The Hundred: Southern Brave Lose Their First, and the Women's Race Tightens

Southern Brave's women had won all five. On 3 August in Cardiff, that ended.

Welsh Fire get the win nobody else managed

Brave were held to 121 for five and Welsh Fire chased it with four wickets to spare, reaching 122 for six. It was the first time this season anyone had beaten them, and it came from a side sitting in the lower half of the table.

The following night at Headingley, Sunrisers Leeds beat London Spirit by five wickets with two balls remaining, chasing 137 and getting there at 142 for five.

The women's table

Southern Brave still lead, and the defeat has not cost them the top spot. But the gap behind them is now interesting rather than academic.

Southern Brave, six played, five won, 20 points. Trent Rockets, five played, four won, 16 points, and a net run rate of 1.671 that is comfortably the best in the competition. Manchester Super Giants, five played, three won, 14 points. Then a cluster: Sunrisers Leeds and Welsh Fire on eight points each, London Spirit and Birmingham Phoenix on six, and MI London still looking for a first win on two.

Trent Rockets have a game in hand on Brave and the run rate to make it count. That is the shape of the run-in.

The men's table

Tighter still at the top. Trent Rockets and Welsh Fire are level on 16 points from five, separated only by net run rate, where the Rockets hold 0.760 against the Fire's marginally negative figure. MI London and Sunrisers Leeds follow on 12.

Southern Brave and Manchester Super Giants sit on eight, London Spirit and Birmingham Phoenix on four. With the group stage running to 16 August, the bottom four are close to needing results rather than improvement.

What to watch

The women's competition now has a genuine title race rather than a procession, and the men's has two sides who cannot afford a slip. Both tables are decided as much by net run rate as by wins, which tends to make the closing fortnight nervier than the points suggest.