Amanda-Jade Wellington's leg-spin proved pivotal for the Brave whose first innings was powered by Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt's strong opening partnership; Brave have won all three games in The Hundred this year
Thursday 18 August 2022 20:04, UK
Southern Brave continued their unbeaten start to The Hundred, securing a third consecutive victory by beating the Manchester Originals at the Ageas Bowl.
Smriti Mandhana (43) and Danni Wyatt's (31) opening partnership helped power the Brave to a three-wicket victory.
Sophia Dunkley's 25 and Maia Bouchier's 23 helped them on their way to a reachable target of 136 but Amanda-Jade Wellington's leg-spin disrupted Manchester's attempt to chase down as she went 3-27 off 20 balls.
Lauren Bell also took a pair for just 17 runs from her 20 balls, with her slower deliveries causing real trouble and helping to limit the Originals to 127-6.
Amanda-Jade Wellington took three key wickets as Southern Brave battled back to beat Manchester Originals by nine runs and maintain their 100 per cent record.
Originals looked on course for victory while chasing the home side's 136 for five thanks to opener Emma Lamb's 57, but Brave turned things around in impressive fashion at the Ageas Bowl.
Australia leg-spinner Wellington dismissed Lizelle Lee, Deandra Dottin and Sophie Ecclestone before superb death bowling from Lauren Bell and Anya Shrubsole saw Brave take six wickets for just 24 runs in the last 22 deliveries.
Brave stay top of the table with three wins from three, while Originals face an uphill task to qualify with just one win from three.
Having been put in, Brave looked set for a huge total after openers Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt put on 64 in the first 43 balls, but they were pegged back on a slowing used pitch.
Mandhana led the way with 43 off 25 balls with six fours and two sixes.
The India batter set the tone by pulling the second ball of the innings to the boundary before tucking into New Zealander Lea Tahuhu. She started with a straight six before guiding to third, flailing over cover and pulling for four successive boundaries.
Mandhana also took on Ecclestone by hitting her for four over mid-off, six high over wide long on before skipping down the wicket and gliding the ball over the covers.
Originals captain Kate Cross needed to haul in Mandhana and, after bring herself back on, she was rewarded when she banged the ball in short and saw Mandhana pick out deep square leg.
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That began a period of Originals dominance which saw three wickets fall in 21 balls and just 17 runs scored.
Wyatt was next to depart having entertained with 31 from 24 balls before being bowled by Ecclestone.
Like her team, Ecclestone (two for 32) started expensively with 23 runs coming off her first 11 deliveries, but came back, with her other nine balls only going for nine runs as well as having Sophia Dunkley caught at long on.
Hannah Jones was also key to the squeeze, pinning Tahlia McGrath leg before for three, while ending with one for 18.
Dunkley, who survived a run out and a drop, and Maia Bouchier ticked along to put on 33, before Freya Kemp struck her customary six to accelerate the end of the innings with 21 coming off the last 12 balls.
The powerplay was also profitable for Originals, with 40 runs being scored compared to Brave's 42.
Lee put Georgia Adams away through square before slog-sweeping a six, and continued by chipping Shrubsole over midwicket. She perished after a 16-ball 25 when a leading edge off Wellington fell in Mandhana's hands at mid-off.
Wellington gained a second scalp when Dottin looped one back at her, leaving the Originals 77 for two.
Lamb's approach was low risk, low stress, taking singles, putting away a pair of poor Kemp deliveries but did pump Wellington down the ground for six in a rare moment of aggression.
However, Ami Campbell was caught at extra cover, Ecclestone skied Wellington to mid-off, Tahuhu was run out and Lamb drilled to cover - having reached a 39-ball half-century - as the runs dried up and the wheels began to fall off for the visitors.
Nineteen runs were needed from the last 10-ball end but with Cross mishitting to mid-off and Cordelia Griffith run out at the non-striker's end, they ended up nine runs short.
Wellington said: "With the score on the board, we knew around the 140-mark was going to be a really good total, and I think Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt set the pace for us.
"We're having a great start so far but we've been in that situation many, many times and I think this year we're taking one game at a time. 100 balls, you never know what's going to happen, the best team on the day is going to win and I think we really took that opportunity today.
"I've had a lot of practice and I throughout all the Commonwealth Games and I was really happy to just be in the squad but being here, actually playing some games and having really gained time. I feel like I'm bowling really good and in a really good spot.
"They're dangerous players. On any day, they can go out there and make hundreds and I think the extra pressure of adding a slip in was really crucial. We talked about it and adding that little bit of pressure because we saw the pitch turning and if we did get a but open we thought they would go a bit square-off, in which they did."
Friday's games in The Hundred come from Edgbaston as the Birmingham Phoenix host the Northern Superchargers, with both men's and women's games available for free via a live stream on skysports.com, the Sky Sports App and the Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel.
The Phoenix women's side are aiming for a third consecutive win in the competition and get underway against the Superchargers, who have won one and lost one, from 3.30pm.
The hosts will be favourites in the men's game as well, sitting 3-1 after their opening four matches where the Superchargers will be looking to rekindle their hopes after just one win in their opening four games - that one gets underway at 7.30pm.
Watch every match from The Hundred this summer live on Sky Sports.
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