Unbeaten Brave reach final with win over Spirit
- BBC News
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt hit her first half-century of The Hundred season
The Hundred womens competition, Lords
London Spirit 125-8 (100 balls): Griffith 44 (34); Villiers 3-38
Southern Brave 126-2 (94 balls): Wolvaardt 56* (40), Bouchier 43 (34); Wong 2-34
Brave won by eight wickets
Unbeaten Southern Brave secured a place in the womens final of The Hundred with an eight-wicket win over London Spirit at Lords.
Chasing 126, Maia Bouchier, who hit 43, and Laura Wolvaardt, with an unbeaten 56, put on a second-wicket partnership of 95, as Brave defeated the defending champions with six balls to spare.
Qualification marks a return to form for the Southampton-based side, who finished bottom last year after reaching the tournaments first three finals, winning in 2023.
The visitors started well after winning the toss and choosing to bowl, reducing Spirit to 36-3, with spinner Mady Villiers, who claimed 3-38 overall, dismissing Georgia Redmayne and Grace Harris in the space of four balls.
Cordelia Griffith (44) and Charli Knott (34) put on a partnership of 67 for the fourth wicket, but the formers dismissal by Georgia Adams started a run of five Spirit wickets falling for 22 runs.
Brave lost Danni Wyatt-Hodge for nine, given out lbw to Issy Wong on review, but Bouchier and Wolvaardt calmly set about chasing down their target.
Wong had Bouchier caught by Eva Gray with 18 runs still required, but Sophie Devine came in and struck the winning runs to secure a seventh successive victory, equalling their own record winning streak set during their 2023 triumph.
Brave have one group game remaining, at home to bottom side Welsh Fire on Thursday, and will play against the winners of the Eliminator match between second and third in the final at Lords on Sunday, 31 August.
Spirit remain in fourth and will need to beat Oval Invincibles in their last match on Monday and hope other results go in their favour to make the Eliminator.
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Invincibles out as Superchargers secure comfortable win
The Hundred womens competition, Headingley
Oval Invincibles 125-6 (100 balls): Winfield-Hill 37 (30); Cross 2-16
Northern Superchargers 127-3 (95 balls): Davidson-Richards 50 (32)
Superchargers won by seven wickets
Northern Superchargers ended Oval Invincibles hopes in this years Hundred womens competition and consolidated their own strong position with a comfortable seven-wicket victory at Headingley.
The win takes Superchargers onto 20 points in second place, four behind unbeaten Southern Brave and four clear of Manchester Originals and London Spirit, who have played a game fewer.
Opener Alice-Davidson Richards capitalised on some loose bowling to strike 50 from 32 balls to break the back of the Superchargers chase of 126.
She fell with 42 runs needed and Australian Phoebe Litchfield, who sparkled again in making 29, followed three balls later, but Nicola Carey made an unbeaten 15-ball 25 and Superchargers won with five balls to spare.
Invincibles were hampered by bowler Tash Farrant injuring her back in the field and only being able to bowl five balls.
Alice Capsey also went off after a blow to her right hand while bowling but the England all-rounder was able to return to the attack.
Superchargers earlier made the ideal start when Grace Ballinger bowled Paige Scholfield with the first ball of the match.
Invincibles were 64-4 after 60 balls when Australian Meg Lanning, the tournaments leading run-scorer, was pinned lbw and although captain Lauren Winfield-Hill, dropped down the order after a poor run as opener, hit 37 from 30, their 125-6 felt below par.
Seamer Kate Cross, 24 hours after being left out of Englands World Cup squad, took a solid 2-16.
Superchargers play Manchester Originals in their final match on Tuesday, live on the BBC.
They will be guaranteed a place in the eliminator at worst with victory but could progress regardless given their strong net run-rate.
Invincibles are sixth and, with one game remaining, can no longer finish in the top three.
There are four games on Sunday, starting with Welsh Fire women against Trent Rockets women at Cardiff at 11:00 BST.
The mens match follows from 14:30. At the same time as that second match, Manchester Originals women host Birmingham Phoenix at Old Trafford.
Originals men against Phoenix men follows at 18:00.
You can follow ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.
