Sophia Dunkley's unbeaten fifty sends Brave three points clear at top
Bouchier 33* as Brave defeat Superchargers by seven wickets in rain-affected match at Southampton
ECB Reporters Network
07-Aug-2021
Sophia Dunkley's unbeaten fifty led Brave to victory • Harry Trump/Getty Images
Southern Brave Women 89 for 3 (Dunkley 50*, Bouchier 33*) beat Northern Superchargers Women 76 for 3 (Wolvaardt 21*, Bell 2-19) by seven wickets (DLS method)
A superb 50 from Sophia Dunkley kept Southern Brave on top of the women's Hundred table in a rain-affected clash with Northern Superchargers.
Needing to score 89 from 75 balls after the Superchargers' push for a competitive target was curtailed by rain over Southampton, Dunkley and Maia Bouchier got their side over the line with 13 deliveries to spare.
Dunkley smashed five fours and two sixes with Bouchier hitting an unbeaten 33 as the Brave got off to a horrendous start with openers Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt falling for one and two respectively as the hosts slumped to 5 for 2.
West Indies star Stafanie Taylor then fell for a duck when she was bowled by Kalea Moore to leave the home side reeling at 26 for 3. But Dunkley and Bouchier steadied the ship in impressive fashion to ease their side to a fifth win of the season with a 63-run stand.
After losing the toss and being put in to bat, the Superchargers started well with skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill and Jemimah Rodrigues putting on 33 for the first wicket.
But Winfield-Hill fell for a run-a-ball 14 when she was caught behind by Carla Rudd off Tara Norris with Rodrigues, the competition's top run scorer, perishing for 18 shortly after when Bouchier took a sharp catch off Lauren Bell.
Laura Wolvaardt was unbeaten on 21 and Alice Davidson-Richards 17 when heavy rain brought proceedings to a halt for an hour and the Brave easily chased down their adjusted target to extend their lead at the top of the table.