After another full day of the Hundred being washed out, where the London Spirit had to go up against Manchester Originals in match no.6 and Birmingham Phoenix had to face Trent Rockets in game no.7. Play was finally possible in game no.8 on the 6th of August at Southampton.
The Northern Superchargers took a stance after being put into bat first by Southern Brave. Openers Marie Kelly and Rodrigues opened the batting and just nine balls into the game, the Indian batting sensation, Jemimah had to depart to Shrubsole. At number 3 walked in Phoebe Litchfield who was sent back to the pavilion in a matter of 3 balls and without disturbing the scorecard.
It was then in the hands of skipper Armitage and Kelly to steady the sinking ship. The duo added 43(37) and got to safer grounds. But with the fall of Armitage for 21(19), their innings took a back seat, thanks to outstanding bowling execution by The Braves. While they ended their innings on 100 after 100 balls, it was heavily dented because they lost wickets at the times when they needed to accelerate. Marie Kelly, 39(40), hung around the 22-yard strip for a considerable amount of time but failed to score more than a runner ball.
The Braves were fantastic with the ball, consistently hitting the right areas and picking wickets in crucial situations they simplified the jobs of their batters. Lauren Bell (1/14), Anya Shrubsole (2/13), Chloe Tryon (2/25), and Georgia Adams (3/21) were among the wicket-takers.
A keeping masterclass 🔥
Rhianna Southby, take a bow 🙌#TheHundred | @SkyCricket pic.twitter.com/zh3BhMPRga
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 6, 2023
In reply, the Southern Brave were off to a good start with their top 3 batters accumulating the majority of the run-scoring pie. Smriti Mandhana 19(21), Danni Wyatt 20(18), and Maia Bouchier 31(28) took advantage of the newish ball and maneuvered it to all parts of the park.
Later in a span of ten balls, they went on to lose 3 wickets in the form of Georgia Adams, Maia Bouchier, and Freya Kemp and slipped from 2/85 to 5/88, but it was too late for the Superchargers as the damage was already done. The Braves rode home to a comfortable 5-wicket win with 13 balls to spare.
Kate Cross (1/15), Linsey Smith (2/11), and Georgia Wareham (2/15) put up a good fight, with wickets at the back end of the innings, but unfortunately, they lacked runs on the board to defend.
Brave beat Superchargers by 5 Wickets to top the points table!#CricketTwitter #TheHundred pic.twitter.com/ALJp9U1T4i
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 6, 2023
On one side where the Superchargers lost wickets at regular intervals and lost momentum, The Braves were formidable with their top 3 batters to seal the game. Rhianna Southby, who played a crucial role in this low-scoring encounter with 2 catches and 2 stumpings was adjudged the player of the match. Her invaluable presence behind the stumps and agile glove work might have well made the difference between the two sides.