Two England youngsters, Sophia Dunkley and Lauren Bell, starred as Southern Brave beat Northern Superchargers in a battle of the top two in the women’s Hundred.
Dunkley, 23, smashed 50 not out off 28 balls, while 20-year-old Bell took 2-19, including the crucial wicket of the tournament’s leading run-scorer Jemimah Rodrigues.
Brave were struggling at 5-2, and 26-3, in their chase of a revised 89 off 75 balls – after rain had prematurely ended Superchargers’ innings after 73 balls – but Dunkley demonstrated her power, class and perhaps most pertinently her temperament to produce a stunning match-winning knock.
She shared an unbroken 63 with Maia Bouchier, who made an unbeaten 19-ball 33, as the pair saw Brave home with 13 balls to spare.
Earlier, during a stop-start innings twice interrupted by rain, Superchargers made 76-3, with South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt top scoring with 21.
Brave move to 10 points at the top of the table – and are all but mathematically assured of a place in the knockout stages – while Superchargers remain second on seven points.