Thursday saw Southern Brave secure the last remaining place at the top of the table in 2025’s Women’s Hundred. They did so by dispatching Northern Superchargers with eight wickets to spare. This victory becomes Brave’s third straight win in the tournament, showcasing a team that is completely in-sync and on-fire coming into this pivotal match.
Sophie Devine taking the attack to the Southern Brave bowlers 💪 📺 @thehundred pic.twitter She returned match-defining bowling figures of three wickets for just 15 runs. Devine’s efforts were crucial in dismantling the Superchargers’ batting lineup, which crumbled to a total of 102 all out in 100 balls. Unable to find their partners in crime, the Northern Superchargers’ leading run-scorer, Armitage, only placed a measly 36 runs on the board. Devine landed damaging blows from the start of the fight. She bowled out fellow top-order batter Phoebe Litchfield for only five runs, going on to dismiss tailenders Lucy Higham and Linsey Smith with consecutive deliveries.
Southern Brave showcased their batting prowess with swagger. They easily chased down India’s target, scoring 104 runs and losing only two wickets in 83 balls. Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Laura Wolvaardt stayed strong at the crease and supported each other well, putting on 61 runs understating the batting efforts. Wyatt-Hodge was the pick of the batsmen, scoring 43 runs before getting out while Wolvaardt finished not out on 33.
At the other end of the table, meanwhile, Welsh Fire had a daunting task at home against Manchester Originals and were comfortably beaten by seven wickets. The Welsh Fire’s total of 73 runs for nine wickets is noteworthy as it stands as the lowest score in the women’s Hundred for a team that was not bowled out, marking it as the fourth-lowest score in the competition’s history. Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur and Sophie Ecclestone provided excellent powerplay death bowling for the Manchester Originals. Filer ended with three wickets for only eight runs, and Gaur wasn’t far behind with two wickets for ten runs.
Gaur had just made history in this game! She bowled 20 of those 25 balls in the powerplay, an all-time record for the women’s competition. The Manchester Originals chased down the original target— a rather lowly 76 runs — with ease. They were able to respond through Kathryn Bryce with an excellent 45, but they ultimately limped to 76 all out in just 81 balls.
In a tournament marked by chaos and big swings, Southern Brave’s reliability has made them the dominant force over the course of the tournament. Sophie Devine’s been the standout for the latter, taking five wickets in this season’s competition. On the other hand, Wyatt-Hodge and Wolvaardt have put on some red-hot batting partnerships – making England feisty title challengers.
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