Southern Brave completed the double against Welsh Fire in dramatic fashion. This victory sent them through to the next round of The Hundred’s women’s competition, and eliminated their opponents from the tournament. The clash at Sophia Gardens was to be a carded low-scoring thriller. Southern Brave had chased down a surprisingly modest target of 112 runs with one ball to spare, in the most dramatic fashion.
Even under the intense pressure of the pursuit, Southern Brave proved to be a tough bunch. Georgia Elwiss proved to be the key, holding the innings together with an unbeaten 36. Her calm head and hands were key as Southern Brave took their way through a dire batting exhibition.
Welsh Fire couldn’t find an answer for the early inroads made by Southern Brave. Lauren Bell on her Test debut was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 2 for 20. This performance further ensured her position at the top of the tournament’s wicket-taking charts, with an impressive tally of 14 wickets. It was Sophie Devine in particular that stamped her authority on the game, adding imposing figures of 2-23 to her all-around CV.
The game started with Welsh Fire on the front foot at the crease but lacked a competitive score to defend. With their innings ending on just 111 runs, it was never going to be enough against a strong Southern Brave batting order.
In the other match played at Lord’s, the London Spirit experienced their own batting collapse. They only managed to score 90 runs before getting all their 8 wickets down. While Kira Chathli and Cordelia Griffith suffered deep disappointments, eliminated in both cases with scores of zero and one.
All was not lost for London Spirit. Issy Wong and Charlie Dean put on an impressive 31-run stand for the seventh wicket. Their accomplishments provided a welcome reprieve from the squad’s implosion. Phoebe Litchfield emerged as a standout performer, scoring an unbeaten 55, while Annabel Sutherland contributed with an impressive 29 not out. The Orlando-Parker duo forged a deadly combination, putting on a 76-run partnership. This key contribution kept the all-star team’s score above the 90-run count required to win.
Jess Jonassen took the best bowling figures of the women’s tournament, grabbing 4 wickets for a mere 10 runs. Her extreme athleticism obviously makes her a dangerous bowler in the tournament. Her powerful contributions were crucial for curtailing any chance of a London Spirit score surge through much of their innings.
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