Southern Brave is a franchise 100-ball cricket side based in the city of Southampton. The team represents the historic counties of Hampshire and Sussex in the newly founded The Hundred competition,[1] which took place for the first time during the 2021 English and Welsh cricket season. Both the men's side and the women's side play at the Rose Bowl, Hampshire.
The announcement of the new eight-team men's and women's tournament series in 2019 was not without controversy, with the likes of Virat Kohli criticising the England and Wales Cricket Board for pursuing a shift away from Test cricket,[2] while others argued the format should have followed the established and successful Twenty20 format. The ECB, however, decided it needed a more distinctive format to draw crowds.
In August 2019 the side announced that former Sri Lanka batsman and 2019 IPL winning coach Mahela Jayawardene would be the men's team's first coach, while former England Women captain Charlotte Edwards was appointed coach of the Women's team.[3] Jayawardene will be assisted by former two former Hampshire players: Former New Zealand international bowler Shane Bond and former opening batsmen and current coach of Hampshire 2nd XI Jimmy Adams, while Richard Halsall will also assist the men's side.
The inaugural Hundred draft took place in October 2019 and saw the Brave claim Jofra Archer as their headline men's draftee, and Anya Shrubsole as the women's headliner. They are joined by England international James Vince and Chris Jordan for the men's team, while Danielle Wyatt joins Shrubsole on the women's side.[4]
Both the Southern Brave men's and women's sides play at the home in Hampshire County Cricket Club, the Ageas Bowl, in West End, a short distance outside of Southampton. The women's side had been due to play at the home in Sussex County Cricket Club, the County Ground in Hove, but both teams were brought together at the same ground as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Current squads
Bold denotes players with international caps.
* denotes a player who is unavailable for rest of the season.
^Southern Brave women finished top of the group stage and qualified automatically for the final in 2021. They lost the final against Oval Invincibles by 48 runs.
^Southern Brave women qualified for the eliminator in 2022. They played 2 games, winning the eliminator against Trent Rockets by 2 runs, losing the final against Oval Invincibles by 5 wickets.
^Southern Brave women finished top of the group stage and qualified automatically for the final in 2023. They won the final against Northern Superchargers by 34 runs.
^Southern Brave men qualified for the eliminator in 2021. They played 2 games, winning the eliminator against Trent Rockets by 7 wickets, winning the final against Birmingham Phoenix by 32 runs.
^Southern Brave men qualified for the eliminator in 2023. They played 1 game, losing the eliminator against Manchester Originals by 7 wickets.
^Southern Brave men qualified for the eliminator in 2024. They played 2 games, winning the eliminator against Birmingham Phoenix in the Super Five after a tied match, losing the final against Oval Invincibles by 17 runs.
