In the second game of the fifth edition of The Women’s Hundred, the Manchester Originals hosted the Southern Brave at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. The visitors won the toss and chose to field first, a decision that paid off almost immediately. Lauren Bell struck in just the third delivery of the innings, rattling Kathryn Bryce’s stumps. Soon after, new captain Beth Mooney followed her opening partner back to the pavilion, caught by Danni Wyatt-Hodge off the bowling of Mady Villiers.
Bell returned to claim her second wicket, dismissing all-rounder Amelia Kerr, who tried to scoop the ball but was caught by Chloe Tryon at short fine leg. Wickets continued to fall at one end, but young Seren Smale held firm, anchoring the innings with a crucial unbeaten 40. Her determined knock helped the Manchester Originals reach a competitive total of 95 for 8.
Chasing a modest target of 96, Southern Brave lost an early wicket when Maia Bouchier was dismissed by Deandra Dottin on the 14th ball. However, English veteran Danni Wyatt-Hodge partnered with South African captain Laura Wolvaardt, and the pair added 48 runs to stabilise the innings. The visitors then lost quick wickets in the form of Sophie Devine and Freya Kamp, but Laura held one end and guided her team past the line with 11 balls to spare.
Highlights of the Match:
Lauren Bell – 3 for 28 (20 balls)
Lauren Bell once again proved why she is currently England’s number one pace bowler. In just the third ball of the match, she removed Kathryn Bryce with a full delivery that sharply nipped back to hit the middle stump, rattling Bryce’s stumps. She returned to the attack and dismissed Amelia Kerr, who mistimed a scoop shot and was caught at short fine leg. In the 64th ball, Bell claimed the wicket of Fi Morris, taking a high catch off her own bowling. For this magnificent spell, she was rightly awarded Player of the Match.
Seren Smale – 40* off 34 balls
The 20-year-old saw wickets tumbling at the other end, yet Smale stood firm and scored an important 40*. Despite little support from her partners, she struck four fours and guided her team to a respectable total of 95, with all her teammates failing to reach double figures except for Kerr. This performance shows that Smale, still just 20, is mature and capable of handling pressure on the biggest stage.
Mady Villiers – 2 for 19 (20 balls)
The off spinner provided excellent support to Lauren Bell, containing the runs with an economy rate of under one run per ball. Her disciplined bowling was rewarded with the wicket of in-form Beth Mooney, who was caught thanks to a brilliant catch by Wyatt-Hodge. She returned to the attack later and dismissed Eve Jones, who hit straight to Villiers, giving her a second wicket of the evening.
Tilly Corteen-Coleman – 1 for 12 (20 balls)
Another impressive bowling effort for the Brave came from the 17-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman. The rising left-arm spinner claimed a big wicket by cleaning up the hard-hitting Deandra Dottin. Although she took just one wicket, her tight bowling made scoring difficult. She conceded only 12 runs in her 20 balls, proving she is ready to compete among the senior players.
Laura Wolvaardt – 42* off 37 balls
The Proteas captain, Laura Wolvaardt, did what she does best. She took some time to settle before getting going. Coming in at number three, she scored a brisk 42 not out, which included 6 fours and formed an important partnership with Danii Wyatt-Hodge. With five runs needed to win, she first struck Dottin for a four, then took a single on the next ball to guide her team to victory with 11 balls to spare.
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