Summary

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  • Hayley Matthews defends eight off final set as Fire beat Brave by four runs

  • Brave 162-3: Mandhana 71* (42), Wyatt 67 (37); Griffiths 2-26

  • Fire 165-3: Matthews 65 (38), Elwiss 28 (20), Beaumont 26 (17)

  • Fire's total is the second-highest in The Hundred women's competition

  • Brave win toss and bowl

  • Southern Brave beat Trent Rockets in their opening game

  • Welsh Fire's match against Manchester Originals was washed out

  1. Fire 25-0published at 15 balls

    Hayley Matthews is enjoying herself against Anya Shrubsole.

    She times two fours through the covers before finishing the set by hitting a straighter one over the top for a third boundary.

    She's on 22 from 13 deliveries - meanwhile Tammy Beaumont has only faced two deliveries.

  2. How's stat?!published at 15:08 British Summer Time 4 August 2023

    Hayley MatthewsImage source, ECB

    Southern Brave have gone to spin early with Tyron.

    Hayley Matthews is a key wicket for them to pick up - she is one of the best batters in the world.

    In T20s she only averages 18.88 against spin, compared to 25.60 against pace.

    Her strike-rate against the slower stuff is also 96.15, compared to 112.81 against pace.

  3. Fire 13-0published at 10 balls

    South Africa's left-arm spinner Chloe Tryon is the second opening bowler for the Brave. A loose one to begin with is punished by Matthews, sending the ball smartly to the square leg boundary.

    Tyron follows with a leg-side wide but tightens up for the rest of the set, restricting the Fire batters to three singles.

  4. Fire 5-0published at 5 balls

    Slower ball from Shrubsole draws a play and a miss from Matthews as she finishes her set with three consecutive dot balls.

  5. Fire 5-0published at 2 balls

    Hayley Matthews is off the mark as well, the West Indian international timing the ball beautifully through the covers for the first boundary of the game.

  6. Fire 1-0published at 1 ball

    Tammy Beaumont works Shrubsole behind square for a single and Brave are off the mark.

  7. Postpublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 4 August 2023

    The players are making their way through the entrance gate through a swirl of coloured smoke.

    Southern Brave captain Anya Shrubsole is pacing around at the top of her mark. Tammy Beaumont is shadow batting at the crease.

    We're reading to go.

  8. Postpublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 4 August 2023

    You can see the best of Mandhana's innings in Tuesday's plays of the day.

  9. Postpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 4 August 2023

    Welsh Fire were one of the victims of the weather on Wednesday, with their opening fixture against Manchester Originals falling to the rain.

    Southern Brave had a better time of it on Tuesday, thrashing Trent Rockets by 27 runs.

    India's Smriti Mandhana starred with 55 from 36 balls.

  10. Teamspublished at 14:50 British Summer Time 4 August 2023

    Southern Brave: Danni Wyatt, Smriti Mandhana, Maia Bouchier, Georgia Adams, Freya Kemp, Chloe Tryon, Maitlan Brown, Kalea Moore, Anya Shrubsole (c), Mary Taylor, Rhianna Southby (wk)

    Welsh Fire: Tammy Beaumont (c), Hayley Matthews, Sarah Bryce (wk), Georgia Elwiss, Laura Harris, Emily Windsor, Freya Davies, Alex Griffiths, Shabnim Ismail, Claire Nicholas, Alex Hartley

  11. Southern Brave win the tosspublished at 14:48 British Summer Time 4 August 2023

    Southern Brave captain Anya Shrubsole has won the toss and decided to field.

    Her team is unchanged from the Trent Rockets fixture.

  12. Postpublished at 14:45 British Summer Time 4 August 2023

    0%.

    That's the key figure for today's Hundred action. To what am I referring? According to BBC Weather, it's the chance of rain at the Ageas Bowl for today's double-header between Southern Brave and Welsh Fire.

    This tournament has been blighted by the elements, but we should set for some interrupted action today.

    We have the men's team fixture starting at 15:00 BST, with the men to follow at 18:30. What a prospect.