Ferguson all picked up two wickets each. Sam Cook and Rachin Ravindra bagged one apiece.
10:22 PM IST, 5:52 PM Local Time: A thrilling contest ends in heartbreak for the home side in Cardiff. Welsh Fire have only themselves to blame as they made a mess of a chase that looked well in control until the last few sets. David Willey was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 for 20. Defending 15 in the final set, he conceded eight runs, including a maximum, but held his nerve to get the Spirit over the line.
Hero of the Match: David Willey
David Willey (POTM): "[On those last 3 balls] We talked about using the surface. When you bowled hard into the pitch, there was some help for the bowlers. Was a bit of a stinker, getting smacked by Woakesy but nice to get over the line.
Yeah, we talked about smacking the pitch. Strong breeze and nice catch near the boundary, which got us over the line.
[On the season] Yeah, look. In such a short competition, every game was really important. If we reflect in first couple of games, we were 5-10 percent off. We can look at the ladder at the backend of the comp, but small wins here and there and it could have been a lot higher."
Yeah, we talked about smacking the pitch. Strong breeze and nice catch near the boundary, which got us over the line.
[On the season] Yeah, look. In such a short competition, every game was really important. If we reflect in first couple of games, we were 5-10 percent off. We can look at the ladder at the backend of the comp, but small wins here and there and it could have been a lot higher."
What a humdinger of a contest we just witnessed at Cardiff. That game swung like a pendulum all throughout but it was London Spirit who managed to hold their nerves in the end and ended their campaign on a positive note with a hard-fought win.
Both teams finish outside the top three. Coming into the game, Welsh Fire had an outside chance of making it through, but that chance was all but gone when they opted to bowl first. We still don't know which team will take the final spot. MI London will face Birmingham Phoenix soon, and they need to win by a certain margin to break into the top three and face Manchester Super Giants in the Eliminator.
That's all we have for you from this fixture. This is Ajay Pal Singh signing off on behalf of my colleague, Manish Bishnoi. Switch tabs to follow the action from the MI London vs Birmingham Phoenix game.