Sunrisers Leeds booked their place in the Women’s Hundred 2026 final after defeating Southern Brave in the Eliminator at The Oval on August 14.
Chasing 115, Sunrisers recovered from a shaky start to win with 11 balls remaining. Deepti Sharma played a crucial role in the finish, while Lauren Winfield-Hill anchored the chase with 37.
The victory extended Sunrisers’ winning streak to five matches and set up a title clash against Trent Rockets at Lord’s on August 16.
Southern Brave Restricted to 114/7
Southern Brave entered the Eliminator on a three-match losing run after starting the season with five consecutive victories.
Asked to bat first, they struggled to build momentum and finished on 114 for 7.
Lizelle Lee made the fastest start, scoring 27 from 20 balls and hitting the only six of the innings. However, she was stumped by Winfield-Hill off Hannah Baker.
Laura Wolvaardt and Maia Bouchier then fell in quick succession before Sophie Molineux and Charli Knott added 33 runs for the fourth wicket.
Annabel Sutherland also played an important role at the death, taking two wickets in two balls.
Hannah Baker Stars With the Ball
Baker was the standout bowler for Sunrisers. The 22-year-old legspinner conceded only 13 runs from her 20 balls and picked up two important wickets, including Lee and Knott.
Her disciplined spell kept Southern Brave under constant pressure and earned her the Player of the Match award.
Sunrisers were also much cleaner in the field, conceding only three extras compared with Brave’s 18.
Sunrisers Survive Early Wobble
The chase did not begin smoothly. Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland, the tournament’s two leading run-scorers, both fell as Sunrisers slipped to 54 for 3 from 47 balls.
Litchfield was bowled by Issy Wong, while Sutherland miscued Sarah Glenn to extra cover, where Molineux completed an excellent catch.
That left Winfield-Hill with the responsibility of rebuilding the innings.
Winfield-Hill Anchors the Chase
Winfield-Hill, who played at The Oval during the first five seasons of The Hundred, used her experience to keep the chase under control.
She scored 37 from 37 balls and gradually reduced the required rate, including consecutive boundaries off Tilly Corteen-Coleman.
However, Wong dismissed her before removing captain Dani Gibson first ball, briefly giving Southern Brave hope.
Deepti Sharma Finishes the Job
Deepti, promoted to No. 5 despite batting only twice during the group stage, remained calm under pressure. She struck two boundaries on the leg side and helped take Sunrisers close to victory before Jess Jonassen hit the winning boundary through the off side.
“I was keeping it very simple,” Deepti said after the match.
She also praised the atmosphere created by head coach Adi Birrell, saying the environment had helped the players perform without unnecessary pressure.
Sunrisers Leeds Reach the Final
The result sends Sunrisers Leeds into their third Women’s Hundred title match. They will face Ashleigh Gardner’s Trent Rockets at Lord’s on August 16.
Trent Rockets finished top of the league stage and qualified directly for the final, while Sunrisers had to overcome Southern Brave in the Eliminator.
With Deepti back in form, Baker bowling with confidence and a deep batting line-up available, Sunrisers will now look to complete their five-match winning run with the biggest victory of the season.
