Southern Brave Secure Women's, Men's Nine-Wicket Wins Over Birmingham Phoenix

Southern Brave secured victories in both the men's and women's matches against Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred at the Utilita Bowl, marking their second win of the season for each team. In the men's game, Jofra Archer and Michael Bracewell starred with the ball, restricting Phoenix to 106-7 before James Vince surpassed 1,000 career runs in the competition, leading Brave to a nine-wicket win with 19 balls remaining. The women's match saw Danni Wyatt-Hodge anchor Brave's innings with 59, supported by Laura Wolvaardt and Sophie Devine, to post 139, before Lauren Bell's 3-17 helped bowl out Phoenix 15 runs short in front of a record crowd. Sophie Devine's all-round performance (27 runs, 2 wickets, a run out) earned her the Meerkat Match Hero award. Both matches highlighted strong bowling and composed batting from the Brave, while Phoenix struggled to sustain partnerships in their chases. The results keep Southern Brave unbeaten and underline their early dominance in the 2024 edition of The Hundred.