Fire eliminated as Brave edge low-scoring thriller

The Hundred women’s competition, Sophia Gardens

Welsh Fire 111-6 (100 balls): Elwiss 36* (36), Bell 2-21

Southern Brave 112-7 (99 balls): Bouchier 35 (30), Jonassen 4-10

Brave won by three wickets

Welsh Fire became the first team to be eliminated from The Hundred women’s competition after Southern Brave edged a low-scoring thriller at Sophia Gardens.

Fire suffered their fifth straight defeat as Brave, in contrast, remain unbeaten despite making hard work of chase of 112, reaching their target with just one ball to spare.

Brave were in full control of their chase at 98-3, but a collapse of four wickets for nine runs in the space of six balls gave Fire hope and left the visitors needing two from the final two deliveries.

Katie George dropped a difficult chance from the penultimate ball that would have dismissed Georgia Adams, but the batters scampered back for a second to seal a tense three-wicket win.

Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge added 48 for the first wicket as Brave started positively, but despite an admirable bowling fightback led by Jess Jonassen’s 4-10, Fire were left to rue another underwhelming batting performance.

Sophia Dunkley’s 31 from 25 balls gave the home side a positive start after fellow opener Hayley Matthews ‘ golden duck, but a batting line-up lacking in confidence struggled after her departure.

Captain Tammy Beaumont only managed seven and although all-rounder Georgia Elwiss anchored the innings with an unbeaten 36, Brave’s bowlers expertly controlled the middle phase and Fire trudged to 111-6.

England seamer Lauren Bell benefitted from the bowler-friendly surface as she took 2-20, extending her place at the top of the wicket-taking charts with 14, while New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine also impressed with 2-23.

The Hundred women’s competition, Lord’s

London Spirit 90-8 (100 balls): Redmayne 29 (29), Sutherland 3-20

Northern Superchargers 93-2 (66 balls): Litchfield 55* (38), Tyson 2-6

Superchargers won by eight wickets

Northern Superchargers thrashed London Spirit by eight wickets, moving above their opponents into second in The Hundred table.

Spirit put in a dismal performance with the bat, struggling to 90-8 at Lord’s.

The Australian pair of Phoebe Litchfield, who hit an unbeaten 55, and Annabel Sutherland, who made 29 not out, put on an unbroken partnership of 76 to seal victory for the Superchargers with 34 balls to spare.

The home side floundered after choosing to bat, slipping to 9-2 in the powerplay with top-order batters Kira Chathli and Cordelia Griffith dismissed for a duck and one respectively.

Spirit can usually rely on the big-hitting Grace Harris to drag them out of trouble, but Nicola Carey had her caught at long-on for just seven, then saw Dani Gibson taken at point from her following delivery.

They continued to steadily lose wickets until Issy Wong and captain Charlie Dean offered a degree of stability, putting on a partnership of 31 for the seventh wicket, but it came from 33 deliveries, with the pair unable to significantly up the tempo.

Sutherland dismissed Dean caught behind in the final set of five deliveries, and had Glenn caught in the covers from the next ball, as Spirit limped to a sub-par total.

Superchargers ‘ top-order also wobbled, with Alice Davidson-Richards and Davina Perrin both dismissed by Bex Tyson for a golden duck and four respectively.

However, those early wickets brought star batters Phoebe Litchfield and Sutherland to the crease, and the Australian pair made light work of reaching their target.

Litchfield took more of the strike, hitting her second half-century in three matches, and it was the 22-year-old who hit Eva Gray for four to bring the match to an early conclusion.

Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets will both be hoping to bounce back from defeats in their previous matches, as they play at The Oval at 15: 00 BST.

It’s then a top of the table contest in the men’s game, which follows at 18: 30 BST.