The pace bowler has been integral to reviving the fortunes of the Cardiff-based side, who finished rock bottom last summer, and powered them to the top of the table with a nerveless hat-trick at the death to see off Birmingham Phoenix on Thursday night.
Ismail is a proven winner in the 100-ball format, having helped Oval Invincibles to the title in 2021 and 2022, but did not shrink from the challenge after being drafted by the struggling Fire and has thrown herself into the task.
The 34-year-old called an end to her South Africa career earlier this year but feels that doing her bit for the principality is helping her find her peak performance.
“When I moved I didn’t really realise it wasn’t just Welsh Fire the club, but Wales the country. I’m so proud to play in the Welsh colours,” she told the PA news agency.
“I’m calling myself an honorary Welshwoman, of course! I’m retired from internationals but I’m lucky that I still get to play for a country. To represent a nation, it almost feels like I’m back with South Africa at a World Cup. It makes me play with my heart on my sleeve and do well for them.
“I was nervous first of all coming into the team but it has been like a family, an amazing welcome. I always say I can only produce the goods and play to the best of my ability when I’m comfortable in the environment and here I know I can speak my mind with no drama, everybody trusts me.”
Ismail certainly had no problem finding her finest form when she conjured a classic finish to defeat the Phoenix in a nail-biter at Edgbaston. Defending four runs from the last three balls of the match she dismissed Tess Flintoff, Erin Burns and Issy Wong. More remarkable than the feat itself, though, was the fact that Ismail did not even realise she had done it.
“I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I told the team I wanted the last five balls. But I was so in the zone I didn’t even know I had a hat-trick,” she said.
“I just didn’t realise it was three in a row, in my head every wicket was a dot ball. I didn’t even hear the crowd initially, but it pumped me up when I did. I think we made the whole of Birmingham angry.”
Welsh Fire now find themselves in the unexpected position of leading the way after two years of under-delivering but, if that is a surprise to some, Ismail called it before a ball had been bowled.
“When I met Breesey (head coach Gareth Breese), I told him ‘we are going to win this’,” she said.
“I told him things will be different this year. He told me ‘baby steps, one at a time’ but I keep telling him we’ve got this. Now we all believe, we know we can do it.”
Dottin’s unbeaten 37-ball 67 propelled Manchester Originals’ to 156-2 from their 100 balls.
Dottin, who recently retired from international cricket and Sophie Ecclestone, who made an unbeaten 36, were mainly responsible for MO’s winning total after they lost opener, Emma Lamb, for 35 and Lizelle Lee for just three.
Alex Hartley had the best figures for Welsh Fire with 1-17 from 20 balls while Annabel Sutherland took 1-33 from her 20-ball allotment.
Needing 157, Welsh Fire made a fist of it, scoring 145-3, thanks mainly to the efforts of openers Tammy Beaumont who scored 45 from 42 balls with five fours and Hayley Matthews, who smashed 69 from 41 balls, blazing 12 fours along the way.
Dottin dismissed Racheal Haynes for 11 and Sutherland for 0 as the Welsh Fire chase fizzled, to return figures of 2-21 from 15 balls.
Ecclestone who took the prized wicket of Matthews had figures of 1-27 from her 20 balls.
Matthews, who has been enjoying superb form for the Welsh Fire, was again on song, as she captured 4-14 in 20 balls to restrict Southern Brave to 103 before hammering an unbeaten 26-ball 35 to get her franchise across the line at 106-1 with 26 balls to spare. Captain Tammy Beaumont was also left unbeaten as she topscored with 59 off 40 deliveries.
With the win, Welsh Fire are now in a strong position, due to their superior net run rate, to finish in top spot and qualify automatically for the Hundred final at Lord's on Sunday. Oval Invincibles require a convincing win over Trent Rockets on Wednesday afternoon to leapfrog them.
Scores: Southern Brave 103 all out (100 balls); Welsh Fire 106-1 (74 balls)
“I think we've been really good. When you look at our line-up, we've got a lot of experience, and we've played on that really well,” Matthews said in a post-game interview.
“The bowlers have done a really good job at making sure we don't have to chase too big of a total. I think it's been a complete team performance, and that's where we've performed really well; everyone's been chipping in and playing their role,” she added.
After Beaumont inserted Southern Brave at the toss, Matthews dismissed the in-form Danni Wyatt (two), caught at deep midwicket, before Smriti Mandhana (one) departed four balls later to the pace of Shabnim Ismail to leave the Brave 15 for 2 at the end of the PowerPlay.
Whatever hopes Southern Brave had of repairing the damage were dashed when Jess Jonassen had Georgia Adams (six) stumped. Maia Bouchier (10) was Matthews’ second scalp, brilliantly caught by Phoebe Franklin in the deep, before Freya Kemp (two) knicked one behind to give Jonassen her second wicket.
Matthews got her third when she bowled Naomi Dattani (two) and then completed her allotment with the scalp of Kalea Moore (zero), as Southern Brave were in totters at 47 for 7.
Chloe Tyron was the only bright spark of the innings, as she posted an aggressive 38-ball 55, including seven fours and a solitary six at the backend, as she dominated a 52-run eight-wicket stand with wicketkeeper Rhianna Southby (15).
Matthews’ haul was supported by Jess Jonassen (3-21) and Freya Davies (2-14).
Despite losing Sophia Dunkley (seven) to Lauren Bell early, the result was never in doubt for Welsh Fire, as Beaumont was especially strong on anything loose, working the field with sweeps and cuts, while Matthews picked the gaps behind square in a 72-run stand off a mere 54 balls.
Beaumont raised her half-century in just 31 balls in a knock that had 10 boundaries, while the Barbadian, Matthews, struck five boundaries in her knock as Welsh Fire continue to blaze heading into the business end of the tournament.
Matthews hit a 38-ball 65 including 13 fours to help the Fire post 165-3 from their 100 balls after being inserted by the Brave.
The Fire also got solid contributions from Georgia Elwiss (28) and Captain Tammy Beaumont (26).
Then, despite an opening partnership of 96 between Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt, the Southern Brave were restricted to 161-4 off their 100 balls.
Mandhana ended up 70* off 42 balls while Wyatt made 67 off 37 balls. Mandhana hit 11 fours while Wyatt hit 10 fours and two sixes.
Alex Griffiths took 2-26 from her 20 balls while Matthews took 1-35 from her 20 deliveries for the Fire.
The Spirit first posted 150-5 from their 100 balls after Fire captain Tammy Beaumont won the toss and put them in to bat.
Danielle Gibson led the way with the bat with a 25-ball 41 while Deepti Sharma made 39* off 26 balls in support.
Freya Davies took 2-19 from her 20 deliveries for the Fire while Beth Langston, Jess Jonassen and Georgia Davis shared the other three wickets.
Needing 151 off their 100 balls for victory, the Fire lost skipper Beaumont for 6 off the 11th ball of the innings bringing Matthews to the crease.
The Bajan batted through the rest of the chase on her way to 78* off just 46 balls as the Fire reached 151-4 off 95 balls.
She hit 11 fours and two sixes in her 59 minutes in the middle. Sarah Bryce provided the most support for Matthews with 21 off 18 balls including three fours.
Danielle Gibson completed a good all-round performance with 2-28 off 15 balls.
This was the Fire’s second win in three games and moves them up to third in the eight-team table with four points, the same as the Spirit in second and the Oval Invincibles in first.
