10:05 PM IST, 5:35 PM Local Time: Phew!!! What a thrilling game we have just witnessed. Shabnim Ismail managed to defend nine runs the other day against the Birmingham Phoenix Women but it wasn't the case today as the Southern Brave Women manage to get across the line on the last ball to win the game by two wickets. With this, they move to the top of the points table.
Chasing 145 was always going to be a stiff task. The Brave Women lost Danielle Wyatt on a duck in the very first set. Smriti Mandhana along with Maia Bouchier started building a partnership and kept scoring at a brisk rate. They put 77 between them for the second wicket before Mandhana holed out in the deep on 41. Bouchier looked solid at the crease for her 42 before falling.
Georgia Adams played some fantastic shots but lacked support from the other end. Adams hit a couple of lusty blows but they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Adams hit three boundaries and two sixes before holing out in the deep after scoring 40 off just 24 balls.
The Southern Brave Women required nine runs to win off the last set and Shabnim Ismail was handed the responsibility of defending it. An error from Sarah Bryce resulted in four byes. With one required to win from one ball, Maitlan Brown (5*) and Anya Shrubsole (0*) stole a quick leg bye to take the Brave Women across the line with two wickets in hand. Ismail, Freya Davies and Georgia Elwiss picked up two wickets each for Fire but they failed they were unsuccessful in defending the total.
Earlier, the Welsh Fire Women were asked to bat first and after losing Tammy Beaumont early in their innings, Sophia Dunkley and Sarah Bryce stitched a brilliant partnership. Both kept the Southern Brave at bay and played some fantastic shots. Dunkley brought up her fifty but was cleaned up soon.
Bryce played a good knock of 44* off 36 balls to take the Southern Brave Women to 144 at the end of their 100 balls. Laura Harris also played a fantastic cameo of 19 off eight balls. The Southern Brave Women picked up five wickets in total, with Georgia Adams finishing with two. Eventually, the game went down the wire and the Southern Brave Women held their nerves to emerge victorious by two wickets in hand.