Welsh Fire Women vs Southern Brave Women – Match Preview | The Hundred Women's 2025

Date: August 20, 2025
Time: 11:30 AM GMT
Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Great Britain

🏏 Match Insight

The Welsh Fire Women and Southern Brave Women clash at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter in The Hundred Women's 2025. The Brave, currently in scintillating form, have won all five of their matches, while the Fire find themselves at the bottom of the table after five consecutive losses. This match could prove pivotal in determining the tournament's eventual finalists.

💥 Team Form

Welsh Fire Women

• Form: Struggled significantly, with no wins in five matches.
• Batting: Inconsistent, scoring at a sluggish pace.
• Bowling: Relatively effective, with Hayley Matthews and Freya Davies taking crucial wickets.
• Key Issue: Lack of a consistent run-scorer beyond Sophia Dunkley.

Southern Brave Women

• Form: Unbeaten in five matches, the most consistent side in the competition.
• Batting: Explosive and balanced, led by Sophie Devine and Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
• Bowling: Dominant with Lauren Bell and Tilly Corteen-Coleman delivering match-winning spells.
• Momentum: A strong contender for the finals, with every player contributing.

⚔️ Head-to-Head (Last 6 Matches)

• Welsh Fire Women: 3 wins
• Southern Brave Women: 3 wins
• Trend: Slightly in favor of the Fire, but the Brave have been in better form recently.

👀 Key Players to Watch

Welsh Fire Women

• Sophia Dunkley – The Fire's only consistent run-scorer (31.53 average).
• Hayley Matthews – Dual threat with bat and ball (7 wickets at 10.14).
• Freya Davies – Wicket-taking machine with a tight economy.
• Tammy Beaumont – Captain with a proven strike rate of 125.27.

Southern Brave Women

• Sophie Devine – All-rounder with 102 runs and 9 wickets in the tournament.
• Lauren Bell – Leading wicket-taker (12 wickets at 8.08).
• Danni Wyatt-Hodge – Explosive batter with an average of 26.2 and a strike rate of 133.87.
• Tilly Corteen-Coleman – Teenage spinner with 9 wickets at 9.22.
• Laura Wolvaardt – Steady top-order batter with 969 runs at 31.25.

🏟️ Venue Insights – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

• Average 1st Innings Score: 98.5 (2025)
• Batting First Win %: 63.6%
• Spin vs Fast Bowlers: Slightly in favor of fast bowlers (economy: 7.41 vs 7.30)
• Strategic Takeaway: A target in the low 100s could be defendable, but the Brave may look to post a competitive total.

📊 Predicted Playing XIs

Welsh Fire Women

1. Tammy Beaumont (c)
2. Georgia Elwiss
3. Sophia Dunkley
4. Hayley Matthews
5. Jess Jonassen
6. Sarah Bryce (wk)
7. Emily Windsor
8. Freya Davies
9. Katie George
10. Shabnim Ismail
11. Katie Levick

Southern Brave Women

1. Maia Bouchier
2. Danni Wyatt-Hodge
3. Laura Wolvaardt
4. Sophie Devine
5. Freya Kemp
6. Chloe Tryon
7. Georgia Adams
8. Mady Villiers
9. Rhianna Southby (wk)
10. Lauren Bell
11. Tilly Corteen-Coleman

🎯 Match Predictions & Betting Tips

• Who will win the toss? Southern Brave
• Who will win the match? Southern Brave
• Top Batter (Runs): Sophia Dunkley (Welsh Fire), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Southern Brave)
• Top Bowler (Wickets): Hayley Matthews (Welsh Fire), Lauren Bell (Southern Brave)
• Most Sixes: Sophia Dunkley (Welsh Fire), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Southern Brave)
• Player of the Match: Lauren Bell (Southern Brave)
• Team Scores (Batting First): Welsh Fire 100+, Southern Brave 120+

🏆 Final Verdict

While the Welsh Fire Women have the upper hand in the head-to-head, Southern Brave’s current form and depth across the board make them the stronger side. With Sophie Devine, Lauren Bell, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge in fine form, the Brave are strong favorites to extend their unbeaten run and secure a crucial win.

Prediction: Southern Brave Women to win by 8-10 runs.
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