Why Southern Brave women’s top four are the best of all 16 teams in The Hundred

Yes, that includes both the women’s and men’s competitions, writes EVIE ASHTON.

They made yet another convincing case in a 39-run demolition of Welsh Fire at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl on Wednesday that booked their place in the first-ever Hundred Women’s final.

It was a sixth win in seven during which time a different player has stepped up to play the match-winner.

Now every other team must find a way to beat them ahead of the Lord’s decider on August 21.

Silent assassins Wyatt and Mandhana

On Wednesday it was the Brave’s dynamic duo of Danni Wyatt and Smriti Mandhana at the top who combined to produce a dazzling opening partnership to set up their 166-3 - the biggest women’s total of The Hundred so far.

Wyatt was fearless from the start, hitting the first ball of the match for four past deep extra cover. It foreshadowed a magnificent 107-run opening partnership with Match Hero Mandhana who crashed 78 from 52 balls.

The pair exploited the gaps all over the field, sending drives into the covers, cutters past backward point, flicks past deep midwicket, and pulls past deep backward square leg.

Both deservedly picked up their second half-centuries of the tournament, further cementing Brave’s dominance. After Wyatt was caught at long off, Mandhana continued their excellence as the India international hit three sixes and seven fours.

This is all the more impressive considering Wyatt and Mandhana have done this before. Mandhana, ranked the third T20 batter in the world, had great success against the Fire in their first meeting with an explosive knock of 61 off 39 balls. In the same fashion, Wyatt punished Birmingham Phoenix’s huge total of 140 by hitting 69 off 40 runs, including five fours and four sixes.

After the game Wyatt revealed that she enjoys batting with Mandhana because they are so similar, adding that the pair don’t say much at all in the middle - preferring instead to let their bats do the talking.

Supercharger Dunkley

Dunkley has gone about proving why she is one of the fastest rising stars in English cricket as her memorable summer goes from strength to strength.

Against Northern Superchargers she revealed her mental fortitude, when she arrived at the crease at 5-2 yet still steered her side to victory.

The 23-year-old crunched the ball around the park with relentless positivity, which the Superchargers could not match to stop her fifty. Last Wednesday she smacked an unbeaten 23 off 13 balls which was crucial to maintain Brave’s outstanding strike rate.

You can always depend on Taylor

Stafanie Taylor has been Southern Brave’s rock with at and ball.

The West Indies star had only just got out for the first time last week and along with her top-four team-mates has hovered inside the top-10 runscorers for most of the competition.

Contributions have been invaluable with bat and ball. On Wednesday the all-rounder took the key wicket of Sarah Taylor, just when Brave needed her most.

And let’s not forget her brilliant unbeaten 45 against Trent Rockets to help Brave recover from 18-3 to post 133-5, earning her the Hero of the match award. She really set the tone for Brave’s dominance in the competition.

This is not to say the rest of Southern Brave have not played a significant role.

A team with Anya Shrubsole playing a secondary role is clearly very strong and that would be to under-estimate the value of her captaincy in the competition.

Amanda-Jade Wellington has been invaluable with the ball but, ultimately, Southern Brave’s four top batters are what make them stand out.

No team has yet been able to make a breakthrough and that’s why they are in the final.

Good luck trying to beat them at Lord’s on August 21.

The ECB’s Hundred Rising is providing eight aspiring, young journalists the opportunity to tell the story of The Hundred men’s and women’s competitions through their own eyes.