London Spirit have clinched a play-off berth after a 17 run victory over the winless Welsh Fire at Lords.

England’s Dan Lawrence was the star turn on the night with both bat and ball. Lawrence top scored for Spirit with 43 and then produced outstanding figures of 4 for 20 off 20 balls to heap more misery on Welsh Fire and leave the Welsh outfit still searching for their first win in this seasons competition.

Welsh Fire won the toss and elected to put London Spirit in to bat on yet another glorious evening in London.

Openers Adam Rossington and Daniel Bell- Drummond opened up for Fire with Rossington lighting the blue touchpaper in the early stages of the contest by smashing 28 runs off 15 balls including four fours and one six.

His partner Drummond(12) was the first to loose his wicket after being bowled by a peach of a delivery from Jake Ball to leave Spirit 41 for 1 off the powerplay.

Rossington(32) was getting starved of the strike and decided to take on leggie Ish Sodie but slog swept straight down long on’s throat. Spirit’s skipper Eoin Morgan lasted just three balls before falling for a duck to an outstanding catch by Jake Ball at long off. Ball had to race in off the fence before clinging on to the ball to the delight of his team mates.

Fire, who came into this match on the back of five straight losses were looking like a side who had really upped their game from previous performances. Their fielding had been outstanding which was highlighted by some magic from Ben Duckett on the long on boundary who epitomised the Welsh Fire’s commitment in the field by saving a certain six by jumping high over his head and somehow flicking the ball back into play.

Sodhi picked up his second victim of the night when Ben Mcdermott reverse swept the leg spinner straight to backward point for 32 to give Sodhi figures of 2 for 6 from 14 balls.

Despite getting hit for two maximums by Dan Lawrence in his final five balls, he still finished with excellent figures of 2 for 19 off his allocation of 20 balls.

With West Indian Kieron Pollard playing his last match for Spirit, the crowd were looking for some fireworks from the big man, instead if fell to Lawrence- who loves Lords having scored  338 runs in his previous eight innings at an average of 42 with a strike rate of 150-to provide the impetus with 43 off 26 balls before falling to yet another super Fire catch when Ball clung on to another difficult chance with Fire kept down to a total of 156 for 6 off their 100 balls.

In order for Welsh Fire to win their first match in this seasons tournament, they would have had to have beaten their highest score this season which stood at 129 going into tonight’s match.

It started off badly for the Fire who found themselves three down after 30 balls with 23 on the board.

Jordan Thompson bowled Joe Clark(18) with Dan Lawrence starring with the ball. He yorked  Josh Cobb(3) and then had Jacob Bethell(10) caught in the deep. Lawrence’s night got even better when Miller(5) holed out in the deep to leave Fire in a perilous position of 37 for 4.

There was some brief resistance from Ben Duckett and Pretorious who added 43 in 21 balls before Lawrence bowled Duckett(34) for his fourth wicket of the night to cap off a night to remember for the Essex player.

With Spirit heading for a comfortable victory, there was late resistance from Pretorious and Leus du Plooy with the South African pair adding 33 runs in 20 balls to give Fire a glimmer of hope.

The chances of pulling off victory out of nowhere looked a possibility when Fire were left 41 to win off the final ten balls. Matt Critchley hit Jordan Thompson for 16 off three balls to leave Fire requiring 21 to win off the final five balls bowled by Chris Wood.

Critchley edged behind for 21 made off just seven balls before Wood yorked du Plooy(30) and trapped Sodhi(1) leg before off the last ball to finish with 4 for 28 to see Spirit home by 17 runs.

London Spirit       vs      Welsh Fire 

                    Men’s Hundred Competition   Wednesday 24^th August 2022

                            London Spirit   156-6 (100)          Welsh Fire  139-9 (100)

                                           London Spirit won by 17 runs  

                               Peter Moore at Lords

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