The Hundred: Amanda-Jade Wellington stars as Southern Brave beat London Spirit to move top
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Your support makes all the difference.Southern Brave’s Amanda-Jade Wellington produced the best bowling figures by a spinner in the women’s Hundred as her side steamrollered London Spirit to go top of the table.
The Australian leg-spinner took four for 14 from 20 balls to set up her side’s fourth straight victory, skittling Spirit for just 93 at Lord’s.
That total, the joint lowest in the tournament so far, would have been even more modest had Brave not conceded an astonishing 25 wides, with Tammy Beaumont - who hit 34 from 45 balls - the only London batter to reach double figures.
Stafanie Taylor then struck an undefeated 29 from 32 as Brave chased down the target with eight deliveries to spare.
Spirit immediately found themselves on the back foot after being put in, with opener Naomi Dattani dispatched cheaply by Wellington’s clinical pick-up and direct hit from mid-on.
Deandra Dottin’s destructive potential was blunted by the Brave seamers, who tied her up in knots with swing and variation of pace, and she used up 13 deliveries to score just two before falling to West Indies team-mate Taylor.
The home side sank deeper into trouble at 43 for four when Wellington struck twice in as many balls, having Heather Knight caught at mid-off before Deepti Sharma lost her balance stretching to reach a wide and was stumped by Carla Rudd without facing a legitimate delivery.
Although Chloe Tryon and Beaumont staged a mini-recovery with their stand of 29 from 24, Brave continued to take wickets regularly as Wellington returned to dismiss Beaumont - caught off a leading edge - and Amara Carr.
Rudd completed two further stumpings, while Fi Morris finished with two for 17 as Spirit were bowled out with four balls unused.
Sharma struck an early blow in the Brave reply with a ball that skidded through to clip Smriti Mandhana’s pad, successfully overturning the umpire’s original not-out decision.
The Spirit all-rounder conceded a miserly 10 from her 20 balls and also accounted for Sophia Dunkley, caught reverse-sweeping for 22 off 19.
Charlie Dean also bowled tightly, returning one for 16, and deceived Danni Wyatt with a flighted delivery that enabled Carr to remove the bails.
However, the home side had too few runs to play with and Taylor and Maia Bouchier saw Brave over the line with ease, putting together an unbroken partnership of 38 from 30.
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