Welsh Fire knocked out after close loss to table-topping Brave

Welsh Fire became the first team to be eliminated from the Women's Hundred 2025 after suffering a close loss - their fifth of the season - to the Southern Brave at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. The hosts posted 111 for 6 after being put into bat, a score that Brave chased down with a ball to spare to clinch their sixth win and maintain a perfect record.

Brave should have coasted through to victory following a 48-run opening partnership between Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge. The visitors even got to 98 for 3 needing only 14 to win off 18 balls but Jess Jonassen engineered a spirited turnaround for Welsh Fire as Brave lost four wickets for nine runs in the space of six balls.

The equation reduced to the Brave needing to get two from the game's final two balls. Georgia Adams then swung Freya Davies but Katie George could not hold on to a tough catch and the batters then scampered across for a two to complete a thrilling win.

Ultimately, Fire were left to rue another insipid batting performance despite a fast start from Sophia Dunkley's 25-ball 31 after Hayley Matthews fell for a first ball duck. Tammy Beaumont fell for 7 and although Georgia Elwiss held one end up with an unbeaten 35, she struggled for support from the other end as Fire just about passed 100. Lauren Bell and Sophie Devine picked up two wickets each to set up what should have been a straightforward chase for the table-toppers.

Brief scores: Welsh Fire Women 111/6 in 100 balls (Georgia Elwiss 35*; Lauren Bell 2-20) beat Southern Brave 112/7 in 99 balls (Maia Bouchier 35, Sophie Devine; Jess Jonnasen 4-10) by three wickets