Lauren Bell defended eight runs from the final five balls of the match to see table-toppers Southern Brave continue their unbeaten streak and narrowly avoid an upset against bottom of the table MI London at the Utilita Bowl.
Bowling at Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Nicola Carey, Bell executed brilliantly to see the Brave secure a one-run win. Wyatt-Hodge finished 52 not out against her old side, but it wasn’t to be for MI London.
Chasing 127 to win, Hayley Matthews dominated the early exchanges of the run chase, finding the rope four times in the powerplay. She would fall 12 balls later with the score on 42, bowled by Issy Wong after the Brave’s spinners had built some pressure.
The visitors reached 59-1 at halfway, Brave utilising their quality spin attack in combination with the large boundaries to squeeze the MI London batters. Wyatt-Hodge and Hollie Armitage absorbed the pressure and got the equation down to 34 required from 25, the former surviving a diving effort at deep midwicket from Jemimah Rodrigues with the score on 78.
Armitage fell to Sarah Glenn on review with 18 still required after a fine partnership of 67 with Wyatt-Hodge. Sophie Molineux then bowled a tight penultimate five to leave Bell eight runs to play with which was ultimately too much for MI London to chase down.
Asked to bat first by the visitors, the Brave had reached 32-1 after the 25-ball powerplay, England opener Maia Bouchier looking threatening until she picked out Melie Kerr in the deep off the bowling of Matthews for 31 from 22 balls. After a watchful start, Rodrigues put her foot on the gas, targeting Chinelle Henry to take the score to 70 from 55 balls before going after Kerr with the sweep to see the score into the eighties.
Laura Wolvaardt on the other hand was sluggish early on, reaching just 13 from her first 20 balls, but a misfield by Henry at long-on allowed her to break the shackles. The South African followed it up with two more fours in her next three balls to bring up the Brave’s 100 off 74 balls.
Matthews returned to the attack and combined with Kerr on the rope once again to see the back of Rodrigues for 32. Kerr then switched from catcher to wicket-taker, bowling a slog-sweeping Wolvaardt for 35.
MI London finished strongly, Matthews taking two in three balls to finish with 4-22 and Kira Chathli pulling off a brilliant stumping off Carey to send Wong back to the pavilion.
But ultimately the home side’s total of 126 would prove one too many for the visitors, and extend their winning streak to three from three.
