Summary

  • Match reduced to 85 balls per side after rain delay

  • Brave chase down 105 with three balls remaining

  • Bouchier hits superb 63 not out off 42 balls to take Brave to victory

  • Glenn claims 3-15

  • Spirit post 104-5 after Knight hits 44 off 27; Adams takes 4-11

  • Brave go top with third win from four; Spirit winless after two previous washouts

  1. Postpublished at 18:22 British Summer Time 8 August 2023

    Match Hero Maia Bouchier: "I really enjoyed that, it was great fun to get out there and contribute to the team. We bowled really well to set up the game and it was great to get a score on the board.

    "The key was just to stay in, it was great to have Maitlan there at the end so she could just play to her strengths. Though I told her to go for one and she ramped it for four.

    "Our openers have done an amazing job at the top but this gave us a chance in the middle order to have an opportunity to show what we can do."

  2. Postpublished at 18:17 British Summer Time 8 August 2023

    Here's the winning moment as match hero Maia Bouchier took Southern Brave to victory.

  3. Postpublished at 18:15 British Summer Time 8 August 2023

    That was always going to be a difficult total for Spirit to defend - they looked a little rusty after having their first two matches rained off.

    Brave supplant Welsh Fire at the top of the table with three wins from their four games. Spirit are fifth, having picked up a point from each of their abandonments.

  4. Southern Brave win by five wicketspublished at 3 balls left

    Bouchier - who else? - hits Gibson for four to win the game!

    Gibson's first ball was a tad high but the umpire spares her the blushes of that being the run that takes Brave to their target.

    Instead Bouchier gets the winning runs through point.

    She finishes with 63 from 42, Maitlan Brown had a punchy cameo of 15 from 9.

  5. Brave 104-5published at 5 balls left

    1 run needed

    Brown takes the single before for Bouchier brings the scores level with a run into mid-wicket.

  6. Brave 102-5published at 8 balls left

    3 runs needed

    Some of her team-mates might not have, but Maitlan Brown is making her presence felt in this match.

    She paddles the continuing Kerr for successive fours. Three needed.

  7. Brave 94-5published at 10 balls left

    11 runs needed

    Oh no!

    Under-edge from Brown and it runs through the legs of Ghosh behind the stumps and off to the boundary for four.

    Brave are in sight of their target now.

  8. Brave 87-5published at 15 balls left

    18 runs needed

    Cracking shot from Bouchier, finding a gap between the fielders at mid-wicket and long-on.

  9. Brave 81-5published at 19 balls left

    24 runs needed

    50 up for Maia Bouchier!

    She cuts Glenn for a single and raises her bat to acknowledge the crowd. The 50 comes off 34 balls.

    Maitlan Brown is the new batter at the other end.

  10. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 21 balls left

    Tryon c Gibson b Dean 4 (Brave 79-5)

    Another one gone as Chloe Tryon departs!

    The new batter tries to loft Charlie Dean over the mid-wicket boundary - Danni Gibson runs round and takes the catch.

    Maiai Bouchier needs to farm the strike here because her team-mates aren't sticking around!

  11. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 26 balls left

    Kemp 0 c Ghosh b Glenn 0 (Brave 73-4)

    Freya Kemp is here and gone within two balls! She advances down the ground to Glenn and can only clip behind to Richa Ghosh, who takes the ball impressively standing up.

    Brave were motoring but is Sarah Glenn turning the tide? Maia Bouchier is still in...

  12. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 28 balls left

    Adams c Harris b Glenn 6 (Brave 73-3)

    Spirit have broken this partnership, but it's Georgia Adams departing.

    She hits Sarah Glenn into the waiting hands of Laura Harris at long-on.

  13. Brave 71-2published at 30 balls left

    34 runs needed

    Cut hard by Bouchier, advancing down the ground to Danni Gibson. The ball disturbs a flock of pigeons as it makes its way to the boundary.

    She runs the next ball for a single and Georgia Adams plays out three dot balls.

  14. Brave 65-2published at 35 balls left

    40 runs needed

    Four more over mid-off for Bouchier off Amelia Kerr as she moves to 40 from 27.

    We've got 13,000 in the ground despite the miserable day. Impressive stuff.

  15. Brave 58-2published at 40 balls left

    47 runs needed

    Lauren Filer's first delivery rears up as Bouchier backs away and she can only just about get a bat on it.

    Three extra deliveries from Filer as she struggles to find her line and gets called for wides. Amidst that, Bouchier gets some revenge by driving a legitimate delivery for four through the covers.

  16. Brave 47-2published at 45 balls left

    58 runs needed

    Another solid set from Sarah Glenn, restricting Brave to two singles.

    Approaching the half-way point, Spirit can likely feel that they're on top, but Maia Bouchier is still in and set, and there's still batting to come.

  17. Brave 45-2published at 50 balls left

    60 runs needed

    In comes New Zealander Amelia Kerr to bowl. Bouchier gets more runs through mid-wicket, pulling for four.

    Georgia Adams is in at the other end and picks up a single through backward square.

  18. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 55 balls left

    Wyatt c Norris b Glenn 12 (Brave 38-2)

    There goes Danni Wyatt!

    Sarah Glenn comes on to bowl. She holds Brave to three singles from her first four balls. Perhaps Wyatt feel the pressure a little, she tries to force a shot over the top from a dragged down delivery, but can only loop the ball into the hands of Tara Norris at mid-on.

  19. Brave 35-1published at 60 balls left

    71 runs needed

    Spirit introduce the tall figure of Lauren Filer into the attack. The seamer made a big impression on debut in the one-off Ashes Test earlier this summer, but has only bowled once in a senior domestic match since then.

    She's bowling in the high seventies here, it's rapid stuff. Bouchier manages to club a delivery through the mid-wicket - the chasing fielder has no chance with pace on the ball - they can only dive face first through the ropes.