Some cricketers can get edgy when a match goes down to the wire, but not Welsh Fire bowler Shabnim Ismail.

As the Women’s Hundred clash against Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston ticked down to its climax on Thursday, she told her captain, “Don’t’ worry, I’ve got this.”

And she had, too.

With the last three balls of the match, Ismail took a hat-trick of wickets to claim an incredible victory for Welsh Fire, who currently top the table with three wins from their opening four games.

Those three balls prevented the home side scoring any of the four runs they needed to win as the South African star finished with 3 for 31. Phoenix, chasing 138, ended on 134 for 4 to suffer a heartbreaking defeat.

“I was aiming to go yorker length and just try to bowl dot balls,” Ismail said.

“The yorkers didn’t really come out today but it always does damage to take wickets so it worked out well.

“I had been in that position before so it was just a case of staying calm.

“There were no nerves from me. I had to stay calm and I even told the captain to just stay calm. I said to her, ‘we’re going to win this game, don’t worry – I’ve got this’.”

Beaumont’s stylish 59 from 40 balls lifted Fire to 137 for 7 but Phoenix looked in command of the chase as Tess Flintoff, with 55 off 45, and Amy Jones, who was unbeaten on 48 off 34, added 93 in 67 balls.

But Ismail’s brilliant hat-trick leaves the Birmingham side with a lot of work to do to climb into the qualification race.

Welsh Fire men are also enjoying a superb start to the season and lay third in the table after their victory over Birmingham Phoenix by six wickets.

After two disappointing seasons, it looks as if Fire could finally blaze a trail this campaign, right through to the knockout stages.

Phoenix chose to bat but mustered only 112 for 7, never shedding the shackles of a focused and fired up Fire attack.

David Payne led the way with excellent sets early and late on to finish with 2 for 11, while strong support was lent by Roelof van der Merwe with 2 for 16 and Haris Rauf’s 2 for 20.

Phoenix’s limp effort with the bat left them needing something dynamic with the ball but Fire blazed to 116 for 4 from 85 balls after Stephen Eskinazi launched their reply with a ferocious 18-ball 43.

They charged to 50 without loss in 21 balls and never looked back.