Southern Brave opened their Hundred campaign with an eight-run victory over Welsh Fire in Southampton, securing a 126-7 total before restricting their opponents to 118-8 in the chase.
Fire appeared positioned for a comfortable win after reaching 109-3, with Australian opener Georgia Voll batting confidently on an unbeaten 52. The turning point came when 18-year-old left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman dismissed Voll, triggering a dramatic shift in momentum. Welsh Fire subsequently lost five wickets while conceding just six runs across 14 balls, collapsing from a position of strength.
Lauren Bell claimed two additional wickets during her set, removing Georgia Wareham and Em Arlott. Captain Sophie Molineux completed the bowling performance with 3-14, including the dismissal of Fire captain Sophie Devine, securing Brave’s victory.
Brave’s batting performance had been constrained throughout their innings despite being sent in first. Lizelle Lee provided an early foundation with 30 runs from 26 deliveries, while South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt steadied the innings with an unbeaten 45. Heather Graham’s bowling returns of 4-19 proved instrumental in limiting Brave’s total to 126-7. Brave’s fielding was notably sloppy, with multiple dropped catches including that of Voll in Bell’s opening set.
Fire, who invested significantly in their squad including a joint-high auction fee of £210,000 for Devine, will seek to recover from their loss. The team finished last season at the bottom of the table with one victory. The next fixture sees London Spirit take on Manchester Super Giants at Lord’s, with women’s and men’s matches scheduled for different start times.
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