The Hundred Women Competition, Utilita Bowl

South Braves 126-7 (100 balls): Wolvaardt 45* (36); Graham 4-19

Welsh Fire 118-8 (100 balls): Volume 52 (39); Molineux 3-14

Southern Brave won by eight runs

Scorekeeper. Table

Southern Brave produced a remarkable comeback to start their Hundred campaign with a hard-fought eight-run victory against Welsh Fire in Southampton.

Fire were on course for a comfortable victory after reaching 109-3 in their chase of 127, with opener Georgia Voll in good shape and unbeaten in a half-century.

But 18-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman returned the Australian batsman for 52 and sparked a dramatic collapse as the visitors lost five wickets in the space of just six runs and 14 balls.

Lauren Bell then picked up the wickets of Georgia Wareham and Em Arlott in the next set, while captain Sophie Molineux finished with 3-14, including the wicket of her counterpart Sophie Devine, to guide them to victory.

A Brave victory looked unlikely for much of the night after a sloppy display on the field in which they dropped a series of catches, including the one to Voll in Bell’s first set.

Previously, Brave, who have reached four of the five finals and won the competition in 2023, had struggled to build on the platform set by opener Lizelle Lee, who scored 30 off 26 deliveries, after being sent to bat first.

South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt anchored her innings with an unbeaten 45, but Heather Graham’s 4-19 with the ball ensured the home side’s innings never took off as they finished on 126-7.

Fire will be hoping to bounce back quickly, having made significant investments, including a joint fee of £210,000 for Devine at the auction, after finishing bottom of the table with just one win last season.