Welsh Fire smashed the highest women's total in The Hundred's history on July 25, demolishing MI London by 60 runs at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

Captain Sophie Devine, the New Zealand all-rounder bought by Welsh Fire for £210,000 at March's women's auction, delivered an all-round performance to anchor the record-breaking effort. She was joined in steering Fire home by Georgia Wareham, whose contributions with both bat and ball proved equally telling (ESPNcricinfo).

The Hundred — cricket's 100-ball-per-side format, now in its 2026 edition running four weeks from July 21 — has never seen a women's team pile on this many runs. That Fire did so against MI London, a side still searching for their first win of the campaign, only sharpened the contrast between the two teams' trajectories.

MI London came into this sixth match of the women's competition already under pressure. They had lost their opener to Sunrisers on July 21, beaten by seven wickets with 31 balls to spare — a heavy defeat by any measure. Against Welsh Fire, they managed 100 runs in 74 balls, including eight extras, falling well short of whatever target Fire had set (ESPNcricinfo scorecard).

Two matches played, two defeats. MI London sit winless and already facing an uphill climb in a short, sharp tournament where momentum is everything.

For Welsh Fire, the result builds on a campaign that began with a fixture against Southern Brave on July 22. Devine's price tag at auction — she and Australia's Beth Mooney topped the women's Hundred sale — always carried an expectation of match-defining performances. In Cardiff, she delivered exactly that (Cricket Australia).

What makes this stand out is the margin. A 60-run victory in a format designed to keep games tight — each innings lasts roughly 65 minutes — is a thumping. Fire did not just win. They dominated every phase, setting a benchmark total that the rest of the competition will now measure itself against.

For MI London, the questions come quickly. Two losses, a net run rate taking damage, and a squad still searching for a combination that clicks. The Hundred's four-week window leaves little room for a slow start, and the table will not wait.

Welsh Fire, by contrast, have announced themselves as the team to watch. Record totals tend to do that.