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Southern Brave win off the penultimate ball to keep perfect Hundred record going

Southern Brave overcame some outstanding bowling from Jess Jonassen to edge out winless Welsh Fire by three wickets with just one ball remaining as they made it six wins out of six in the Hundred.

Southern Brave overcame some outstanding bowling from Jess Jonassen to edge out winless Welsh Fire by three wickets with just one ball remaining as they made it six wins out of six in the Hundred.

Chasing 112 for victory in Cardiff, the Brave got off to a solid start as England pair Maia Boucher and Danni Wyatt-Hodge put on 48 for the opening wicket, but they then ran into trouble in the form of Jonassen.

After taking the catch of Wyatt-Hodge off Georgia Davis, Jonassen – on her way to figures of four for 10 – accounted for Boucher (35) and Laura Wolvaardt to leave the visitors on 57 for three.

The Brave stabilised but another late flurry of wickets saw them go from 98 for three to 107 for seven before Georgia Adams got the winning runs off Davis, as the Brave secured a top-three finish.

Sophie Devine made 25 with the bat after taking two for 23 with the ball for the Brave.

Georgia Elwiss made an unbeaten 36 for the Fire with opener Sophia Dunkley adding 31.

Northern Superchargers’ Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland celebrate victory
Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland saw Northern Superchargers past their modest victory target at Lord’s (Bradley Collyer/PA)

In the women’s match at Lord’s, Northern Superchargers secured an eight-wicket win over London Spirit to leapfrog their hosts and move second in the table.

The Superchargers started well with the ball. Grace Ballinger and Kate Cross each took a wicket in their first 10 deliveries as Spirit opener Kira Chathli was out for a three-ball duck.

Nicola Carey then dismissed Grace Harris and Dani Gibson in consecutive balls to leave the home side in trouble at 48 for five. Issy Wong finished 24 not out as Spirit pushed on to 90 for eight, with Annabel Sutherland taking three wickets.

Despite losing Alice Davidson-Richards for a duck second delivery to Bex Tyson, who then also dismissed Davina Perrin (four), the Superchargers soon set about chasing down their modest victory target.

Phoebe Litchfield’s unbeaten 55 and Sutherland’s swift 29 saw them home at 93 for two with 34 balls remaining.

In the men’s Hundred at Sophia Gardens, Southern Brave battled to a four-run win over Welsh Fire to end their three-match losing streak.

Hilton Cartwright struck an unbeaten 51 to help Brave push on to 129 for eight, before paceman Jofra Archer took three wickets and then Chris Jordan held his nerve on the final delivery as Fire came up just short at 125 for eight.

Welsh Fire’s bowlers had earlier made the most of the favourable conditions, with Matt Henry returning two for five from his 20 balls after dismissing Leeus du Ploy (two) and Jason Roy (four).

Brave skipper James Vince (29) then helped his his side recover to 53 for three at the halfway stage, before Australian Cartwright went on the attack – hitting five sixes as he reached a 19-ball half-century.

Jonny Bairstow (22) spearheaded the Fire’s run chase – hitting Craig Overton for two fours and a six in the first set.

With 20 balls left, Fire needed 27 to win and had three wickets in hand – but Tom Kohler-Cadmore (25) holed out in the deep leaving Jordan to close out his final five and get Brave over the line.