Wong sets it up, Rodrigues finishes it off as Brave go top of The Hundred Women

Leeds: Issy Wong, Jemimah Rodrigues carry Brave to second win as Wong takes three before Rodrigues’ 42* takes Brave past Sunrisers Leeds with four balls to spare. The five-wicket victory at Headingley is Southern Brave’s second of the competition, and it sends them to the summit — but the manner of the win underlined both the quality and the fragility that has defined their campaign so far. Brave won despite dropped catches from Sunrisers that could have changed everything, and won despite a top-order collapse that gave the 2026 competition its most tense chase yet.

Wong Makes the Difference in a Disciplined Bowling Display

Southern Brave won the toss and chose to bowl first under overcast Headingley skies — conditions that suited Issy Wong’s pace and movement from the outset. The powerplay yielded just 22 runs for the loss of one wicket from the first 25 balls — a stranglehold on Sunrisers’ openers that set the template for the innings.

Sunrisers reached 50 in 50 balls, the slow rate a reflection of Brave’s control. Beth Smith was the Sunrisers’ anchor — her 42 at the top of the order giving the innings its backbone before she fell with the score at 72. Annabel Sutherland contributed 21 in a third-wicket stand of 50 with Smith, the pair combining to push Sunrisers towards a competitive total. But every time the Sunrisers threatened to accelerate, Wong or her teammates found a way through. Sunrisers were bowled out for 116 from all 100 balls, their last few wickets tumbling quickly — Hannah Baker on 4 the final batter to fall — leaving Brave needing 117 from 100 balls, a target that should have been comfortable.

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McCarthy’s Swing Sends Brave into a Spin

The chase began in the worst possible fashion. Laura McCarthy, armed with a lively inswinger in the overcast Leeds evening, dismantled the Brave top order in the space of a handful of deliveries. McCarthy’s swing led to early wickets — she castled Lee and Bouchier with lovely inswingers. Wolvaardt was caught at mid-off. At 49 for 3 from 50 balls — confirmed at the strategic timeout — the match was genuinely in the balance. A target of 117 had become something considerably more demanding.

Ball 32 saw a review by Southern Brave, challenged against the decision on Lizelle Lee — the decision was upheld, a moment that could have seen Brave reduced to four down inside the powerplay had the original call stood. It was a lifeline they needed.

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Rodrigues and Molineux Rebuild — Then Rodrigues Finishes It

With the match in the balance, Jemimah Rodrigues and Sophie Molineux came together and rebuilt in exactly the manner their team required. Molineux — the World Cup-winning Australian who has become Brave’s most important match-winner — brought composure. Rodrigues brought intent. The game was still tight late in the piece, but Gibson’s radar was off and two boundaries in the first two balls of her final set took the pressure out of the chase.

With four balls remaining and Brave needing the win, Rodrigues settled the contest in the most emphatic fashion. Rodrigues reverse-swept and found the boundary to finish the game — a fullish ball around off stump, Rodrigues changed her stance and scythed the bat with high hand-speed, going uppishly, landing fine, too, and going to the deep-third fence. It was the kind of shot that requires the highest skill under pressure, and Rodrigues produced it precisely when Brave needed it.

“Happy that the team won. Bowlers were outstanding under pressure. Not my most pleasing innings but the team won, that’s all that matters. It was a good pitch, some balls held in the pitch, I felt I wasn’t timing it well. Just needed to be there and build partnerships. Together, my batting partners helped me. One of the best things about this team is that it’s calm. I’m confident we’ll keep it the same,” Rodrigues said after receiving the Player of the Match award — a summation that speaks to the culture Brave have built and the resilience it produces.

Table-Toppers — But Questions Remain

Southern Brave are the first two teams to play their second game in The Hundred Women’s 2026, and the win makes them the new table-toppers. Two wins from two is the ideal start — but both victories have come in matches that were far tighter than the scorelines suggest. The dropped catches from Sunrisers on Saturday were mentioned by commentators as potentially match-defining had they been taken. Brave will need to be more clinical against the competition’s stronger batting line-ups.

For Sunrisers Leeds, the bowling effort — particularly McCarthy’s early burst — gave them every chance of a result. The batting, however, was never quite enough. Smith’s 42 was the lone substantial contribution in an innings that peaked too late. Their campaign needs a response in the matches ahead.

Result: Southern Brave Women won by 5 wickets (with 4 balls remaining)
Player of the Match: Jemimah Rodrigues (SB-W) — 42* (34)

Scorecard:
Sunrisers Leeds Women 116 all out (100 balls) — Smith 48, Deepti 23; Wong 3/15
Southern Brave Women 117/5 (96 balls) — Rodrigues 42*, Molineux 21; McCarthy 2/14