The Hundred Women’s 2022, Match 14 Review: Anya Shrubsole guides Southern Brave to thumping victory against Welsh Fire

Southern Brave moved to the top of the points table in the Hundred Women’s 2022 after subjecting Welsh Fire to their third consecutive defeat in the tournament, defeating them by 14 runs in a rain-impacted match. The Brave were put into bat first in the 14th match of the tournament in Cardiff after Tammy Beaumont won the toss for Welsh Fire.

Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt provided another brisk start to the Southern Brave before the former fell on the score of 28. Wyatt was joined at the crease by the young and upcoming Sophia Dunkley, and the pair consolidated after the wicket of Mandhana.

Although Dunkley registered a solid 49 off 43 deliveries, the table toppers never kicked on in the middle overs and posted an underwhelming total of 122 runs on the board after a late blitz by Georgia Adams (25 off 16 deliveries). Barbadian skipper, Hayley Matthews was the pick of the Welsh Fire bowlers, scalping two wickets, while Alex Hartley was as miserly as ever, annihilating the batters with her economical spell.

Anya Shrubsole leads from the front as the Southern Brave defends a modest total

Chasing a modest total, the Welsh Fire suffered an early setback, losing Tammy Beaumont cheaply. Hayley Matthews and Annabel Sutherland stitched together a handy partnership but failed to switch gears. The innings lacked impetus in the middle overs, and when Sarah Bryce and Katie George threatened to take the game to the Southern Brave, skipper Anya Shrubsole halted their momentum with three wickets.

Amanda-Jade Wellington, the leading wicket-taker in this year’s tournament, grabbed another wicket in the match to increase her tally to eight wickets, while Georgia Adams backed up her crucial cameo in the first innings with a brilliant bowling display, grabbing 2/13 to tighten the screws.

But it was the Southern Brave skipper Anya Shrubsole who was the star of the show with the ball in hand, returning with 3/19 as the Brave successfully defended a low total. And as the saying goes in cricket, ‘Catches win you matches’, Welsh Fire dropped the match failing to grab hold of five catches in the first innings, which ultimately proved to be the turning point of the match.