Welsh Fire prevail in a nervy end to a tight fixture to end Southern Brave’s winning streak, punishing the visitors and their costly mistakes to complete their chase of 122 runs with the final ball of the game.

MATCH REPORT: Fire inflict first defeat on leaders Brave

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The Hundred women’s competition, Sophia Gardens

Southern Brave 121-5 (100 balls): Wolvaardt 48 (45); Potts 2-14

Welsh Fire 122-6 (100 balls): Graham 35* (28); Corteen-Coleman 3-27

Welsh Fire won by four wickets

Scorecard. Table

Welsh Fire condemned Southern Brave to their first defeat of this season’s Hundred as they claimed a dramatic four-wicket victory in Cardiff.

Having won their first five matches of the women’s competition, Brave took their sixth outing down to the final ball while defending 121-5 but Heather Graham struck the winning runs for Fire to finish unbeaten on 35.

Tilly Corteen-Coleman had taken three key top-order wickets to put the home side on the back foot early in their chase at Sophia Gardens.

The 18-year-old Brave left-arm spinner removed Fire openers Georgia Voll and Ella McCaughan in the same set before also dismissing Freya Kemp to record figures of 3-27.

Georgia Wareham, captaining Fire after Sophie Devine was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament through injury, fell for 16 to Lauren Bell’s slower ball, leaving the hosts 70-5 and in trouble.

But Graham, who also shone with the ball with two wickets, was aided by rapid knocks from Grace Thompson and Niamh Holland and held her nerve to take Fire to their second win of the campaign.

Earlier, Brave had become the first team to win the toss and choose to bat in the women’s competition this season, but lost Lizelle Lee and Maia Bouchier very early.

A 49-run third-wicket stand between Jemimah Rodrigues and Laura Wolvaardt helped steady the innings before Rodrigues departed for 25 from 21 balls.

Wolvaardt, however, stayed on before falling to Graham only two runs short of a half-century as Brave posted a total that fell just short.

Should Ireland meet Wilson’s ambitions, it will be in spite of a lack of 50-over cricket. In the three years since the 2023 edition of the World Cup, they have scheduled just 15 ODIs with three of those lost to the weather.

The series against Afghanistan – which Cricket Ireland CEO Sarah Keane has said comes with “moral discomfort” given the treatment of women in the Asian country – will be Ireland’s first in the format since a 1-1 draw with West Indies in May 2025.

“It is a challenge of course, but it is what it is,” said Wilson.

“We know it’s a barrier but there’s not any point in talking about it, we can’t change it. We have played other cricket within that period.

“Would I have wanted more? Of course, I’d have wanted loads, but that’s not to be. We’ve got what we’ve got and we get on with it and attempt to beat Afghanistan in this series.”

Ireland at least come in with recent white-ball form after June’s historic T20 series win over India.

The 2-0 victory at Stormont, Ireland’s first wins over the T20 world champions in any format, made global headlines but Wilson is keen to draw a line under the feat.

“More than anything those results probably made people stand up and think and it’s something we can try and work off the back of as a wider organisation,” he said.

“In terms of the team, we mustn’t get carried away with two results. You wouldn’t change them for the world, they were phenomenal, but they’re in the past now. We must start again against Afghanistan.”

Bowler Jai Moondra, the breakout star of the India series, will make his 50-over debut against Afghanistan, while Paul Stirling, who retains the ODI captaincy despite relinquishing the T20 role, seamer Mark Adair and all-rounder Curtis Campher all return to the panel.

Against a side who have travelled with the likes of Rashid Kahn and Ibrahim Zadran in their touring squad, Ireland will however be without Josh Little, Craig Young, Barry McCarthy, Matt Hollard and Jordan Neil through injury.