AI Simulation, WF vs LS | Chris Green's match-winning spell ensures victory for Welsh Fire in nail-biting encounter

The surface at the Sophia Gardens offered a lot of seam movement and bounce for the pacers, but the short square boundaries made it slightly easier for the batters to score runs.

The conditions were cold and breezy at 20 degrees Celsius but there was no sign of any rain.

Welsh Fire won the toss and chose to bat first

London Spirit: David Warner, Keaton Jennings, Kane Williamson (c), Wayne Madsen, Ashton Turner, John Simpson (wk), Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Luke Wood, Richard Gleeson, Dan Worrall.

The London Spirit needed a great start to chase down the total, which was given by David Warner, who looked in vintage touch, while Keaton Jennings was busy rotating the strike at the other end. The team had a great power play with the score reading 45/0 after 25 deliveries. Though Jennings was dismissed shortly by Riley Meredith after the initial phase, Warner, along with Spirit skipper Kane Williamson, formed an important partnership to keep the game in the balance. Spirit were looking good in the chase at the halfway stage at 94/1. There was something special needed for Fire to come back in the game, which came in the form of Chris Green, who contained the batters and got the big wicket of Williamson, who tried to clear the boundary rope but managed to find the safe hands of Steve Smith at deep mid-wicket. However, the match suddenly got tighter as Paul Walter came into the attack and got the crucial wicket of Warner, who pulled a short ball straight down the throat of deep square leg. As Warner’s innings of 44 off 26 deliveries came to an end, the Spirit were suddenly in a tricky position at 110/3 after 75 balls needing 55 off 25 deliveries. There was a bit of threat created by a cameo by Wayne Madsen in the middle, which was immediately negated by Green, who deceived the hard-hitting batter with a nice flighted delivery, which the latter missed completely and saw his furniture being disturbed. The problems never ended for the chasing team as Ashton Turner was shortly dismissed by Meredith, who bowled a straight and full delivery that sent his leg stump cartwheeling. The London franchise had lost half their side, with John Simpson and Overton trying to keep the game alive. Unfortunately, Green came in for his last over to dismiss Simpson with a flat and fast delivery, which crashed into his stumps to claim his third victim. With Dawson and Overton at the crease, the equation was down to 17 off the last 10 deliveries of the game. Ajeet Dale bowled the penultimate five-ball over and eventually got the wicket of Dawson. Dale conceded only 5 runs, leaving 12 off the last five balls. Josh Hull was bowling the last over and though he was initially welcomed with a boundary on the first delivery, he kept his nerve in the last four. In the end, it was Fire who emerged victorious in the nail-biting encounter by three runs.

Scorecard