Southern Brave thrash Welsh Fire at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl to book women’s Hundred final place

A superb 107-run stand for the opening wicket from Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt laid the foundations for a tournament record score of 166 from the Brave in front of a crowd of over 7,000, writes IAN McCULLOUGH.

Despite the perfect battling conditions, Fire skipper Sophie Duff won the toss and elected to field.

But that decision backfired as Duff's side gave in-form Mandhana, who scored a superb 78 from 52 balls, two early reprieves when she was in single figures.

Mandhana, the competition's top run scorer, was first dropped off the fifth ball of the match when Alex Griffiths grassed a regulation chance off Bryony Smith at mid-on.

She was then dismissed by Piepa Cleary for five only for the delivery to be ruled a no-ball retrospectively as she made her way back to the pavilion.

Wyatt chalked up her second 50 of the competition from 34 balls before the Fire finally took a wicket when she was caught at long-on by Cleary off Nicole Harvey for 53.

Mandhana continued to take the visitors' bowling apart as she belted seven fours and three sixes before finally being dismissed by Hayley Matthews four balls from end of the innings.

The West Indies all-rounder then found herself on a hat-trick when she dismissed her international skipper Stefanie Taylor first ball as the Fire finished with a flourish.

But it was not enough to prevent the Brave eclipsing the previous highest score of 151 scored by the Trent Rockets with Sophia Dunkely finishing 23 not out and Maia Boucher smashing the final ball of the innings for four.

The Fire's response was steady rather than the spectacular that was needed to have any chance of chasing down such a daunting total.

Matthews was the first wicket to fall for 18 when Wyatt took a diving catch off the bowling of Amanda-Jade Wellington after 42 balls.

Smith then departed for 33 to reduce the visitors for 58-2 with former England star Sarah Taylor lasting just five balls for four runs as she was stumped by Carla Rudd off Taylor.

Luff and Georgia Redmayne added a breezy 56 for the fourth wicket before the Fire captain departed for 30 from the penultimate ball of the match.

Wyatt said: ‘It was good fun out there. It was another good wicket to bat on here at the Ageas Bowl and to win here and go straight to the final, we are all really happy.

‘We've got a game on Monday against the Oval Invincibles and then we will have another few days off and prepare for the big final at Lord's which we are all really excited about.

‘Everyone in the top five has won us a game, everyone has a great work ethic and is training really hard and with a purpose and putting their hand up to win games.

‘There is a really nice feel around the group but there are no celebrations just yet.’