Birmingham Phoenix Women vs Southern Brave Women Match 13 Full Commentary
Result · Jul 30 2026, Thu - 07:30 PM (IST)
Match 13, - Utilita Bowl
BPH-W 116/5 (20.0)
SOB-W 140/3 (20.0)
Southern Brave Women beat Birmingham Phoenix Women by 24 runs
CRR:5.80
Player Of The Match
Welcome back, folks. The Birmingham Phoenix Women need 141 to get their first win of the season and end the Southern Brave Women's winning streak. Out walk the hosts, led by Molineux, and spread out to the field to take their respective spots. Tammy Beaumont and Davina Perrin are the two openers for the Phoenix. And as usual, it will be Lauren Bell to kick things off with the first set. Perrin is on strike and there's a slip in place. Off we go again...
... THE RUN CHASE ...
Par or below par? Looking at how the surface slowed down as the innings progressed, 140 is not a bad total on the board. The Phoenix deployed six bowlers, but that penetration was missing. Coming to bowl, the Brave will look to break through early on and put pressure on the Phoenix, who were skittled for double figures in their previous completed game, and expose those vulnerabilities once again. But with the experience of Beaumont and Perry, the visitors will fancy that they can get the job done. Stay tuned for the run chase.
A flourishing finish - The Brave were watchful early against the new ball before Lee broke free first, putting the bowlers under pressure and looking unstoppable once she got going. Bouchier played the steadier role alongside her, and the pair put on 68 for the opening stand. The Phoenix found a few quiet sets in the middle overs but couldn't land the breakthroughs they needed. The innings did lose some steam through Wolvaardt and Rodrigues, neither able to properly cut loose, before Rodrigues provided the late flourish to lift things again.
Tug of war - It was turning out to be a very decent finish for the Phoenix with the ball, but that last set leaking 14 runs hands the momentum straight back to the Brave. But still, the hosts might feel that they could have gone past the 150 mark. The Phoenix did bowl well in the second half, no doubt, but the lack of wickets proved to be costly in the end for them.
FOUR! Third boundary of the over and Brave finish with a flourish. Speared in full by Capsey, on middle. Rodrigues advances down the track and lofts it back over the bowler's head with a straight bat. Neither of the two fielders patrolling the straight boundary stand a chance. 14 runs off the final set. Southern Brave Women finish on 140/3.
This is pushed through, on a nagging length, on middle and leg. Molineux chops it wide of cover for a run.
Offers flight, fuller and on middle. Jemi slogs it to deep mid-wicket for only a single.
FOUR! In the gap. Alice drags the length back, on off. Rodrigues hops back and gets across her stumps. Pulls it wide of deep mid-wicket, where Linsey Smith dives to her left but in vain.
DROPPED, FOUR! Eva Gray shells it and to make matters worse, it has gone away for a boundary. Capsey lands it full, around off. Rodrigues steps out and launches it back over the bowler's head. Gray moves to her right from long off and gets there but the ball bursts through her hands and goes behind for a four.
Time for the final set. And that will be bowled by Alice Capsey.
Shorter and across off. Molineux steers it wide of short third and gets to the other end.
Tossed up, on off. Rodrigues manages to get under the ball as she looks to go down the ground. Spoons it down to long off, where Alice Capsey opts to hang back and save the boundary rather than going for the catch. The batters cross for a single.
On middle and leg, that is swatted away through fine leg for a single.
Continues to bowl it with a flat trajectory, on the shorter side, on off. Rodrigues hangs back and forces it down to long on for a single.
Flat and short, around leg. Molineux makes room to open up the off side. Punches it wide of cover for a run.
Last two sets left. Can the Brave reach 140? They have slowed down considerably in this death phase. Linsey Smith will bowl out. 0/18 in 15 balls.
Flighted delivery, outside off. Rodrigues moves across to the off side and collapses her back knee. Thumps it back over the bowler's head. Alana King gets around from long on and tidies up. Two taken. 6 runs off the set.
Slows it down a bit and pulls the length back, on off. Molineux swings at it. It goes on the bounce to long on for just a single. 25 balls since the last boundary.
Very full, on the leg stump. Sophie Molineux can't get under it and drives it straight to cover.
Full and fast, on middle. Rodrigues makes room and drives it past the diving Ellyse Perry at mid off but it is backed up the deep extra cover fielder. Just a single.
Full and sliding across off. Jemi drops to a knee and clubs it wide of deep mid-wicket for a brace.
The Phoenix have made a solid comeback in the last few sets. Just 13 runs in the last 15 balls for the Brave. Alice Capsey is back on for her third set.
Looped up, on middle, lofted down to long on for a single.
Around off, on a nagging length. Sophie Molineux taps it to cover.
Nearly another! Spinning back, full and on off. Sophie Molineux goes hard on the slog sweep. Ekes out an inside edge and it sneaks past the stumps before going wide of short fine leg for a couple of runs.
Slick glovework by Spence behind the wickets. Sophie Molineux is in at number 5.
OUT! STUMPED! There might have been an outside edge as well, but it does not change the fact that Laura Wolvaardt is gone. Wolvaardt never really got going, and this could well be a blessing in disguise for Southern Brave. Nicely tossed up by King, on a length, wider on off. Laura shimmies down the track to go inside out but she does not manage to get to the pitch of the ball. The ball rips past the outside edge and Jemima Spence does well to gather the ball to her right and is quick to break the stumps. Wolvaardt turns around and tries to plonk her bat in but her effort goes in vain.
Turning away, on a good length, on off. Wolvaardt skips down the track and opens up the front hip. Goes inside out to the right of deep cover for a brace.
Alana King will bowl out. 0/18 in 15 balls so far.
Over to the men's contest - Southern Brave Women sit pretty at the top of the table with four wins from four. In contrast, the men's side are languishing at the bottom of the standings with three defeats from three. The Brave faithful will hope the men can feed off the women's success and kick-start their own campaign. Birmingham Phoenix have won the toss and opted to bowl first in the men's contest. Switch tabs and join us there. Cheers!
Let's hear from the winning captain - Sophie Molineux says that it's all about keeping up with the momentum, and when you have the habit of winning early in the tournament, it helps a lot. Also mentions that they have got good depth in both departments. Says she tries to stay as calm as possible as a captain, and with the kind of bowling lineup they have got, she says it makes her job as a captain a lot easier. About the total, she reckons it looked like 160-170 was very much achievable, but shares that once the ball got older, it was not easy to put the balls away. On team depth, she notes that if one player misses out, there's always someone ready to step up, and adds that they try to make the most of every opportunity that comes their way.
Lee and Bouchier laid the platform - After Southern Brave were asked to bat first, Lizelle Lee set the tone before her opening partner, Maia Bouchier, picked up the slack. As has been the trend this season, scoring became difficult in the second half of the innings, and it was no different for Brave. Their innings stagnated as Birmingham Phoenix tightened the screws and dried up the boundaries. However, Jemimah Rodrigues provided a late flourish that lifted Brave to 140.
Brave pull off another defence - Given how batting has tended to become more difficult in the second half of the innings this season, the Powerplay is usually the best time to score. However, Birmingham Phoenix could not quite make the most of it, managing just 27 in the Powerplay. They were unable to make up ground through the middle phase either. Davina Perrin was dropped three times on her way to a half-century but fell at an inopportune moment. That left Ellyse Perry and the rest with too much to do on a surface that became harder to score on as the ball softened and Brave closed out the game comfortably.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Lizelle Lee takes home the award for her vital knock of 43 runs from 28 balls. On being asked if Mel Jones's prediction of a big day with the bat played a part in her award, Lee laughs it off and says she's just glad Jones has called every game right so far, adding she'll need to have a word with her. About the conditions, Lee details that they were much better to play against the new ball and also points out that once the ball got softer, it wasn't coming that easily on the bat. When asked about four wins on the trot, she feels the bowlers aren't getting the credit they deserve, having pulled the side out of trouble yet again today, and puts it down to sticking to the basics. On the key to their success this season, she points to everyone gelling well together, adding that Sophie Molineux's calm presence as captain is rubbing off on the whole group.
Four in four for Southern Brave - Three of those four wins have come while defending a total, and Brave continue to look like the team to beat. It also extends their winning streak in the league stage to 12 matches, with the run dating back to last season. Birmingham Phoenix Women never really threatened to pull off the chase and remain winless after four games. They were never able to get ahead of the curve, while Brave's quality with the ball shone through once again.
Southern Brave Women win by 24 runs! Bell outfoxes Sana with her bag of tricks and execution. And they maintain their winning streak at home and also their unbeaten run in this season, winning four out of four now. Slower ball from Bell, on a good length, around the leg stump line. Fatima Sana charges towards the bowler and has a mighty swipe across the line to access the leg side, but misses out on connecting. Second defeat for the Phoenix, and they are still in search of their first win.
FOUR! Too little too late! At just 49 mph, this is full and wide on off. Fatima Sana comes down the track to reach the pitch of the ball. She reaches out for it and smashes it through the cover and point gap for a boundary.
At 53 mph, on a length, around off and middle. Perry camps back and drags it to long on for just one.
Spears in a slower yorker, on middle. Fatima Sana forces it down to long on for a single.
A slower one from Bell, full on the stumps. Sana has a big swipe across the line, and inside edges on the pads.
Fatima Sana arrives to the middle. Lauren Bell will bowl the final set.
OUT! CAUGHT! It's falling apart for the Phoenix now. In front of the middle and leg stumps, on a fullish length. Jemima Spence has very little space to work with but she still goes for the reverse sweep and top edges it. The ball lobs up and is taken alertly by the short third fielder. Sarah Glenn slides a bit to her left and takes a fine catch.
The new batter is Jemima Spence.
OUT! BRILLIANT CATCH! Bouchier once again. And the Brave are almost there. A short ball by Sophie, sliding on with the arm on the leg stump. Annerie Dercksen is rushed on the back foot and tries to take on the long on fielder, but mistimes her shot badly off the top edge. It is sliced in the air towards long on. Maia Bouchier sprints forward from long on and dives to scoop the ball nicely.
Fires this one, full on off, Annerie Dercksen carves it back to the bowler.
Slower through the air, at just 45 mph, sliding on leg. Annerie is down on her knee and tries to sweep but is early on her shot and is struck on the pads.
Singles won't bother the hosts one bit. Quicker and fuller on middle. Ellyse powers it down to long on for a single.
Good comeback by Tilly Corteen-Coleman. Sophie Molineux to bowl out now.
Excellent recovery by Tilly after being hit for a boundary on the first ball. Short on leg, drifting in. Perry rocks back and pulls it to deep square leg for a single. Just 7 runs from this set. 32 needed off 10.
Full and outside off, 50 mph, Annerie Dercksen tries to drag it over mid-wicket but gets it off the inside half and the ball rolls wide of mid-wicket for a single.
Shorter in length, on middle. Perry swivels and pulls it wide of the long on fielder for a single. 34 needed from 12 balls.
A quicker one, on a length, Perry adjusts and cuts it to backward point.
FOUR! Much-needed one for the visitors! A loopy half-volley, around off. Perry comes out of the crease and lofts it inside out over extra cover for a boundary.
Another set without a boundary. Tilly Corteen-Coleman returns to bowl her final set.
Slower one, full on middle. Dercksen clears her front leg and drills it down to long on for a single only. Just 5 singles off the set.
Bowls a short ball, on middle, does Wong. Perry pulls it over mid-wicket for a single. 40 runs needed off 16 balls.
Nearly dragged on! Shapes in a touch, on a good length, on the leg stump. Annerie Dercksen swings with all her might to lift it over the bowler, but gets a massive inside edge to short fine leg for a run. 100 UP FOR PHOENIX WOMEN!
Short and on off. Perry hangs back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for just a single.
With the keeper up to the stumps, Wong bowls an off cutter, on a length. Annerie Dercksen swings across to pull but gets an inside edge past the leg stump. The ball trickles into the short fine leg region and they sprint through for a single.