Brave extend unbeaten run with crushing win over Invincibles

Southern Brave strengthened their grip on the top spot with a fifth consecutive win of the season, delivering an all-round collective effort to down the Oval Invincibles by a whopping 89 runs at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Set a target of 162, the visitors floundered in pursuit to fold for just 72 as all five Brave bowlers deployed got at least a wicket each.

Brave's commanding total was built on a strong foundation laid by openers Maia Bouchier (34 off 23) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (26 off 24) as they put on a 59-run stand after being asked to bat first. Bouchier was the aggressor in that partnership, hitting four fours and a six in her brief cameo. Her dismissal brought Laura Wolvaardt to the crease, who chipped in yet another fiery cameo of 36 in just 19 deliveries.

Sophie Devine made 19 off 14 before her run-out on the 82nd delivery, while Freya Kemp amped the pressure on the Invincibles with an 11-ball 24 that comprised two maximums. With contributions coming in from all of their top-five, Brave went past the 150-mark comfortably before eventually finishing with 161/6 due to late wickets.

That, however, proved too tall a mountain to climb for the Invincibles. The only time they even managed to chase at a run-a-ball was in the brief 12-run opening stand. Devine got rid of both the openers in her first set to put the visitors on the backfoot, and their chase never really gathered any momentum after that as the Brave's bowling attack dismantled the visiting batting line-up with clinical precision.

Lauren Bell struck in successive deliveries to dent the chase further by removing Alice Capsey and Paige Scholfield, and the innings totally crumbled thereafter. Mady Villiers picked up three lower-order wickets to finish with 3 for 17, while Devine, Bell and skipper Georgia Adams had a brace each. Only four of the Invincibles batters got into double digits, and Amanda-Jade Wellington's 18 was the top-score of their innings in which they folded in 83 balls.

Brief scores: Southern Brave 161/6 in 100 balls (Laura Wolvaardt 36, Maia Bouchier 34; Phoebe Franklin 2-28) beat Oval Invincibles 72 all out in 83 balls (Mady Villiers 3-17, Lauren Bell 2-11, Sophie Devine 2-15) by 89 runs