Welsh Fire Women vs Southern Brave Women Match 2 Full Commentary

Result · Jul 22 2026, Wed - 07:15 PM (IST)

Match 2, - Utilita Bowl

WEF-W

118/8 (20.0)

SOB-W

126/7 (20.0)

Southern Brave Women beat Welsh Fire Women by 8 runs

CRR:5.90

ಪಂದ್ಯದ ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮ

Sophie Molineux

0.0

We are back for the chase. The umpires are back out in the middle and so are the players of Southern Brave Women, led by Sophie Molineux. It will be the duo of Ella McCaughan and Georgia Voll to open the innings for Welsh Fire Women. Lauren Bell will get proceedings underway with the ball. Let's go...
0.0

... The Run Chase ...
0.0

Did the Fire do enough? 126 might not seem like a big score on the board, but it is still competitive. Welsh Fire Women enjoyed a decent outing in the field, and Heather Graham was certainly the standout with her four-wicket haul. The fielders generally backed up the bowlers, and they will feel they have a real chance of beating a prolific side in their own backyard. However, the Brave have one of the most sought-after bowling line-ups, at least on paper and will look to start with a win at home. Join us for the run chase, which is up next.
0.0

An innings that never took off - All throughout the first 100 balls, Southern Brave Women threatened to get ahead in the game, but they never managed to. Lizelle Lee gave them a solid start, and Laura Wolvaardt did play through, but she simply didn't face enough balls to make a big impact. Sophie Molineux provided some impetus in the middle phase, but they kept on losing wickets, which derailed things a bit.
0.0

Fire have the advantage at the break - Midway through the game, and 126 seems about a par total on the board. Anything over 130 is generally a good score, so Southern Brave Women won't be too displeased, but their innings never got to a boil. Sophie Devine will feel her troops have done well to keep picking up wickets at regular intervals, and it is now up to the batters.
19.5

A single to end the innings. Southern Brave Women finish on 126/7. On a nagging length, on middle. Laura Wolvaardt stands tall and hits through the line but straight to long on for just a single.
19.4

Good hustle between the wickets. Going away, on a length. Dattani reaches out and carves it with an open bat face past cover-point. The ball does not have enough legs to reach the fence and it is hauled in. Three runs taken.
19.3

On the shorter side, on off. Wolvaardt flat bats it to long on for a single.
19.2

Nearly went to hand! It is the off-cutter again by Graham, running across the left-hander. Dattani tries to clip it away on the leg side. It takes the leading edge and goes just wide of the short third fielder. It slows down in the outfield, and the batters are able to come back for the third run.
0.0

Naomi Dattani is the new batter for the Brave.
19.1

OUT! TAKEN! Heather Graham strikes straight away on her return to the attack. Two in two for Welsh Fire, and Laura Wolvaardt is left stranded at the other end. Off-cutter, on off, on a good length. Glenn pushes at the ball in front of her body with hard hands. Gets a thickish outside edge and it lobs to short third, where Sophia Smale does the rest. Wicket number 4 for Heather Graham.
0.0

The next batter is Sarah Glenn. Here's Heather Graham to bowl the final set of 5 of this innings.
18.5

OUT! CAUGHT! Sophie Devine has her first wicket. She bowls the slower one, on a good length, on off and middle. Wong dances down the track but does not get to the pitch of the ball. She still swings at it and a top edge is found. Sophia Smale moves forward at short third and bends to take the catch.
18.4

Cramping the batter for room, on a short of a length. Laura shovels it behind square leg and gets to the other end.
18.3

Takes pace off, on a back of a length, on off. Wong stabs it wide of extra cover for one.
18.2

Does not carry! Devine goes into the wicket again, on middle. Wolvaardt pulls it aerially towards deep mid-wicket, where Georgia Wareham runs in off the ropes but the ball drops short. Single taken.
18.1

Banged in short, on middle. Not quite high enough to trouble the batter. Wolvaardt does not quite get hold of the pull. Georgia Wareham gets around to her right at deep mid-wicket and tidies up. Two taken.
17.5

Dishes out the googly, on a good length, on middle. Wong rocks back and pulls it wide of deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.
17.4

A tad fuller, on off and middle. Issy Wong goes deep into the crease pretty late but manages to cut it toward the short third fielder.
17.3

Floated up, on middle. Wolvaardt advances and knocks it to long on. They cross.
0.0

Issy Wong walks out to bat at number 7.
17.2

Georgia Wareham c Issy Wong b Lauren Bell 9 (8)

OUT! JODI GREWCOCK IS RUN OUT! Sophie Devine produces the direct hit. This slides across the left-hander, full in length. Grewcock steps out and gets to the pitch of the ball. She firms the drive down towards mid off and sets off for a risky single. Devine swoops in, picks the ball up and scores a direct hit at the bowling end to catch Jodi short of her crease. Southern Brave Women are now 5 down for 110.
17.1

Turning into the pads, not all that short. Jodi shapes up for the pull but is beaten and gets hit on the pads.
16.5

FOUR! A boundary to end the set. This is another slower delivery from Arlott, on a nagging length, at the stumps. Jodi Grewcock opens her stance and pulls it away toward the right of the deep backward square leg fielder for four runs.
16.4

Tucking the batter up for room, that in-between length. Wolvaardt jabs it to deep mid-wicket and turns the strike over.
16.3

Slower one, pitching just behind the good length, on middle. Jodi Grewcock swats it to deep square leg and gets across for a single.
16.2

Angled into the right-hander, on a length. Wolvaardt makes room and smears it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
16.1

FOUR! SHOT! Pitches it up, does Arlott, pitching it just outside off. Laura Wolvaardt plants her front foot away from the delivery and launches it over the mid off fielder for four runs. The 100 is up for Southern Brave Women.
0.0

Em Arlott has been brought back by Sophie Devine.
15.5

Another productive set of 5 from Graham, just 4 runs and a wicket off it. Pitched fuller on off, Laura Wolvaardt plays a classy drive down to long off and collects a single.

ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಕಾಮೆಂಟರಿ

0.0

A tale of two emotions - A tough pill to swallow for Welsh Fire after letting a game slip from such a commanding position. As for Southern Brave, wins like these can do wonders for a team's confidence. To snatch victory from the jaws of defeat so early in the tournament will give them plenty of belief heading into the games ahead. Up next, the men's teams take the field as Chris Jordan's Southern Brave take on Phil Salt's Welsh Fire. Our build-up is already underway, so switch tabs and join us there.
0.0

Let's hear from Lauren Bell - Bell says she could hardly believe the result but adds that belief grew within the side as the wickets started to fall. Reflecting on the dropped chances off her bowling early on, she says she simply told herself to stay calm and keep creating opportunities. She feels the game swung decisively once Sophie Devine was dismissed, with the slowing run rate allowing her side to build sustained pressure. Bell also believes the victory will provide a timely confidence boost for a squad featuring plenty of new faces. On bowling at the death, she says she relishes the responsibility and enjoys delivering in high-pressure situations, adding that the hard work she has put into her slower balls is paying off. She finishes by saying she is thoroughly enjoying playing under Sophie Molineux's leadership and is grateful to have her as captain.
0.0

Player of the Match - The captain of Southern Brave Women, Sophie Molineux wins the award for her all-round brilliance - 3/14 in 20 balls and a 16-ball 22 earlier with the bat. Molineux says that to win the game in that fashion was surreal, and the girls did really well. Adds that it was nice to get back out in front of the home fans, and they again turned up in massive numbers. On the partnership between Voll and Kemp, she says she just told the team to hang on as the opposition batters were doing well and the bowlers did well to pull things back. On the dropped catches, she says that they will surely be on top of that and it won't be a regular thing. She ends by saying that the atmosphere has always been vibrant in this tournament, but it seems to have picked up even more this season.
0.0

Brave never found top gear - Having been asked to bat first, Southern Brave were kept in check throughout by a disciplined Welsh Fire bowling attack that understood the pace they needed to bowl on this surface. Heather Graham led the charge with a superb four-wicket haul. There were contributions from Lizelle Lee, Sophie Molineux and Laura Wolvaardt, but the innings never found the next gear it so desperately needed. Unable to produce the late acceleration they were searching for, Southern Brave finished with what looked like a competitive total at best. As it turned out, it proved to be a match-winning one.
0.0

Fire implode late - Welsh Fire made a sedate start to the chase as Georgia Voll and Freya Kemp took their time adjusting to the slow nature of the surface. Kemp gradually found her rhythm and began to up the tempo before Voll took charge herself. Both batters, though, will be kicking themselves for not seeing the chase through and leaving it for others. To Southern Brave's credit, despite putting down several chances, they hung in the contest and, when the pressure shifted in the closing stages, they grabbed their opportunity with both hands to pull off a remarkable comeback.
0.0

An inexplicable capitulation - There really is no other way to describe what has unfolded in Southampton. Welsh Fire needed just 23 off the last 20 balls with 7 wickets in hand and a set batter in Georgia Voll. From there, defeat seemed almost impossible, yet Southern Brave somehow found a way to pull off a remarkable turnaround. Given the number of chances they put down, Brave had no business winning this game, but when it mattered most, they held their nerve while Welsh Fire completely lost theirs.
19.5

That's it, Southern Brave Women have actually completed the comeback and they trump Welsh Fire Women by 8 runs. Tilly Corteen-Coleman keeps it nice and full, keeping the stumps in play as well. Smale eases it to mid off for a single.
19.4

That should be that. Tossed up on off, Smale advances and lifts it over mid off for a couple of runs.
19.3

Full and straight again, Sophia Smale fails to get it away. Welsh Fire now need two sixes off the last two balls.
0.0

The new batter is Sophia Smale.
19.2

Heather Graham b Tilly Corteen-Coleman 3 (6)

OUT! TIMBER! This is unbelievable. Southern Brave Women have surely sealed the comeback now, haven't they? Tilly Corteen-Coleman goes quick and flat, attacking the stumps. Heather Graham backs away to go over mid off but is beaten for pace and the ball beats the bat to hammer into the stumps.

19.1

Fired in on middle and leg, jammed off the inside edge down to fine leg for a single. 12 needed off 4 balls.
0.0

Tilly Corteen-Coleman to bowl the final set. Rhianna Southby is the new batter, and she is on strike.
18.5

OUT! CAUGHT! Would you believe it? Welsh Fire have all but thrown it away now. Sophie Molineux looks to go full and straight but ends up bowling a full toss. Niamh Holland steps out looking to go over mid off but mistimes it badly. The ball lobs up straight towards the fielder and Lauren Bell gobbles it up. 12 needed now off the final set of 5.
18.4

Tossed up on off, Graham comes forward and pushes it to mid off for a single.
18.3

Floated up on middle, Niamh Holland scoops it down to short fine leg for a single.
18.2

PUT DOWN! We might have just lost count of the dropped catches in this innings, albeit this was one of the tougher ones. Full and straight, Heather Graham backs away and swats it straight back. Sophie Molineux gets both hands over her head but the ball bursts through to mid off for a single.
18.1

A lot more round-arm, fired in full and on off. Heather Graham jams it back to the bowler. 16 needed off 9 now.
0.0

Sophie Molineux to bowl the penultimate set of five. The Southern Brave skipper has picked up 2 wickets and gone for 11 runs in her 15 balls.
17.6

Bell shows her skills and ends with a dot. Yet another slower ball, seemed like the back-of-the-hand one. Bowled full and wide outside off. Holland has a swoosh at it but misses. Still, 16 needed, off 10 balls now.
0.0

109/3 becomes 111/6 for Welsh Fire Women. Niamh Holland is in next.

17.5

OUT! BOWLED'EM! Lauren Bell has picked two wickets in a single over, and Southern Brave Women are on the verge of snatching this match out of the Fire's hands. This is another slower delivery from Bell, her signature back-of-the-hand, pitching it just outside off and shaping in toward the off stump. Em Arlott charges down the track to swing it across the line, but it sneaks past the inside edge and rattles the top of the off pole. Welsh Fire Women lose their sixth wicket.
17.4

No pace to work with! Another slower ball from Bell, on a good length and on off. Em Arlott stays put and punches it out to mid off.
0.0

Em Arlott walks out to bat.
17.3

OUT! TAKEN! Here comes the jangling of the nerves. Lauren Bell gets the slower ball on spot this time, and she serves it just back of a length on off and middle. The ball holds in the deck a bit as Georgia Wareham tries to loft it away. She miscues it badly towards mid off, where Issy Wong takes a simple catch. 16 needed now off 13 balls.
17.2

WIDE! Another change of pace from Bell, but this time it's going down the leg side. Georgia Wareham tries to whip it away, but misses.
17.1

Very full at the toes, Heather Graham can't get underneath it and just hits it through wide mid on for one.
0.0

Lauren Bell to bowl out now.
16.6

Fullish, just outside off, Graham opens the face of the bat and just eases it to point.
0.0

Heather Graham is in at number 6.

ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಕಾಮೆಂಟರಿ