Southern Brave Women host Welsh Fire Women in Match 2 of the Women’s Hundred 2026, with the hosts entering as one of the competition’s most consistent sides and Welsh Fire looking to turn around a difficult recent record against this exact opposition.
Southern Brave went unbeaten through last season’s group stage before reaching the final, while Welsh Fire finished bottom of the table with only one win from eight matches. New captains lead both sides into this opener:
Australia’s Sophie Molineux takes charge of Southern Brave, and veteran all-rounder Sophie Devine leads Welsh Fire after her international retirement.
This preview covers both squads, conditions at the Utilita Bowl, and our prediction for Match 2.
Southern Brave Women vs Welsh Fire Women – Details
This match follows the tournament’s opening double-header at The Oval and is the first of two group-stage meetings between these sides this season.
| Match | 2nd Match, Southern Brave Women vs Welsh Fire Women |
| Tournament | The Hundred Women’s Competition 2026 (6th edition) |
| Date | Wednesday, 22 July 2026 |
| Venue | Utilita Bowl (The Rose Bowl), Southampton |
| Time (India) | 7:30 PM IST (3:00 PM local) |
Winning Odds for SB W vs WF W
| Platform | SB W Win Odds | WF W Win Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1xBet | 1.68 | 1.94 |
| 4rabet | 1.74 | 2.05 |
| BetVibe | 1.64 | 1.90 |
| Stake | 1.75 | 2.06 |
Southern Brave Women & Welsh Fire Women Squads for The Hundred 2026
Southern Brave go into the new season with a settled top order featuring South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, explosive opener Lizelle Lee and India’s Jemimah Rodrigues in the middle, backed by an attack led by England seamer Lauren Bell and 18-year-old spin talent Tilly Corteen-Coleman, who earned over £100,000 at the auction.
Welsh Fire have rebuilt around new captain Sophie Devine, the joint-most expensive signing in the inaugural women’s Hundred auction at £210,000, alongside young all-rounders Freya Kemp and Georgia Wareham. The Cardiff franchise are looking to bounce back after finishing bottom of the table last season.
Southern Brave Women
Sophie Molineux (c), Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Maia Bouchier, Jemimah Rodrigues, Lauren Bell, Issy Wong, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Jodi Grewcock, Rebecca Odgers (wk), Phoebe Franklin, Daisy Gibb, Ellie Anderson, Sarah Glenn, Naomi Dattani, Katherine Fraser.
Welsh Fire Women
Sophie Devine (c), Sarah Bryce (wk), Rhianna Southby (wk), Ella McCaughan, Georgia Voll, Abi Norgrove, Freya Kemp, Heather Graham, Niamh Holland, Sophia Smale, Sune Luus, Georgia Wareham, Em Arlott, Georgia Davis, Fi Morris, Grace Potts, Grace Thompson.
Southern Brave Women vs Welsh Fire Women – Pitch & Weather Report
The Utilita Bowl has generally favoured the side batting first across formats, setting up a contest where both top orders will look to post first and defend.
Pitch Report
| Pitch Behaviour | The Rose Bowl has traditionally rewarded batting first, with the surface offering good bounce and carry early before slowing down as the innings wears on. |
| Batting Conditions | First-innings scores in the 160-170 range have historically been competitive here, with anything past 190 considered very difficult to chase down. |
| Bowling Assistance | Seamers get early bounce and movement off a fresh surface, while spin becomes the more effective option once the pitch loses pace later in the innings. |
| Toss & Dew Factor | With this an afternoon start, dew is unlikely to be a major factor — recent trends at the ground still favour the side winning the toss opting to bat first. |
Weather Report
Here’s a look at the weather conditions expected for the match.
| Temperature | Around 26°C at the start of play, pleasant conditions typical of a settled English summer afternoon. |
| Weather | Sunny, clear skies are expected, continuing the dry spell Southampton has seen through the week. |
| Precipitation | Only a 10% chance of rain, so the match looks likely to run uninterrupted. |
| Humidity & Wind | Moderate humidity with a light breeze off the coast — conditions unlikely to trouble batters or bowlers significantly. |
Southern Brave Women vs Welsh Fire Women – Head-to-Head in Hundred History
Southern Brave Women have enjoyed the upper hand in this fixture, winning six of their eight meetings against Welsh Fire Women since The Hundred began in 2021. Their consistent performances have made them one of the strongest teams in the competition, while Welsh Fire have found victories in this rivalry hard to come by.
| Matches | Southern Brave Women Won | Welsh Fire Women Won | No Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
The most recent meeting came in August 2025, when Southern Brave secured a 29-run victory to complete an unbeaten group-stage campaign. Welsh Fire Women will be aiming to improve their head-to-head record as the two teams meet again in the 2026 season.
Players to Watch for Southern Brave Women vs Welsh Fire Women
| Sophie Molineux (SB) | Leads Southern Brave in her first season as captain after guiding Australia to the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup title. |
| Laura Wolvaardt (SB) | The South African captain anchors the Brave top order with her calm, elegant stroke play through the powerplay. |
| Lauren Bell (SB) | Took a remarkable 4-6 in last season’s meeting between these sides and finished with the most wickets of any bowler in the 2025 Women’s Hundred. |
| Sophie Devine (WF) | Leads Welsh Fire in her first season with the franchise, arriving as the joint-most expensive buy in the inaugural women’s auction. |
| Freya Kemp (WF) | The young England all-rounder offers left-arm seam and lower-order hitting, and was among the few Welsh Fire batters to reach double figures in last season’s meeting. |
| Georgia Wareham (WF) | The Australian leg-spinning all-rounder gives Welsh Fire a genuine wicket-taking option through the middle overs. |
Winner Prediction
Southern Brave carry both the recent head-to-head dominance and the more settled, in-form squad into this opener, with Wolvaardt, Lee and Rodrigues giving them depth across the batting order and Bell spearheading an attack that has troubled Welsh Fire consistently.
Welsh Fire’s rebuild under Sophie Devine gives them a stronger look than the side that finished bottom last season, but on current form and head-to-head history, Southern Brave start clear favourites to open their campaign with a win.
