Southern Brave — The Hundred Team Guide 2026

About Southern Brave

Southern Brave are the Hampshire-based franchise in The Hundred, playing their home matches at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. They are one of the competition's most successful teams, having won the inaugural men's edition in 2021 and the women's edition in 2022. The Brave play in bold red and white colours and have built a reputation for assembling quality overseas players alongside some of England's most exciting domestic talent.

Home Ground: Ageas Bowl

The Ageas Bowl — also known as the Utilita Bowl for some competitions — is a modern stadium with a hotel built into the stands and strong facilities. It hosted Test cricket during England's home summers of the 2010s and regularly draws large crowds for The Hundred fixtures. The pitch tends to offer pace bowlers more assistance than many other English grounds, making it a contested venue where the toss and batting order matter more than at flatter tracks.

Key Players and Squad

Southern Brave have historically attracted top overseas talent. In the 2021 title run, they relied on aggressive batting from the likes of Quinton de Kock and powerful middle-order hitting combined with a disciplined death-bowling unit. For 2026, the squad continues to prioritise overseas slots for impact batters who can accelerate in the set-of-five ball structure. Local Hampshire CCC players provide the county depth, while England internationals anchor the batting core.

Playing Style and Strategy

The Brave's championship-winning formula centred on minimising dot balls through the middle overs and saving specialist death hitters for the final 25 balls. Their bowlers have typically targeted the batter's arc — using changes of pace and targeted short balls — rather than attempting raw pace, which has made them effective across varying pitch conditions at the Ageas Bowl.