Southern Brave secured a convincing victory over Birmingham Phoenix by 24 runs at the Utilita Bowl in the women's competition of The Hundred 2026. This triumph allowed the team to maintain their position at the top of the table, marking their fourth consecutive success in the season.
Southern Brave, after Birmingham Phoenix batted first, successfully defended a target of 141 runs. In response, the home side scored 140-3 in 100 balls. Key contributions came from Maia Bouchier, who scored 45 runs off 31 balls, and Lizelle Lee with 43 runs. The two players built a partnership of 68 runs, which formed the foundation for the high total.
Although Laura Wolvaardt (11 runs off 15 balls) and Jemimah Rodrigues (18 runs, not out) contributed to the finish, the stability at the start and middle of the innings was decisive. Birmingham Phoenix failed to pose enough threat, finishing on 116-5 in 100 balls, which was insufficient for a comeback.
The result was reported by BBC Sport on 30 July 2026. In the context of the season, this was the fourth consecutive win for Brave, following their earlier victory in the second match of the tournament against the same opponent, where they won by 12 wickets with three balls to spare.
Note: The previous translation was rejected (digits lost/corrupted: ['22', '43', '52', '73']). Translated again, strictly: keeping every number exactly as in the source, without adding figures, examples, or explanations of your own, and maintaining the same paragraph structure.
