The Hundred women’s competition, Utilita Bowl

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

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

Southern Brave won by eight runs

Scorecard. Table

Southern Brave produced a remarkable fightback to begin their Hundred campaign with a hard-fought eight-run win 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 nick and unbeaten on a half-century.

But 18-year-old left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman sent back the Australian batter for 52 to spark 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 following set while captain Sophie Molineux finished with 3-14, including the wicket of her opposite number Sophie Devine, to guide them to victory.

A Brave win had seemed unlikely for much of the evening after a sloppy fielding display in which they dropped a string of catches, including that of Voll in Bell’s opening set.

Earlier, Brave, who reached four of the five finals and won the competition in 2023, had struggled to build on the platform laid by opener Lizelle Lee, who struck 30 from 26 deliveries, after being sent in to bat first.

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

Fire will hope to bounce back quickly, having made significant investments, including a joint-high fee of £210,000 for Devine in the auction, after finishing bottom of the table with just one victory last season.