Southern Brave Hold Their Nerve as Rodrigues Guides Chase Against SunRisers Leeds
Southern Brave maintained their perfect start to The Hundred Women's Competition 2026 by defeating SunRisers Leeds by five wickets at Headingley. Chasing 117, Brave recovered from an early wobble before Jemimah Rodrigues' unbeaten 42 steered them home with four balls remaining.
The victory gave Brave a second consecutive win in this year's tournament after they successfully chased down SunRisers' 116 all out. England fast bowler Issy Wong set up the result with an outstanding spell of 3 for 15 before Rodrigues anchored the chase with a composed innings under pressure.
Issy Wong's spell keeps SunRisers within reach
SunRisers Leeds made a positive start thanks to captain Bryony Smith, whose fluent 48 from 34 deliveries gave the innings momentum. Smith struck six fours and a six, looking comfortable against both pace and spin as she laid the foundation for a competitive total.
Annabel Sutherland contributed 22 from 19 balls in an important partnership before England quick Issy Wong turned the contest in Brave's favour. Wong dismissed Smith after the opener had threatened to accelerate and finished with impressive figures of 3 for 15, ensuring SunRisers never escaped.
India all-rounder Deepti Sharma then provided late impetus with a brisk 23 from just 14 deliveries, helping lift SunRisers to 116. Her cameo briefly shifted the momentum, but the total still appeared slightly below par on a surface where timing was not always straightforward.
"Our bowlers were outstanding under pressure. It wasn't my most pleasing innings but the team won, and that's all that matters."
— Jemimah Rodrigues
Rodrigues steadies Brave after early collapse
Southern Brave's reply could hardly have started worse.
Cassidy McCarthy removed both Lizelle Lee and Maia Bouchier, while Dani Gibson claimed the prized wicket of Laura Wolvaardt to leave Brave struggling at 36 for 3. The early breakthroughs handed SunRisers genuine belief that a modest total might be enough.
Rodrigues responded exactly as Brave needed. Rather than forcing the scoring, she assessed the conditions carefully, recognising that several deliveries were holding in the surface. Australia's Sophie Molineux proved the ideal partner, contributing 21 from 17 balls as the pair rebuilt with a crucial fourth-wicket stand worth 35.
SunRisers threatened again when Jess Jonassen dismissed Molineux following an excellent low catch by Deepti Sharma, while Sutherland's well-disguised slower ball accounted for Jodi Grewcock.
Still, Rodrigues remained composed. Her unbeaten 42 from 34 deliveries ensured Brave never lost control of the chase during the closing stages, before Naomi Dattani struck the winning runs with four balls left in the innings.
Named the Meerkat Match Hero, Rodrigues admitted it had not been one of her most fluent knocks but stressed the importance of adapting to conditions.
She said: "It was a good pitch, but some balls held up. I felt I wasn't timing it well but I just needed to be there and build partnerships.
"One of the best things about this team is that it's calm. I'm confident we'll keep it the same."
Brave's overseas stars continue to deliver
Southern Brave have assembled one of the competition's strongest international cores, and once again those experienced players proved decisive.
Wong's disciplined pace bowling prevented SunRisers from pushing beyond 120, while Rodrigues demonstrated why anchoring an innings can be just as valuable as explosive hitting in The Hundred format. Molineux's measured contribution also prevented the chase from unravelling after the early wickets.
For SunRisers, Smith's aggressive start and Deepti Sharma's late flourish were encouraging, but neither received enough support from the middle order to post a more challenging target.
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What the result means for The Hundred
Southern Brave's second successive victory strengthens their early position near the top of The Hundred Women's Competition standings and continues the momentum they built in their opening fixture.
For SunRisers Leeds, the defeat highlights the need for greater batting support around Bryony Smith and Deepti Sharma. While their bowling created opportunities by reducing Brave to 36 for 3, the total of 116 ultimately left little margin for error.
Brave, meanwhile, have already shown they can win matches in different ways—through disciplined bowling and calm batting under pressure. If Wong continues to strike with the new ball and Rodrigues maintains her composure in run chases, Southern Brave look well equipped to remain among the leading contenders as the tournament progresses.