Brave beat Superchargers to move top of table
Brave move top of table with win over Superchargers
- Published
Unbeaten Southern Brave chased their target of 103 with 17 balls to spare, beating Northern Superchargers by eight wickets and moving top of the table in The Hundred.
Sophie Devine took 3-15 and Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Laura Wolvaardt put on a partnership of 61 as Brave made it three wins from three in 2025.
New Zealander Devine bowled Superchargers top-order batter Phoebe Litchfield for five then returned to dismiss tailenders Lucy Higham and Linsey Smith with consecutive deliveries as the visiting side were bowled out for 102.
Wyatt-Hodge and Wolvaardt made short work of chasing their low target to put their side in control.
England batter Wyatt-Hodge was stumped off the bowling of Katherine Fraser for 43, but South Africa captain Wolvaardt carried on alongside Devine, finishing unbeaten on 33.
Superchargers swiftly found themselves in trouble having chosen to bat in Southampton, slipping to 26-3 shortly after the powerplay.
Annabel Sutherland and captain Hollie Armitage added 26, but when the former was caught by Maia Bouchier off Mady Villiers that started a run of three wickets from 11 balls that left Brave 57-6.
Superchargers captain Armitage pushed on in the company of Fraser and Higham, but Devine returned to strike before Armitage was run out from the final delivery of the innings.
Brave lost Maia Bouchier for five, caught by Alice Davidson-Richards off Kate Cross, but the rest of their top-order ensured their chase with largely untroubled.
Brave, who finished bottom in 2024, move above also unbeaten London Spirit on net run-rate, while Superchargers suffer their first defeat after opening with two wins, and remain in third.
Sophie Devine has five wickets in this season's competition
- Published2 hours ago
- Published2 hours ago
Filer shines as struggling Fire suffer third defeat
Originals coast to victory over Fire
Welsh Fire's woes continued as they suffered a seven-wicket thrashing by Manchester Originals to remain winless in the tournament so far.
A dire batting performance saw Fire trudge to 73-9 from their 100 balls, with sensational bowling efforts from Originals' England trio Lauren Filer, Sophie Ecclestone and Mahika Gaur at Sophia Gardens.
The visiting batters also struggled for fluency on a slow, bowler-friendly surface but a composed 45 from Kathryn Bryce led them to victory with 19 balls to spare.
Bryce was stumped off Jess Jonassen with just four runs required after a third-wicket stand of 57 with Seren Smale, who struck the winning runs to finish 20 not out.
The hosts, who were finalists in 2024, were immediately pegged back by Gaur as she removed England batters Sophia Dunkley and Fire skipper Tammy Beaumont inside the first 10 balls.
Gaur's dominance meant she bowled 20 of the 25 balls in the powerplay, the first time this has happened in the women's competition.
World number one bowler Ecclestone then broke some short-lived resistance as Georgia Elwiss was stumped for 11, and bowled West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews for a stuttering 22 from 33 balls - the top score of the innings.
Only Jess Jonassen's 20 provided any other solidity as Filer, bowling with lively pace, ripped through the middle order to finish with remarkable figures of 3-8 from her 20 balls.
Fire's total is the lowest in the women's Hundred for a team that was not bowled out, and the fourth-lowest of all time.
The result sees Fire remain at the bottom of the table while Originals move up to fourth.
What is happening on Thursday?
We're off to Lord's on Thursday with the home of cricket hosting a double-header between London Spirit and Trent Rockets.
The women's match gets going at 15:00 BST, with the men's game starting at 18:30.
You can follow ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.
- Published31 January
