England star Anya Shrubsole stars with bat and ball as Southern Brave women make winning Hundred debut at Trent Rockets

The 29-year-old England star smashed 40 from 30 balls with a six and five fours as Brave totalled 133-5 from their 100 balls before taking 4-13 from 20 deliveries with the ball, writes JON CULLEY.

West Indies’ all-rounder Stefanie Taylor top-scored with 45 from 31 balls for the Brave. All-rounder Nat Sciver gave the home side a chance as she and England team-mate Katherine Brunt (22) put on 66 from 56 balls but after both were out in quick succession, Rockets did not have the firepower to get close.

Although Shrubsole took the plaudits for her wickets, with an economy rate of just 0.67 runs per ball, Amanda-Jade Wellington’s miserly leg-spin played an important part, the New Zealander conceding only 10 runs in 20 balls.

After opting to bowl first, Rockets restricted Brave to 53-4 at halfway before Taylor and avid Pompey fan Shrubsole asserted themselves, their unbroken partnership of 86 from 45 deliveries giving the visiting side something for their bowlers to defend.

This came after the Brave’s top three had all misfired. Smriti Mandhana fell to her second ball, brilliantly caught by Michaela Kirk at deep midwicket, Sophia Dunkley was run out thanks to Sarah Glenn’s superb stop and instant throw in from mid-off to the bowler’s end, while Danni Wyatt’s towering steepler to mid-on was no problem for Johnson as Brave stumbled to 14-3 from 19 balls.

Mara Bouchier cracked three boundaries from 13 balls but miscued Glenn’s leg spin to give extra cover a regulation catch, and when Wellington was well held at backward point Brave were struggling at 57-5 from 55. But Shrubsole and Taylor dominated from that point.

Rockets lost both openers in the first eight balls of the chase as Rachel Priest hit straight to mid-on and Johnson skewed Lauren Bell to midwicket.

A flurry of boundaries from Sciver had the Rockets in front at 31 for two from the Powerplay but then Wellington delivered the first maiden set of five in the women’s competition so far and stayed on to concede just five singles in her next set.

Rockets needed 83 at halfway and had a chance while the third-wicket pair were together.

But the picture changed as both fell in the space of three balls, the former deceived by Bell’s slower ball before Brunt’s slog-sweep to Taylor top-edged to square leg.

Another miserly 10 off the reel from Wellington, giving away just six runs, left Rockets with too much to do with 51 needed off 20.

Shrubsole said: ‘It was not the ideal start to be 57-5 but we back our batting line-up to bat deep and while we thought our total might have been a bit under par, we thought it was defendable.

‘I’m pleased to pick up a few wickets and to be contributing but the way we bowled as a unit today was exceptional today, especially Wello (Wellington), who was crucial in strangling the batting.

‘And the way Stefanie batted - she was positive and aggressive but she did it in such a clever way. She’s a world-class performer.’

Brave return to action against Welsh Fire in Cardiff on Tuesday.