Oval Invincibles were defeated by Southern Brave by a score of 12 runs. Southern Brave made it two wins out of two with the help of Smriti Mandhana’s aggressive 46 and Georgia Adam’s outstanding all-round effort (18 & 2-16) Southern Brave is now in first place in the points standings. The veteran South African fast bowling combo of Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail were no match for the Indian southpaw, who blasted as many as seven boundaries in the first 25 deliveries they faced.
The next batter to face Mandhana was Mady Villiers, and after she added three more runs to her total, Mandhana was eventually stumped by an offspinner, which prevented her from reaching fifty and ended her innings. In rapid succession, Sophie Smale rejected Danni Wyatt and Tahlia McGrath on either side of her own departure from the competition. Brave were in a precarious position at 75/3 after 48 balls, but thanks to crucial cameos from Maia Bouchier (13 off 10), Adams (18 off 13), and Freya Kemp, they were able to win the match (24 off 16).
Suzie Bates and Lauren Winfield-Hill, the openers for the Invincibles, were quick in reply as well, bringing their side to 38 in 21 deliveries with the help of seven fours between them before Lauren Bell struck to eliminate the former. The wicket unleashed the floodgates, and from that point on, the Invincibles had a difficult time maintaining any partnerships of any significance. Both Winfield-Hill and Kapp were dispatched by Adams in the span of 14 deliveries, with Kapp making a commendable contribution of 19 runs off of 9 during her brief stay. The Invincibles were defeated by a score of 12 runs despite the fact that both Ryana Macdonald Gay and Eva Gray made spectacular hits into the stands with their bats.
At Headingley, Northern Superchargers beat London Spirit by only five runs, which allowed them to get off to a winning start in the competition. Bess Health’s 57 helped establish the groundwork for the Superchargers’ match-winning total of 127/4. Alyssa Healy’s 17-ball 22 at the top of the order helped set the tone, and Laura Wolvaardt’s assured 24 not out served as an anchor for the innings. After losing both of their openers within of 26 balls, Health blasted nine fours and a six during her innings of 34 balls, which helped her team dig themselves out of a hole they were in. Run came to an end, but Health made a well-timed switch that allowed her to take control of her 70-run stand with Wolvaardt.
The Spirit’s reply was led by Beth Mooney until roughly the halfway point. She made a score of 20 off 30 balls before the Spirit lost both her and Danielle Gibson off consecutive deliveries. Despite the best efforts of Sophie Luff, who hit five boundaries and a six in her unbeaten 39 off of 30 balls, Spirit was unable to reach their target of 13 off the final five balls and ultimately fell short.
