Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 2022: All Matches May 29th - Latest News, Scores and Match Reports

Here is all the latest news, scores and match report updates from the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 2022 - Sunday May 29th 2022.

Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 2022 - Sunday May 29th 2022 - Fixtures Schedule

Central Sparks v South East Stars (Edgbaston)

Match Summary

Central Sparks vs South East Stars, Match 16, Charlotte Edwards Cup

Central Sparks 91/7 (12 ov)

South East Stars 148/6 (20 ov)

Result - South East Stars won by 10 runs (DLS Method)

Central Sparks captain Eve Jones said:

"We bowled well but were not at our best in the field tonight. We dropped a few catches and that is always going to hurt you.

"We were right in the game at the halfway point but then the rain break just after we started batting affected us a little bit and we lost wickets too regularly. We bat deep, as we showed when Sarah and Emily put on 32 from 15 balls at the end, but we'd left them too much to do.

"It was disappointing to lose, of course, but we have still played some really good cricket in the first four games and there are plenty of positives to take into the game at Northampton."

 

South East Stars batter Aylish Cranstone said:

"It was a used wicket and we went into the game knowing it was going to be slow. The spinners were getting some turn and it was holding up for the seamers so it wasn't easy to bat on. I was just glad to score some runs to support the team and the other batters did really well to support me. It was difficult to hit boundaries once we were out of the powerplay so we had to be clever where we hit the ball and try to get as many twos as possible which wasn't easy with quite a small boundary.

"Then with the ball we had to build pressure so we went out with an attacking mindset. We were fortunate enough to get a couple of wickets up front in the powerplay before the rain and them, once we got back on, we kept the pressure on really well."

Northern Diamonds v Thunder (Headingley)

Northern Diamonds overcame significant injury and unavailability issues to beat cross-Pennine rivals Thunder by 25 runs at Headingley and keep their Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day hopes alive.

The Diamonds only had 12 fit senior players to chose from and were missing England trio Lauren Winfield-Hill (quad) and Katherine Brunt and Nat Sciver, the latter two who got married yesterday.

A spin dominated game saw the Diamonds bowled out for 124, including three for 23 from Hannah Jones and an innings-high 28 from opener Sterre Kalis.

But the hosts then stifled a Thunder batting line-up who lost in-form openers Emma Lamb and Georgie Boyce early, bowling them out for 99 inside 19 overs. The competition’s leading wicket-taker, leg-spinner Katie Levick, took her tally to 12 with three for 25.

The Diamonds (10 points) moved into second place in Group B with a second win in four games, this including a bonus point. They are behind leaders Southern Vipers with two still to play. The top teams in each of the two groups qualify plus the best second-placed finisher. 

Thunder have now lost three from four, only beating the Diamonds at Sale. They are not mathematically out of the equation but could be by tonight.

Thunder, also missing England’s Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone due to IPL Challenge commitments in India, looked to have this game under control as left-arm spinner Jones and fellow spinners Alex Hartley and Lamb - who claimed two wickets each - shared seven for 58 from 12 overs combined.

The Diamonds, having won the toss, made a steady start on a true pitch.

Kalis led the way, but she hoisted Hartley to long-on, leaving the score at 61 for two in the 11th.

Lamb had earlier got Bess Heath (13) caught at backward point, and when she struck again in the 12th over to bowl a sweeping home captain Hollie Armitage for 17, the Diamonds were under pressure at 63 for three.

Seamer Sophia Turner then struck with each of her first two balls, at the start of the 15th over, to turn the screw at 78 for five. 

Busy Hartley took a superb diving catch at midwicket to help dispose of Leah Dobson before Leigh Kasperek was caught behind by captain Ellie Threlkeld stood up to the stumps.

And Hartley also had a hand in the run out of Abi Glen with an accurate throw from long-off in the next over, capping a loss of three wickets for nine in 10 balls (87 for six).

Linsey Smith gave the hosts some respite with three boundaries in as many balls off Turner at the start of the 17th over to take the score to 104 for six. But it was only brief as she was bowled by Hartley for 25 shortly afterwards.

Jones then bowled Phoebe Turner, Emma Marlow and Levick in the 20th over.

However, the pendulum was about to swing.

Thunder openers Boyce and Lamb had both scored fifties in each of the last two games, including in a home win over Diamonds. 

So, when they fell for 16 and 15, leaving the score at 41 for two in the seventh over, it was understandable that the hosts felt they were back in business.

Boyce was caught at cover off Smith’s left-arm spin and Lamb run out coming back for a second into midwicket.

And Thunder subsided quickly. The openers were the first two of five wickets to fall for 17 as the score slipped to 48 for five in the 10th over. 

Levick bowled Ellie Threlkeld and trapped Shachi Pai lbw in the space of three balls in the ninth before accurate New Zealand offie Kasperek (two for 16) bowled Laura Jackson.

From there, it felt like job done for the hosts, and so it proved as two more run outs contributed to their downfall plus further wickets for Kasperek and Levick.

Diamonds spinner Leigh Kasperek said: 

 

“We got told that the pitch would be a bit of a road, so we were thinking anything around 170 would be a good total. But we’re delighted.

“We have such a good spin attack, with Katie Levick leading the way. Linsey Smith bowled out of her skin and young Emma Marlow as well.

“We thought the bonus point was 93, so we were trying to squeeze them to that. So to hear we’ve got a bonus point is so good.

“We knew coming into this game that every one was do or die. We just have to keep showing that Northern grit over the next two and do our best.”

 

Thunder captain Ellie Threlkeld said: 

 

“The first half of our performance was pretty good. It was everything we wanted. We restricted them to a reasonable total, which we should have chased if we’re honest. The second half with the bat was pretty disappointing.

“We lost regular wickets and no one got in and went big, which was the issue.

“We spoke last game (Lightning) about our bowling not being good enough and this one it was our batting. 

“We are looking for a complete performance, and hopefully we can do that on Wednesday at Old Trafford against the Vipers.”

 

Western Storm v Sunrisers (Taunton)

Sophie Luff registered a brilliant half century as Western Storm defeated Sunrisers by 42 runs at the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton to keep alive their hopes of progressing from Group B in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

Storm's talismanic captain won the toss, elected to bat, top-scored with 78 from 54 balls and shared in stands of 69 and 70 with Heather Knight and Danielle Gibson for the second and fourth wickets respectively as the home side posted 169-5 in 20 overs.

For once cast in the role of chief support, Knight contributed 34, while Gibson made a valuable 26. Kelly Castle took 2-16 and Mady Villiers 2-33 as Sunrisers did their best to staunch the flow of runs.

Naomi Dattani responded with a pugnacious 53 from 51 balls and forged a stand of 56 with Castle, who summoned defiance aplenty to finish on 40 not out. But Sunrisers struggled in the face of accurate bowling from Gibson, who took 2-13, and came up short on 128-6.

Storm made an inauspicious start to their innings, Fi Morris dancing down the wicket to a wide delivery from Villiers and being comprehensively stumped by Scarlett Hughes for two in the first over. Naomi Dattani and Grace Scrivens initially kept Knight and Luff quiet as runs proved hard to come by during the first four overs.

But Knight swept and drove consecutive balls from Villiers to the boundary in the fifth to afford the innings momentum and the next two overs, sent down by Jo Gardner and Abtaha Maqsood, yielded 20 more runs as the second wicket pair found their rhythm.

Intent upon fine-tuning ahead of next month's one-off Test match against South Africa women on this ground, England captain Knight helped herself to five boundaries and ran hard between the wickets in a workaholic alliance with Luff, which served to build a solid platform. These two propelled Storm to 71-1 at the halfway stage, but Sunrisers temporarily redressed the balance when Gardner pinned Knight in front and, in the next over, Hughes executed a smart leg-side stumping to account for new batter Fran Wilson off the bowling of Kelly Castle.

There was no stopping Luff however, Storm's captain raising 50 from 42 balls as she pressed down on the accelerator in partnership with Gibson, who adopted a characteristically aggressive approach to put the fielding side under sustained pressure for the first time.

Luff plundered a straight-driven six off Scrivens and then clipped the next ball behind square for four as the fourth wicket partnership realised 50 from 27 balls in the 17th over. Gibson proved adept at rotating the strike as Luff, sensing a hundred might be within her grasp, launched a late assault on Sunrisers' death bowlers. 

There was palpable relief within Sunrisers ranks when Castle trapped Luff lbw with the score on 151 in the 18th over. Storm's captain left the field to a standing ovation, having blazed 10 fours and a six in attaining her highest score of the season.

Gibson departed three balls later, the third batter to be stumped by Hughes, this time off the bowling of Villiers, as Sunrisers belatedly made in-roads. There was still time for Katie George and Georgia Hennessy to offer a late flourish, the sixth wicket pair adding 16 in nine balls to hoist Storm to an imposing total.

Storm further stamped their authority with the ball, Claire Nicholas bowling Villiers without scoring and Gibson dismissing Scrivens lbw for four as the openers perished inside three overs. Gardner played down the wrong line and was bowled by a Gibson in-swinger, at which point Sunrisers were 29-3, their reply fatally undermined by the loss of early wickets.

Former Storm all-rounder Dattani attempted to carry the fight to the home side, but the task was a demanding one when the visitors reached halfway on 48-3, requiring a further 121 at 12 an over. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old Londoner gave it her best shot, going to 50 with her ninth four and dominating a stand of 56 in eight overs with Castle, who was content to play second fiddle. 

Now fully recovered from the back injury that derailed her fledgling England career, Katie George brought the fourth wicket stand to a shuddering halt, having Dattani held at mid-off to claim her first wicket of the season and reduce Sunrisers to 85-4. Georgie Hennessy produced a slower ball to account for Mia Rogers, brilliantly caught by Knight at mid-on, but the game was already up for the visitors by then.

 

Western Storm all-rounder Dani Gibson said: "That was just about the perfect team performance on a day when we really needed it. At this stage in the tournament, every game is like a semi-final and this win sets us up for games against Stars and Sparks later this week. We knew we had to score a minimum of 150 runs and to push on beyond that was good. Heather (Knight) and Sophie (Luff) put on a really good partnership and set it up nicely for us. Sophie was playing so well, I just tried to give her the strike and get a look in when I could. Taking those early wickets really helped take the sting out of it. I thought we fielded really well to see the game out. Katie George has had a really tough couple of years with injury and for her to take a wicket was a special moment."

 

Sunrisers captain Kelly Castle said: "The two teams were evenly-matched, but we didn't bat as well as we could have done. Storm have some quality England players and Heather Knight and Sophie Luff played well, but I thought 270 was about a par score on what was a good wicket. The turning point was us losing those early wickets. Naomi Dattani played a good innings, but we just couldn't get enough partnerships going. I've still seen enough though, to feel confident that the first win is just around the corner."

Loughborough Lightning v Southern Vipers (Trent Bridge)

England opener Danni Wyatt cracked 76 from 44 balls at Trent Bridge as Southern Vipers made it four wins from four in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, which all but guarantees their place at next month’s finals day.

Lightning, who suffered a third defeat in four, were bowled out for 141 in 19.4 overs, Vipers chasing down their target in the 17th to win by five  wickets.

Wyatt hit 11 fours and a six before she was caught by England teammate Tammy Beaumont on the midwicket boundary with Vipers in sight of the win.

The Staffordshire-born star, whose maximum was driven over mid-on, was dropped twice, on 61 and 65, although both were difficult chances in the deep and it is debatable whether it would have altered the outcome had one of them stuck.

Marie Kelly hit 36 from just 12 balls as Lightning overcame the early loss of Beaumont for one but a powerplay worth 57 runs came at the cost of four wickets and the home side were grateful to Kathryn Bryce (23) and Lucy Higham (31) for leading a recovery from 77 for six.

Former Lightning skipper Georgia Elwiss took three for 28, with 17-year-old left-arm pace bowler Freya Kemp claiming the wickets of Kelly and Beaumont.  Higham also took three for 30 with her off-spin for Lightning.

After Lightning had won the toss, Kelly shrugged off the loss of opening partner Beaumont, clearing the legside boundary three times off Lauren Bell before cracking three consecutive fours off Kemp.

She and Ella Claridge added 44 in 19 balls but Lightning’s blistering start was checked by the loss of three wickets in seven balls on the same score.

England hopeful Bell went for 28 in two overs but the introduction of Anya Shrubsole saw Claridge brilliantly caught by Bell at short third man before new batter Sarah Bryce clipped tamely to short midwicket.

Kemp, the 17-year-old left-arm seamer, had dismissed Beaumont caught behind as she sought to drive the teenager’s first ball, and claimed another big scalp as Kelly was pouched by a back-peddling Maya Bouchier at midwicket at the start of her third over. With that, Lightning had slipped from 52 for one to 52 for four in the blink of an eye.

Bryce, the experienced Lightning captain, took charge of the rebuilding job but her side were 77 for six in the 10th over after Elwiss had Bethan Ellis caught at backward point before Teresa Graves was leg before trying to sweep Vipers skipper Georgia Adams’s off spin.

Bryce fell for 23, hitting Elwiss to extra cover, but Higham and Sophie Munro added a valuable 33 for the eighth wicket before Paige Scholfield held on to a catch falling backwards at long-on to give Elwiss her third scalp as Munro departed.

Higham ultimately hit Bell straight to mid-on and Grace Ballinger sliced to short third man as the Lightning innings ended after four balls of the final over.

Needing just over seven an over, Vipers were 48 for one from the powerplay after Adams was caught at point but Wyatt showed her quality as she and Bouchier added 69 for the second wicket before 17-year-old leg spinner Josie Groves had Bouchier caught at mid-off.

Wyatt holed out to midwicket and Scholfield top-edged to cover as Higham took two in three balls to induce a minor wobble from the Vipers, who lost Elle McCaughan as Higham picked up her third scalp via a stumping but the result was never in doubt.

 

Vipers matchwinner Danni Wyatt said:

“Marie Kelly played really well for them at the start and it looked like they were going to get a really big score but we pulled it back really well. We knew it was a good wicket and it just came off for me today, so I’m really happy to contribute to a win.

“They lost a few wickets in the middle and they never really recovered, so credit to our bowlers for keeping their foot on the pedal.  They have been outstanding throughout the tournament and hopefully that will continue.

“It was a good pitch and I think we would have been looking to get 160 had we batted first, with a fast outfield on the wicket.  It was a pitch where you could play proper shots and I just targeted the bowlers and tried to bat to my strengths.

“I actually never really felt in. Although it was a good wicket but there was a little bit there at the back of a length, so it was just a matter of getting behind those and getting singles, capitalising on anything full and making room for myself to cut through the off side.”

Lucy Higham, who made 31 and took three wickets for Loughborough-based Lightning, said:

“You’re not going to win many games of cricket losing four wickets in the power play. At Trent Bridge I think 160 to 170 is par so we came up short on the runs and it was credit to our bowling performance that we managed to take it that deep in the end.

“Marie is in a league of her own at the minute and she has confidence in herself and it is exciting to watch her but we needed to build more on that start.

“I was pleased with my own innings from a personal point of view, to have put the team in a position where we could have had a go, and then to chip in with a few wickets but we came up against a very strong side today.

“We had a couple of absentees with Kirstie Gordon and Piepa Cleary missing. Obviously that makes a difference because Kirstie is a world-class bowler and Piepa has a lot of experience with the bat and ball but that’s cricket, that’s life, you have to get on with it.”

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