Southern Brave dominated all comers in The Hundred. They then dominated the Oval Invincibles in their next fixture to bounce back by 89 runs. This monumental victory is the largest winning margin in runs ever in the history of the women’s competition. Southern Brave have made it three wins out of three and are now the only unbeaten team in either form of The Hundred this year. They currently bask in the glow joint-top of the standings with 20 points.
In a powerful first demonstration, Southern Brave made a frightening total of 161 runs within the loss of six wickets. The new top-order batting trio of Maia Bouchier, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, and Laura Wolvaardt certainly made that look easy. Combined with their threat in attack, they created an intimidating benchmark for the Invincibles to pursue. Bouchier then designed the most telling contribution with a superbly carved innings of 42 off 30 deliveries. Along with Wyatt-Hodge, they put together a menacing opening partnership of 59 runs, giving the innings a safe base with a powerful start.
The Oval Invincibles seemed to be rattled by this start and were bowled out for a meager total of 72 runs. Mady Villiers had a league-best bowling performance, claiming three wickets for 17 runs. Her efforts were instrumental in dismantling the visiting side’s batting order, further emphasizing Southern Brave’s dominance in the match.
In addition to Villiers’ impressive figures, Lauren Bell emerged as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, claiming her 12th wicket of the season during this match. Memorable moments Sophie Devine was the headline-maker when she had both Winfield-Hill and Lanning dismissed in five deliveries. That’s the fourth time this season that she’s achieved such an accomplishment.
In particular, Freya Kemp kicked off the innings, electrifying the crowd with her explosive batting display. She hit 24 runs from only 11 balls, featuring two consecutive sixes. At the other end, Laura Wolvaardt continued her good form, registering her fourth score of 25 or more in five games.
The story of the Southern Brave – Invincibles rivalry has much wider narrative. The squad made it to the final in the first three iterations of the women’s tournament, but took home first place in 2023. They struggled mightily a season ago, finishing in last place in the overall standings with just one win. The fightback this year proves their resolve to wrestle back control and establish themselves as a truly fierce team within The Hundred.
Southern Brave only has three more group stage matches remaining. As they continue deep into their campaign, they’re in a great position to take home the top prize. Their previous form against the London teams was good, taking all four of their matches in h2h against the Oval Invincibles.
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