Southern Brave secured a dramatic one-run victory over MI London in The Hundred women's competition on Sunday, with bowler Lauren Bell delivering a nerveless final over at the Utilita Bowl. The win ensures Southern Brave maintain their perfect start to this year's tournament, sitting comfortably at the top of the standings with three consecutive victories.
With MI London requiring four runs from the final delivery to tie the match and force a super over, Bell held her composure against the in-form Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who had batted brilliantly for an unbeaten 52 off 42 balls. Despite Wyatt-Hodge's efforts, she was unable to find the boundary, leaving MI London agonisingly short on 125-3, in pursuit of Brave's 126-7.
Earlier in the innings, Southern Brave had established a solid foundation through Maia Bouchier's brisk 31 off 22 balls. Laura Wolvaardt (35 off 30) and Jemimah Rodrigues (32 off 22) then built a crucial 60-run partnership for the third wicket. However, Brave's momentum faltered towards the end of their innings, largely due to tight bowling from MI London, with West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews claiming an impressive 4-22.
Matthews then provided MI London with a strong start to their chase, striking four boundaries in her 32 off 28 deliveries before being dismissed by Issy Wong. Wyatt-Hodge and skipper Holly Armitage (27) looked to be guiding MI towards victory, but Armitage's departure, feathering an edge off Sarah Glenn, shifted the pressure back onto the chasing side. Tight bowling from Wong and Sophie Molineux in the middle overs made finding the boundary increasingly difficult for MI London.
Despite the building pressure, victory still appeared within reach for MI as Bell stepped up to bowl the decisive final set of five balls. However, neither Wyatt-Hodge nor Nicola Carey could connect cleanly enough to clear the field, leaving MI London to rue a chase that ultimately fell just short. Southern Brave's team-mates mobbed Bell in celebration, highlighting the significance of the narrow win in their quest for The Hundred title.
The focus of The Hundred now shifts to Headingley on Tuesday, where Sunrisers Leeds will host Manchester Super Giants in a double-header. In the women's competition, the unbeaten Super Giants will be looking to close the gap on Southern Brave at the top of the table when they face the Sunrisers at 3:00 PM BST.