LONDON, United Kingdom (CMC) — West Indies Women’s Captain Hayley Matthews lashed a career-best half-century in the Hundred, as Welsh Fire completed their highest-ever run chase in the competition to beat London Spirit by six wickets at Lord’s on Thursday.

Asked to chase 151 in order to win their second game, Fire overhauled their target with five balls remaining, with the 26-year-old top-scoring with a brilliant unbeaten 78 off 46 deliveries in a Player-of-the-Match performance.

Dropped on 36, the stylish right-hander made the chance count, going on to pummel 11 fours and two sixes and dominate the Spirit bowling.

Entering at #3, Matthews saw Fire slip to 33 for two before inspiring stands of 47 for the third wicket with wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce (21), 43 for the fourth wicket with Jess Jonassen (14), and a further 28 in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Phoebe Franklin (six not out).

Matthews raised her 50 from 37 balls with consecutive boundaries off leg-spinner Sarah Glenn and took Fire over the line with back-to-back fours off off-spinner Deepti Sharma.

Earlier, the previously unbeaten Spirit rallied to 150 for five off their 100 deliveries after being sent in, Danielle Gibson hitting 41 from 25 balls and Deepti scoring an unbeaten 39 from 26 deliveries.

Together, they posted 67 for the fifth wicket after opener Meg Lanning had struck 31 from 20 balls to power a 49-run, second-wicket partnership with Cordelia Griffith (17).

Gibson counted half-dozen fours and a six, while Deepti struck two fours and two sixes to sustain Spirit’s momentum towards the end.