Southern Brave Women vs Welsh Fire Women Live Score, Match 19 of The Hundred Women, 2026

The tone has been set - The women's game served a humdinger, and let's hope the men's game serves up something similar, if not better. Fire captain Phil Salt has followed the trend that most captains have this season by winning the toss and opting to bowl first. The first ball in that game is set to be bowled at 5.30 pm GMT (11 pm IST). Hop over to that tab and join us there. Cheers!

The victorious captain of Welsh Fire Women - Georgia Wareham, on being asked what was going through her mind in the closing stages, admits she felt a touch gutted not being out in the middle to finish things off herself, though she admits there were plenty of nerves floating around the dugout too. She says it's a relief to have come out on the right side of a close one. Turning to how restricting a side like Southern Brave lifted the mood at the halfway stage, Wareham credits the bowling unit for sticking to their strengths, saying the plan was simply to hit the stumps as often as possible. She singles out Niamh Holland and Grace Holland for keeping their composure under pressure, and also gives credit to Heather Graham for staying till the end. Wareham explains that having someone as experienced as Heather Graham batting alongside the younger players helps steady things, while also crediting the newer batters for trusting their own game and playing their natural way, as they did on the day. She saves special praise for Graham, calling her innings an incredible one that got the side over the line. When she is asked about the bigger picture moving forward in the tournament, Wareham feels the group has actually been playing good cricket lately but has let matches slip in tight 20-ball windows. She believes this win could be massive for momentum and hopes the side can build on it from here.

Earlier in the game - The streak of 17 straight decisions to bowl first came to an end as Sophie Molineux opted to bat. Welsh Fire, searching for a spark to their campaign, were up for the challenge with both ball and in the field. Laura Wolvaardt endured a laboured stay during her knock of 48, but her innings, coupled with a handy late flourish, helped Southern Brave post 121.

Youth and experience combine - Georgia Voll had done the bulk of the scoring for Fire this season, and the challenge of the chase was made even tougher by the absence of Sophie Devine, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with a calf tear. Brave were uncharacteristically wayward with the ball early on but managed to pull things back. Fire, though, stayed in the contest, and it was the partnership between Grace Thompson and Heather Graham that gave the chase the impetus it needed. With the experienced Graham holding one end, it was the two youngsters, first Thompson and then Niamh Holland, who played crucial hands in getting the home side over the line.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Heather Graham has been given the award for her all-round heroics - an unbeaten 35 off 28 balls and figures of 2/23 with the ball. A visibly delighted Heather calls it a pretty good all round performance from her side. She admits the last couple of games had ended on the wrong side of the result, so getting over the line today feels pleasing for the whole group. She adds that the belief was already there in the camp, and winning this kind of contest in front of the home crowd makes it all the more special. On her thoughts about the first innings total, Graham reveals the plan discussed during the Time Out was to keep the opposition below 120. Having been on the losing end of a similar chase in their previous meeting, she says coming out on top this time feels good. When asked about the contributions from Thompson and Holland, Graham is full of praise for Thompson's knock, calling it unbelievable for someone playing her first ever Hundred game and striking the ball the way she did. She also credits Niamh Holland for running well and finding the boundary, saying it made her own job at the other end much easier. She is then quizzed on what it takes to come through tight finishes, to which Graham points to the experience she has built up over the years. She admits nerves are still very much part of the equation despite having played in plenty of close games before, and says it's that experience she leans on when it matters most.

Welsh Fire Women clinch a thriller - A much-needed win for Fire, and what a way to get it. They hand Southern Brave their first defeat of the season and breathe fresh life into their own campaign. Time and again, we have seen Brave's bowlers defend totals without the cushion of big runs on the board, but they could not pull off another successful defence on this occasion. It is Brave's 2nd defeat in their last 15 matches.

Graham hits the winning run and the Welsh Fire dugout erupts with emotion as Sophia Gardens roars along with them. Welsh Fire Women win by 4 wickets. It is the slower ball by Bell, around the off stump, on a fullish length. Heather Graham stays calm and composed and taps it into the extra cover gap with soft hands for a single and to get the job done for her side. An absolute humdinger at Cardiff and the hosts will be mighty relieved to get four points from here.

Down to the final ball. Remember, a tie in the league stage remains a tie, with the points shared. That would be enough for Southern Brave to secure a place in the playoffs, but it would do little to help Welsh Fire's push up the table. Lizelle Lee has asked for the helmet to be brought on as she is going to be standing up to the stumps.

Has Lee fumbled the match? After a couple of stumping chances shelled, she misses out on a run out chance too. She is absolutely fuming at herself. On a good length, and around middle and leg, Graham works it away into the deep mid-wicket region. The fielder patrolling the fence sprints across, scoops it up and fires in a throw to the striker's end as Graham sets off for the tight second without hesitation. Lee, stationed behind the stumps, spills the take on the bounce, and Graham has to go full stretch to make her ground. However, Lee fumbles to gather the ball cleanly in her gloves and breaks the stumps with her gloves. Graham has done just enough to survive. Absolute scenes at Cardiff. SCORES ARE LEVEL!

Run out check! Has Lizelle Lee missed the chance? Going by her reaction, it certainly looks that way. The replays confirm that Lee fumbled the take.

The off cutter, on a length, on middle and leg. Niamh Holland backs away and heaves it to deep mid-wicket for a single. They look to pinch in the second run, but the fielder is quick to pick and throw to the keeper.

FOUR! Exceptional shot from Holland. Bowls it outside off, on a fuller length. Niamh Holland throws her hands at it and slices it powerfully through backward point for a boundary. Just 4 needed now from 3 balls. The hosts are almost home now.

Superb deception! Pace off, dug into the surface, outside off. Niamh Holland is months early and tries to spank that leg cutter over covers, but misses to connect. 8 needed off 4 balls.

Time for the final set. Lauren Bell to bowl. Expect plenty of slower balls from her. As a batter, you almost have to set yourself up for the slower delivery and then adjust if she slips one through at full pace.

Missed out. Looped up, full toss, on middle. Heather Graham makes room to force it through the off side but she loses her shape and shanks it off the inner half to long on. Single taken. Graham throws her head back in disappointment. 8 needed off 5 balls.

Low full toss, on middle. Holland can't cash in and drills it to long on for only a single.

Nails the yorker, on middle. Holland jams it out to the left of the bowler.

FOUR! What a shot! Full and outside off, Niamh Holland picks the length in a trice and sweeps it hard and puts in the gap between deep mid-wicket deep square leg for a cracking boundary.

Full and drifting down leg. Graham sweeps it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Sophie Molineux to bowl the penultimate set.

Precious dot ball! Back of a length, around the pads. Niamh Holland gets inside the line and tickles it to the short fine leg fielder. 15 runs needed off 10 balls.

Wonderful running! Full and aimed at the pads. Niamh Holland dinks it between mid on and and mid-wicket and by the time Maia Bouchier swoops across to cut it off, the batters hustle back for the second.

The new batter is Niamh Holland.

OUT! CAUGHT SPECTACULARLY! Tilly Corteen-Coleman can do nothing wrong in this match. A good-length ball, wide outside off. Thompson throws her hands at it to whack it over cover, but she gets a thick outside edge that flies to the right of Tilly Corteen-Coleman at short third. TCC sees the ball till the last moment and pouches a superb catch with both hands while sliding. Welsh Fire Women are 105/6, needing 17 runs off 12 balls.

Good review! On a length, nipping in and staying low on the bounce. Grace Thompson tries to flick but plays all over the line and is hit on the front pad. Massive shout for LBW, and up goes the finger. Grace Thompson starts to wander off but Heather Graham insists on taking the review. Flat line on the UltraEdge. And whoa, Ball Tracking shows that the ball is projected to miss the leg stump. The on-field decision is overturned.

FOUR! Cold as ice on debut! Slower ball by Wong, around off and full. Grace Thompson spanks it past Bell at mid off and picks up another boundary. 17 needed off 14 balls.

SIX! What a time to play that shot! A leg break, full and outside off. Grace Thompson stays leg side of the ball as she charges down to the pitch of the ball. Gets her bat under the ball and smacks it aerially towards deep extra cover and the ball lands right on the boundary cushions. The 100 is up for Welsh Fire Women.

Sarah follows the batter and pushes it down leg, on a fuller length. Graham shuffles outside leg and shovels it down to long on for a single.

Floated fuller on the pads. Heather Graham tries to paddle it behind but misses and is hit on the front pad.

Short and on off, Heather backs away to thump it downtown but shanks it badly to mid off.