A last-ball thriller in Cardiff saw Welsh Fire snap Southern Brave's five-match winning streak with a dramatic four-wicket victory in the Women’s Hundred on Monday. Heather Graham emerged as the hero, maintaining her composure to tap the winning run past short cover off the final delivery of the match.

Graham and Thompson Rescue the Chase

Chasing 122, Welsh Fire struggled early as Tilly Corteen-Coleman tore through the top order, removing Georgia Voll and Ella McCaughan in quick succession. The team slipped to 44/3 after Freya Kemp holed out to Lauren Bell, leaving Fire in a precarious position.

However, Heather Graham refused to surrender. After a prolonged boundary-less period, she broke the deadlock with a wild slog off Corteen-Coleman. The tension peaked when 19-year-old debutant Grace Thompson ignited the home crowd with a massive six and a boundary in consecutive balls. Although Thompson eventually fell to a knuckle ball from Issy Wong, her quick-fire 16 runs kept the chase alive.

The game reached a fever pitch in the final over bowled by Lauren Bell. A crucial error by veteran wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee, who fumbled a run-out chance on the penultimate ball, provided the opening Graham needed to secure the victory on the very last delivery.

Brave's Struggle for Momentum

Earlier in the match, Southern Brave's innings was anchored by Laura Wolvaardt (48) and Jemimah Rodrigues (25). After early losses—including a second consecutive duck for Lizelle Lee—the pair put together a steady 49-run stand. Despite their efforts, Brave failed to hit a single six in their innings, eventually finishing on 121/5.

Welsh Fire's fielding was a standout performance, led by captain Georgia Wareham, who claimed three catches and a direct-hit run-out to dismiss skipper Sophie Molineux.

The result sees Welsh Fire climb to fourth on the points table, while Southern Brave miss a chance to officially qualify for the semi-finals despite remaining high in the standings with 20 points.

Brief Scores:
Southern Brave Women 121/5 (Laura Wolvaardt 48, Jemimah Rodrigues 25; Grace Potts 2-14, Heather Graham 2-23)
Welsh Fire Women 122/6 (Heather Graham 35*, Grace Thompson 16; Tilly Corteen-Coleman 3-27, Issy Wong 2-17)