It's time for us to take your leave. It was pleasure bringing you all the updates from the double-header Saturday in the Women's Hundred 2025. This is Akshay Bhide, signing off, on behalf of my co-commentator Pritam Dey and scorer Paras Yadav. Until next time, cheers and good bye.
Laura Wolvaardt (Hero of the Match): "Yeah, very happy that we were able to get the win. I think it was quite a nice wicket to bat on out there and we did a really good job to restrict them to a low total.
Yeah, I think on a good wicket, we wanted to get ahead of the game. They have a lot of world class spinners in their side. So, we wanted to make full use of the powerplay. I really enjoyed batting with Bouch (Bouchier) today. I think she was exceptional.
I don't think so. Last game they (the lower middle order batters) got us over the line in a tricky stage. We want to continue playing the way we are heading into the Final.
I think that's a crazy stat. We have never chased more than 110 this season. The bowlers have been absolutely amazing. Bell and Tilly, the way they set it up for us upfront is just awesome.
Amazing turnaround. I am really glad to be part of this squad this season."
Hero of the Match: Laura Wolvaardt
Highest 2nd Wicket Partnership for Southern Brave in The Hundred (Women): 95 - Maia Bouchier and Laura Wolvaardt vs London Spirit, Lord’s, 2025, This Match* 93 - Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge vs Manchester Originals, Manchester, 2023 77 - Maia Bouchier and Smriti Mandhana vs Welsh Fire, Cardiff, 2023
9:29 PM IST, 4:59 PM Local Time: That’s it. Southern Brave Women win by eight wickets and remain unbeaten in this year’s competition. They register their seventh consecutive win and get a direct entry into the final of The Women’s Hundred 2025, which will be played at this very venue next Sunday. London Spirit Women, meanwhile, suffer their third loss this season and all have come at their home.
Southern Brave Women got off to a blazing start while chasing 126. Danielle Wyatt-Hodge fell cheaply on eight in the second set but Maia Bouchier and Laura Wolvaardt scored at a brisk rate. Both played some exquisite strokes as the Brave Women finished the powerplay on 49/1. The Spirit Women looked clueless on the field as the stand kept growing.
Wolvaardt kept motoring along nicely and brought up her fifty in just 31 balls. Bouchier mistimed one and fell on 43 as Isabelle Wong broke the mammoth 95-run stand on the 70th ball. Sophie Devine joined Wolvaardt and both made sure that there were no hiccups in the chase. Wolvaardt and Devine remained unbeaten on 56 and 12 respectively to take their side home with six balls to spare.
Earlier, the Spirit Women were asked to bat first and they lost Kira Chathli (1) in the very first set. Georgia Redmayne and Cordelia Griffith led the recovery work for the hosts before Mady Villiers removed Redmayne (14) and Grace Harris (6) in the seventh set. Griffith though was unfazed as she kept going strong after getting a lifeline on 11.
Griffith (44) received an excellent support from Charli Knott (36) as both put 67 for the fourth wicket before both fell in a quick succession. The Spirit Women lost all the momentum at the back end of the innings. They lost five for 22 in the last 26 balls as they finished their innings on 125/8. Mady Villiers picked up three wickets for the visitors, conceding 38 runs in her four sets.
The Brave batters then stepped up and chased down the total with eight wickets in hand. After finishing last in the previous edition, the Brave Women have stormed into the final this year. London Spirit Women, meanwhile, will have to win their last league game and hope that the other results go their way. For now, the Brave Women can celebrate as they directly qualify for the final.