Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021 Round 4: All the Match Scores, Reports and Scorecards June 12th

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021 Round 4: All the Match Scores, Reports and Scorecards June 12^th

 

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021 Round 4 Scorecards

Northern Diamonds v South East Stars (Headingley)

Sarah Taylor’s return to professional cricket ended in a thrilling Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy victory as Northern Diamonds chased 251 to beat South East Stars by three wickets at Emerald Headingley.

The meeting of the two title hopefuls saw England legend Taylor keep tidily after nearly two years in retirement before making two off five balls.

Kirstie White’s 73 off 90 underpinned the Stars’ 250 for six before the Diamonds recovered from 70 for five thanks largely to 75 off 106 for Sterre Kalis.

The Dutch international, Jenny Gunn and late hero Beth Langston all hit fifties to secure a second win in four games with only four balls to spare. Langston hit the winning runs and finished 59 not out off 53.

The Diamonds lost four wickets for 12 as they slipped from 58 for one in the 11th over.

Earlier, White’s 15th career half-century in List A cricket advanced the Stars.

She was supported by a series of valuable contributions, including Aylish Cranstone’s 42 not out.

White set the platform before Cranstone gave the innings late impetus with half a dozen boundaries in 31 balls.

The Diamonds dropped three catches of varying difficulty in good batting conditions. The pitch was true and the outfield fast.

Taylor was responsible for the first in the second over of the match when Alice Davidson-Richards edged Phoebe Graham behind on one.

Taylor, a replacement signing for England’s Lauren Winfield-Hill and injured Bess Heath, went to her right one-handed and could only parry a chance which would have been classed as a stunner.

Gunn struck twice for the Diamonds, but White harnessed power and invention to put Stars in a commanding position.

That position was significantly strengthened inside 14 overs of the chase as the Diamonds slipped to 65 for four, bringing Taylor in as she prepares for the Hundred. 

England seamer Freya Davies had home captain Hollie Armitage caught behind and Grace Gibbs trapped Rachel Hopkins lbw and had Alex MacDonald caught at cover.

And Taylor only lasted five balls as she was bowled off an under-edge pulling at Dani Gregory’s off-spin - 70 for five in the 16th over. 

Like Gibbs, it was the leg-spinner’s second wicket.

Gunn and Kalis confidently rebuilt in a 90 stand, both reaching 50 before Gunn fell to Bryony Smith at 160 for six after 36 overs.

Kalis took the target to 44 off six overs before being run out from deep midwicket - 209 for seven in the 45th over. 

Langston, however, held her nerve to seal a nail-biting success.

 

Lightning v Sunrisers (Loughborough)

A half-century by Michaela Kirk and four wickets for Teresa Graves helped Lightning to a second victory in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy as bottom-of-the-table Sunrisers slumped to a fourth defeat from four matches.

Naomi Dattani hit 65 and Kelly Castle 52 as Sunrisers posted 206 for nine after opting to bat first at Loughborough University’s Haslegrave Ground, seamer Graves taking four for 39.

But Lightning chased down their target with almost 10 overs to spare with South African-born batter Kirk hitting nine boundaries, sharing partnerships of 57 with Sarah Bryce and 47 with Kathryn Bryce.

Abbey Freeborn then struck seven fours in a 48-ball 44, her partnership of 51 with Sonia Odedra effectively sealing the win. Freeborn was caught at midwicket with just two still needed before Graves hit the winning boundary.

Always ahead of the required rate, Lightning were 47 without loss in the Powerplay. Sarah Bryce was caught at backward point off Castle’s medium pace but she was Lightning’s only casualty in scoring 100 from the first 20 overs.

They suffered a double setback when Kirk and Kathryn Bryce fell in consecutive overs to off-spinners Katie Midwood and Alice Macleod, Kirk trapped leg before sweeping before Bryce was bowled.

But Freeborn and Lucy Higham (26) added 48 for the fourth wicket, bringing the requirement down to 52 from 20 overs, before Higham was lbw to Castle sweeping.

Sunrisers were 31 for three after their Powerplay overs. Seamer Sophie Munro bowled Grace Scrivens off an inside edge and had Amara Carr well caught by Freeborn at slip, before left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon took her ninth wicket of the competition so far, trapping Alice Macleod leg before.

Lightning captain Kathryn Bryce conceded only seven runs in her first six overs. Once she took a rest, however, runs came more easily as Dattani and Cordelia Griffith added 60 for the fourth wicket before the latter hit straight to mid-on as Graves made the breakthrough.

Dattani and Castle put on 87 in 17 overs for the fifth wicket, Dattari completing her half-century off 82 balls with five fours before clearing the rope off Lucy Higham’s off-spin for the only six of the innings.

But Dattari was bowled attempting to sweep Yvonne Graves’s off spin, sparking a late collapse as Sunrisers lost five wickets for 18 runs in six overs, three of them to Teresa Graves.

She dismissed Jo Gardner and had Gayatri Gole in the space of three balls before Castle played round one to be leg before, and Bryce picked up a deserved wicket when Freeborn held a good low catch at mid-on to remove Katherine Speed.

Central Sparks v Thunder (Worcester) 

Central Sparks suffered their first defeat in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy despite an unbeaten century from captain Eve Jones as North West Thunder edged home by two wickets at New Road.

Sparks totalled 203 all out on a used pitch after recovering from 17-3 thanks to a superb effort from Eve Jones who withstood an excellent three wicket spell from spinner Hannah Jones.

Thunder looked to be coasting to victory after openers Emma Lamb and Georgie Boyce put on 73.

Sarah Glenn, allowed to play after her release from the England squad, and fellow spinner Georgia Davis turned the game back in the Sparks favour with combined figures of 5-74 from their 20 overs.

But the Thunder lower order did enough to see their side over the finishing line with two overs to spare – their second win of the campaign.

Sparks were put in and opener Milly Home on one failed to make her ground after Jones played Piepa Cleary to mid on and set off for a single.

Poppy Davies was lbw to Laura Jackson for a first ball duck.

Gwen Davies played the same bowler into the covers, set of for a single but hesitated and was run out by Cleary’s throw to Jackson for nought.

Eve Jones and Steph Butler added 62 until the latter on 25 went down the wicket to Hannah Jones and was stumped.

Clare Boycott helped put on a further 37 before being caught and bowled on 17 by Hannah Jones who dismissed Glenn for a duck when she pulled a delivery to mid-wicket.

The spin of Hannah Jones (10-1-33-3) and Alex Hartley (10-2-26-0) kept a tight grip on proceedings through the middle part of the innings.

Eve Jones completed a 106-ball half century and Issy Wong, with 18, was a valuable ally in a half century stand until she sliced Jackson to short third man.

Eve Jones accelerated despite Ria Fackrell and Georgia Davis falling cheaply but the last batter in Liz Russell was at the crease when she reached three figures.

Her second 50 runs came off only 42 balls and she hit one six and 14 fours and carried her bat after Russell (2) was run out.

Thunder openers Boyce and Lamb laid a solid platform but the wickets started to tumble against Glenn and Davis.

Boyce (26) pushed forward and was bowled by Glenn and Lamb (39) went for a reverse sweep against Davis and suffered the same fate.

Cleary (1) lofted Glenn straight to mid-off and Davis had Natalie Brown lbw for six and Rebecca Duckworth (1) stumped in successive overs.

Glenn and Davis finished with figures of 10-2-32-2 and 10-1-43-3 respectively.

When they came out of the attack the game was evenly poised at 131-5 and a sixth wicket quickly fell when Fackrell had Ellie Threlkeld (31) lbw.

Laura Marshall and Jackson added 39 before the latter on 30 went lbw to Liz Russell at 178-7 and Marshall, with 32, was bowled by Wong with three needed.

 

Western Storm v Southern Vipers (Taunton)

Talismanic captain Georgia Adams inspired Southern Vipers to a comprehensive eight-wicket triumph over arch rivals Western Storm in a one-sided Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy contest at Taunton.

Adams posted an authoritative 77 and Maia Bouchier made 57 not out as the defending champions chased down a victory target of 178 with 15.1 overs to spare to return to winning ways in the 50-over competition.

Charlie Dean and Lauren Bell took 3-27 and 3-40 respectively to spearhead an impressive Vipers display in the field as the home side were dismissed for an inadequate 177 in 49.3 overs, Katie George top-scoring with 37 from 60 balls.

Beaten for the first time since 2019 by Central Sparks in their last outing, Vipers summoned the perfect response and remain on course to retain the title they won last season. But Storm, weakened by the absence of England stalwarts Heather Knight and Anya Shrubsole, have now lost three matches in succession, their chances of progressing all but over. 

Storm won the toss and elected to bat on a sound track, but the innings failed to achieve lift-off in the face of accurate bowling and intense fielding. Off spinner Dean undermined the top order, inducing openers Lauren Parfitt and Fi Morris to hit to mid-on for 10 and 32 respectively, and luring Sophie Luff into front-foot indiscretion to claim three wickets in 19 balls. Alice Monaghan then removed Georgia Hennessy, who was brilliantly held by Adams at mid-on, as the hosts lurched to 95-4 in the 29th over.

George and Nat Wraith launched a recovery of sorts, adding 42 for the fifth wicket, but Bell comprehensively bowled the latter for 21 to initiate a collapse which saw Storm surrender their last six wickets for just 41 in 11 overs.

Bell produced another in-swinger to clean bowl George for 37 and had Danielle Gibson caught behind in the act of cutting for 16, while Charlotte Taylor pinned Nicole Harvey without scoring. Adams accounted for Emma Corney and Mollie Robbins was run out in the final over as the tail drooped. Tara Norris conceded just 32 from 10 overs, helping restrict Storm to 11 boundaries in an innings starved of meaningful momentum. 

Storm's total was afforded perspective when Wyatt and Adams staged an opening stand of 57 in 10.3 overs to give the reply impetus. Wyatt hit Morris straight to mid-on for a 30-ball 28, but Adams found another willing ally in Bouchier, the South African playing second fiddle in an alliance of 97 in 20 overs before going to a 64-ball 50 with her seventh boundary.

Adams had her sights set on three figures when she was brilliantly caught at slip by Hennessy off the bowling of Lauren Filer, having plundered 10 fours in a high-octane knock spanning 101 balls. Thereafter, Bouchier eased to victory in company with Ella McCaughan.

©Cricket World 2021