Top 3 reasons why Manchester Originals Women lost to Southern Brave Women in The Hunderd women's 2025 match 2

The Southern Brave Women defeated the Manchester Originals Women in Match 2 of The Hundred Women’s 2025 at Old Trafford. Restricting the Originals to just 93/8 in their 100 balls, the Brave went after the target easily and sealed the game with six wickets remaining. The match was characterized by disciplined bowling and a calm run-chase that left Manchester searching for answers. Here are the key reasons why Manchester Originals lost the game:

1. Poor Batting and No Partnerships

After losing early wickets, Manchester Originals were in deep trouble and could not hold up the momentum with key batters failing to make the most of the starts they got. Seren Smale tried hard and was the sole player who showed resistance. She top-scored with 40 off 34 balls but did not have support from the rest of the lineup. A series of quick dismissals meant the team could only post a below-par 95/8 in their 20 overs, thus going into the game at a big disadvantage.

2. Clinical and Varied Bowling by Southern Brave

From the start, Southern Brave’s bowlers kept up with relentless pressure; Lauren Bell took the lead by achieving the best figures of 3/28 in 4 overs. The bowling unit represented a mixture of pace and accuracy; Mady Villiers (2/19) and Tilly Corteen-Coleman (1/12) were two of the players who scored the most in taking wickets. Their continuous ability in taking wickets at the most advantageous moments kept Originals from finding a partnership.

See Also: PCB set to fund Pakistan Hockey Team’s FIH Pro League campaign amid financial crunch

3. Steady Top-Order Execution Seals the Chase

The openers of Southern Brave threw a clever innings as they were pursued by a meager total, with Laura Wolvaardt anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 42 of 37. Danni Wyatt-Hodge (32 off 27) was the main support to Wolvaardt through their well-regulated attack plan, which never made Manchester’s bowlers have the appearance of being capable of defending the low total. The Brave’s batters were able to stage some crucial partnerships and therefore safely wrap up the run chase with nearly 3 overs to spare.