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6:45 PM IST & 2:15 PM Local Time: What a thriller in Cardiff! Southern Brave hold their nerve to sneak over the line and maintain their unbeaten run in the competition. With this win, they also secure their place in the knockouts! Welsh Fire Women slump to their fifth defeat of the season, and with that, their campaign looks all but over.

Earlier in the day, Welsh Fire Women, asked to bat first, had a topsy-turvy start. Sophia Dunkley looked in sublime touch, striking crisp boundaries, but lost partners quickly as Hayley Matthews fell for a golden duck and skipper Tammy Beaumont for 7. At 32/2 in the powerplay, the pressure was mounting. Dunkley’s fluent 31 off 25 gave some momentum, but her dismissal at a crucial stage by Tilly Corteen-Coleman pegged the hosts back further, leaving Georgia Elwiss to anchor the innings. 

The middle order couldn’t quite fire, with Jess Jonassen falling for 11 to Sophie Devine, but Elwiss stood firm and guided her side past 100. She remained unbeaten on 35 as Fire posted 111/6. The Brave bowlers were disciplined throughout, with Lauren Bell (2/20) and Sophie Devine (2/23) picking up two wickets apiece, while the others kept things tight to restrict Fire to a modest total.

Chasing 112, the Brave Women flew out of the blocks with Danielle Wyatt-Hodge and Maia Bouchier putting on 48 for the opening wicket. Georgia Davis provided the breakthrough, dismissing Wyatt-Hodge for 18 thanks to a sharp grab from Jess Jonassen. The Fire then clawed their way back as Jonassen struck twice in quick succession, removing Bouchier (35) and Wolvaardt (3). Just as the pressure mounted, Sophie Devine and Freya Kemp steadied things with a vital 41-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Jonassen struck again in the same set, removing Freya Kemp for 17 and then dismissing Tryon for a silver duck to put the Fire back on top. The momentum shifted further when Hayley Matthews sent back the well-set Sophie Devine for 25, setting up a nail-biting finish. The clash went right down to the final set, and with two balls left, Katie Louise George spilled a tough chance in the deep. Southern Brave skipper Georgia Adams then held her nerve, striking the winning runs to seal a 3-wicket victory and secure their place in the knockouts. 

Hero of the Match: Sophie Devine

Sophie Devine (Hero of the Match): "Look, credit must go to Welsh Fire. We were cruising but they fought back and took the game to the last set. 

It was a pretty good cricket wicket. The way Dunks (Dunkley) came out and hit the ball hard and put us under pressure. She showed that it was a good wicket. It took us a bit too long to see what was the right length. But you have to be smart with big boundaries. Really pleased to restrict them to that total and happy to get across the line.

It was similar to the Trent Rockets game. Just get ourselves ahead of the run rate. Bouchier and Danni gave us a good start. We got under pressure but we will take the win.

We know it's going to take the full squad to win this competition. We have to make sure that we keep improving and we go again."

Phew! What a contest we’ve had here in Cardiff. Southern Brave Women have pulled off a dramatic win, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. For Welsh Fire Women, it’s another heartbreak as they remain winless this season, and their campaign looks all but over. On the flip side, the Brave Women march into the knockouts with their perfect record still intact.

You can now switch over to the second women’s clash of the day – London Spirit vs Northern Superchargers – where the trio of Pritam Dey, Akshay Bhide & Manish Bishnoi will take you through all the action. That’s all from here in Cardiff, stay tuned for more cricketing drama from across the globe!