Brave thrash Invincibles to lead Hundred table

Southampton’s Hundred women’s competition

Southern grit 161-6 (100 balls): Wolvaardt 36 (19), Franklin 2-28

Oval Invincibles 72 all out (83 balls): Wellington 18 (18), Villiers 3-17

By 89 runs, Southern grit won.

Southern grit won the 89-run victory over Oval Invincibles, which is the largest margin in women’s cricket history.

Their fifth straight victory over Birmingham Phoenix equaled a previous record set on Sunday when London Spirit defeated Birmingham Phoenix by 88 runs.

The visiting side was bowled out for 72 by Mady Villiers (3-17), Maia Bouchier (34), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (26), and Laura Wolvaardt (36), while Brave’s formidable top-order of Maia Bouchier (34), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (26), and Mady Villiers (34), propelled them to a strong 161-6.

In the absence of three Sophie Devine balls inside the powerplay, the Invincibles struggled to hit their target in the toss, losing openers Lauren Winfield-Hill and Meg Lanning.

Bell then removed her international team-mates Paige Scholfield and Alice Capsey with successive deliveries before Villiers replaced Marizanne Kapp and Phoebe Franklin for a 43-6 victory over Invincibles.

No other Invincibles batter passed any of the resistance, but Amanda-Jade Wellington did, scoring an unbeaten run-a-ball 18 without allowing any other batter.

With 17 balls left, Invincibles’ terrible effort came to an end with debutant Daisy Gibb, who was the last batter to fall, caught by Villiers off Georgia Adams.

The Hundred returns to form in 2025, making them the only unbeaten team in either season.

The Southampton-based side reached the final of the women’s tournament’s first three editions, winning in 2023 and losing just once as they dropped to the bottom of the standings.

They lost to the Invincibles in their first two final games, but they have always enjoyed their group-stage victories against the London side, which they have won four of their previous encounters.

With openers Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge putting on a 59th partnership, they were immediately in a strong position to keep winning.

Bouchier had three single-figure seasons in the first three, but her fortunes seem to have changed since Saturday’s 30-ball 42 against the Trent Rockets.

In addition, Freya Kemp hit back-to-back sixes in an 11-ball 24 while Wolvaardt, the captain of South Africa, recorded her fourth score over 25 in five games.

Sophie Devine’s dismissal of Winfield-Hill and Lanning marked her fourth consecutive victory against them in the space of a set of five deliveries this year, while Lauren Bell immediately topped the tournament’s wicket-taking charts with 12 and Lauren Bell firmly took 12 in defense of their total.

On Tuesday, Trent Rockets and Manchester Originals will play a double-header at Trent Bridge.

The men’s game begins at 18:30 BST, while the women’s game begins at 15:00 BST.