Southern Brave suffered their first defeat of the women’s Hundred, losing by 20 runs to Northern Superchargers and leaving their hopes of direct qualification to the final on Saturday in jeopardy.
Laura Wolvaardt’s continued run of fine form saw her score 50 off 35 balls as the Superchargers posted 145 for six.
Brave could muster only 125 for nine in reply and they face an anxious few hours to see whether Oval Invincibles leapfrog them after their trip to Manchester Originals.
The size of victory for the Superchargers was not enough to secure their place in the knockout stages.
Brave lost openers Danni Wyatt and Smriti Mandhana without scoring inside the first 10 balls of their reply, before Sophia Dunkley’s 38 from 30 balls ended the Superchargers’ slim hopes of qualification despite victory.
Katie Levick and Alice Davidson-Richards took two wickets apiece.
After being put into bat in front of a home crowd, Superchargers were faced with the early loss of Alyssa Healy, who rocketed a ball otherwise destined for the boundary straight into the hands of Dunkley at cover for 17.
Wolvaardt set the tone for her side with the bat, forming a solid partnership with Heather Graham worth 45 off 27 balls. By the time Graham fell for a well-played 26 off 19, Superchargers were 98 for four with 26 balls still to come.
Wolvaardt’s classy innings saw her pass the record for the most runs scored by any woman in the Hundred’s short history, having racked up 286 across six innings before she was caught superbly on the boundary by Wyatt.
A cameo from Jenny Gunn with 15 from seven balls after Wolvaardt’s dismissal gave the Superchargers a whiff of qualification, setting the Brave a total of 145 to beat.
The home side’s hopes were boosted by a perfect start in the field, Wyatt falling off the first ball of the innings, caught at short leg, and her opening partner, the dangerous Mandhana, falling just eight balls later.
As the Brave’s batting line-up wobbled under pressure, Dunkley stood firm with wickets falling around her. Tahlia McGrath was bowled by the impressive Graham and Maia Bouchier was out caught to Davidson-Richards.
By the time Georgia Adams nicked off a tempting delivery from Levick, Dunkley was the only thing standing between Superchargers and an unlikely qualification.
Her steady innings of 38 off 30 came to an end caught on the boundary by who else but Graham, effectively taking the Brave’s hopes of winning the game with her as she walked back to the dugout.
A good partnership between Amanda-Jade Wellington and Freya Kemp, worth 41 off just 18, ended the Superchargers’ hopes of qualification. It took the visitors past the magic number 99 which, had they failed to score, would have potentially seen the Superchargers through.
The bowlers could not see Brave home with the bat, however, and they finished on 125 for nine.
