Charlotte Edwards Cup 2022 Finals Day: Latest News, Scores & Match Reports

Southern Vipers won a maiden Charlotte Edwards Cup title at Northampton today.

Southern Vipers vs Central Sparks, Final, Charlotte Edwards Cup

Southern Vipers 110/4 (15.5 ov)

Central Sparks 109/8 (20 ov)

Result - Southern Vipers won by 6 wickets

Scorecard

England off-spinner Charlie Dean took two wickets and took part in a match-winning partnership with Ella McCaughan as Southern Vipers won a maiden Charlotte Edwards Trophy title at Northampton.

A solid bowling performance from Vipers restricted Sparks to just  109 for eight in their 20 overs despite Amy Jones’ 27. There was a tangible sense of deja vu at Wantage Road as Sparks repeated their semi-final performance earlier this afternoon, losing wickets at regular intervals and limping into three figures.

Maia Bouchier contributed a fluent 32 in the run chase before Dean (7) played the supporting role in a 41-run stand with McCaughan who struck a run-a-ball 30 to take Vipers to victory.

The victory means Vipers, unbeaten all season, have added the T20 trophy named after their coach Charlotte Edwards to their cabinet after winning back-to-back 50-over titles in the last two years.

Dean struck early, clean bowling Sparks skipper Eve Jones for six in the second over. Two overs later Sparks lost their second when Issy Wong (2) drilled Freya Kemp hard to mid-on where Maia Bouchier took a well-judged leaping catch.

Amy Jones has been in ominous form in this competition and Vipers thought they had their prize wicket when the England captain was on nine, only for Adams to put down a catch at mid-off off the bowling of Anya Shrubsole. Jones then rubbed salt in the wound, hitting her former England teammate for four in the same direction as Sparks finished the powerplay on 36 for two.

Jones had advanced to 27 when she fell attempting one big shot too many, with Bouchier taking  an excellent tumbling catch at mid-on off Dean.

Abi Freeborn (18) looked to be positive, coming down the pitch to drive Dean through extra cover for four to bring up Sparks’ 50 in the tenth over but fell shortly afterwards. Chasing a width ball from Georgia Elwiss she was stumped by some smart glovework from Carla Rudd. When Ami Campbell was run out six balls later Danni Wyatt by Sparks were 61 for five and threatening the second batting collapse of the day after their nailbiting semifinal win.

Sarah Glenn (16) went on the attack in an attempt to give Sparks something to defend. She uppercut Bell square for four and slog swept Dean over fine leg for consecutive boundaries. Her downfall came when she drilled a ball from Adams straight back to the bowler. Adams then brilliantly ran out  Emily Arlott in the same over after diving to stop the ball off her own bowling. to leave Sparks on 93 for seven.

Gwen Davies (12) was the eighth wicket to fall, run out by Bouchier before Davina Perrin hit the final ball of the innings for four over extra cover to close on 109 for eight.

Wong removed the dangerous Georgia Adams without scoring early in the chase when Eve Jones took a well-judged catch diving forward at short cover.

England T20 opener Wyatt took three boundaries from Grace Potts’ first over but dropped at midwicket off the same bowler on eight. Sparks were grateful that the mistake did not prove more costly as Wyatt was soon caught at midwicket off Emily Arlott for 20 (10 balls) to leave Vipers 37 for two.

Bouchier struck Wong high over deep midwicket for four and cut Arlott square for another boundary, but otherwise was content to knock the ball around as she took Vipers to 50 for two at the end of the powerplay.

Turning to spin for the first time, Sparks made an immediate breakthrough when Sarah Glenn trapped Georgia Elwiss in front, but Bouchier continued on her way, pulling Glen away for four, and scoring all around the wicket. Her innings came to an end though after a full and straight delivery from Arlott knocked back middle stump. It left Vipers on 72 for four needing 38 to win off the final ten overs.

Ella McCaughan reverse swept Glenn for four while a wide from Potts which flew away for four eased the pressure further. McCaughan sealed the win by pulling Wong for four through square leg. A pacy Arlott was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets.

Central Sparks through to Final against Southern Vipers at Northampton.

 

Charlotte Edwards Cup 2022 Play Off

South East Stars 104/8 (20 overs)

Central Sparks 105/8(19.1 overs)

Result – Central Sparks won by 2 wickets

Scorecard

A devastating opening bowling spell from Issy Wong and Grace Potts blew away the South East Stars top order in the powerplay to put Central Sparks in command in this thrilling Charlotte Edwards Cup semi-final at Northampton.

But when Stars skipper Bryony Smith claimed four Sparks wickets in the run chase, precipitating a middle order collapse, an upset was firmly on the cards. Chasing just 105 to win, Sparks lost three wickets in nine balls and stumbled further to 98 for eight before Emily Arott smashed a single down the ground to take them over the line in the final over. The victory books Sparks a place in this afternoon’s final against Southern Vipers.

Potts, who claimed four wickets in her side’s win over Stars earlier this season, again proved her opponents’ nemesis with three wickets for 20 while Wong, bowling a probing line and length had figures of two for two in her first three overs. It left Stars reeling at 25 for five at the end of the powerplay.

Wong struck first with the third ball of the match, knocking back Smith’s stumps as she attempted a big shot. It brought England batter Sophia Dunkley to the crease who offered Sarah Glenn an easy catch at mid-on.

Aylish Cranstone has been Stars’ leading run scorer this season, striking a half-century in the last encounter between these two sides, but there was no repeat performance as she skied a ball from Wong and was well caught by Potts behind square.

Alice Capsey showed few nerves caressing her first ball through the covers but fell soon afterwards when she was bowled by Potts, the fourth Stars wicket in as many overs. Potts then had Phoebe Franklin caught behind by Amy Jones off an attempted cut in the final over of the powerplay.

Kalea Moore and Alice Davidson-Richards led a fightback for the Stars putting on 60 in 57 balls. Davidson-Richards clubbed Glenn straight back down the pitch for four and swept Hannah Baker for four before cutting her for four more to bring up the Stars’ 50 in the eleventh over. Dropped in the deep on 14, Moore soon got into her stride though, sweeping the spinners through the gaps and hitting Emily Arlott straight down the ground for six.

Sarah Glenn though started to find her groove, ending Davidson-Richards’s resistance when she bowled her for 29. Moore’s innings ended in the penultimate over when she hit an Arlott delivery straight to cover for 34 (42 balls). Kira Chathli was run out before Stars staggered into three figures.

Sparks were determined to make short work of the chase. Wong cut a wide ball from Freya Davies in front of square for four and hit the England seamer for six. Skipper Eve Jones tucked into Emma Jones and dispatched her for four boundaries to take Stars to 23 without loss after two overs.

Stars made a shrewd tactical move, turning to Moore to stem the flow of boundaries with the bowler’s off-spin accounting for Wong, bowled for 11.

England keeper Amy Jones found the sweep shot profitable and brought up the Sparks 50 at the end of the powerplay. She fell in the next over for 17 though, hitting Smith straight to Franklin at midwicket who took a good low catch.

Eve Jones (29) also fell to a catch at midwicket in the next over off the bowling of Dani Gregory. When Ami Campbell (1) came down the pitch and was bowled by Smith, Sparks stuttering at 60 for four. Smith then trapped Gwen Davies lbw and bowled Davina Perrin. With pressure mounting, Moore bowled Abi Freeborn to leave Sparks on 83 for seven in the fourteenth over, still needing 25 to win.

Emily Arlott and Sarah Glenn inched Sparks towards their target before Davidson-Richards picked up the latter’s wicket to leave them on 98 for eight.

Needing seven off the last two overs Arlott struck a boundary off Moore down the ground before taking a single off the last over to seal the win.

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