Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022: All Matches Saturday July 16th - Latest News, Scores and Match Reports

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022: All Matches Saturday July 16th - Latest News, Scores and Match Reports

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy - Central Sparks vs Northern Diamonds, Match 9

Northern Diamonds continued their strong start to the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign with a highly impressive five-wicket win over Central Sparks at New Road, Worcester. 

Diamonds made it three wins out of three by restricting the home side to 214 for six from their 50 overs and then chasing down the target comfortably, reaching 215 for five with 64 balls to spare. 

After Sparks chose to bat, only Eve Jones (91, 128 balls) imposed any command over a tight collective bowling effort by the visitors. Emma Marlow led the way with two for 37 while there was a wicket apiece for Rachel Slater, Leigh Kasparek and Linsey Smith.. 

Diamonds then organised the chase to perfection, based around two decisive partnerships. Openers Laura Winfield-Hall (50, 55) and Smith added 74 in 15 overs and third-wicket pair Hollie Armitage (60 not out, 63 balls) and Sterre Kalis (46, 57) put on 108 in 18. 

Jones dominated the Sparks innings but support for her from the rest of the top order was fleeting. Stephanie Butler, Thea Brookes and Ami Campbell all reached double figures but failed to get to 20 as disciplined Diamonds bowling pared away at the batting. 

 Jones was closing in on a well-deserved century when she was smartly stumped by Winfield-Hill off Kasperek and it was left to Abigail Freeborn (48 not out, 62 balls) to lift the total over 200. The innings contained only 12 fours and no sixes. 

Sparks' total appeared to be around 20 or 30 light and so it transpired after Winfield-Hall and Smith provided Diamonds with exactly the platform they needed. Leg-spinner Hannah Baker removed both openers but Armitage and Kalis settled any Diamonds nerves with another strong stand. 

Grace Potts returned to the attack to have Kalis caught and trap Pheobe Turner lbw but the double blow came too late for the Sparks who were left to digest their second defeat in three Rachael Heyhoe Flint games. 

 

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy - Lightning vs Southern Vipers, Match 10

Even with five of their squad on international duty, defending champions Southern Vipers were too strong for East Midlands side Lightning as they made it three Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy wins from three at the Incora County Ground, Derby.

Maia Bouchier and Freya Kemp, named in the squad for the Commonwealth Games, joined Danni Wyatt, Lauren Bell and Charlie Dean on England duty but Vipers still posted 294 for six in their 50 overs before dismissing Lightning for 228 in 44 overs.

Hitting 10 boundaries each, Vipers skipper Georgia Adams (82) and 19-year-old Ella McCaughan, whose 72 was a career-best in List A matches, shared a partnership of 153 for the first wicket before Emily Windsor swelled the Vipers total with an unbeaten 47.

Josie Groves, Lightning’s 17-year-old leg spinner, showed she can also bat by hitting a maiden half-century to go with two wickets, but it was a performance in vain as her side finished 66 runs short, off-spinner Charlotte Taylor taking three for 31 as the stand-out bowler, Tara Norris picking up three for 35.

Without Grace Ballinger, their hero with the ball in the win over Thunder last weekend, the Lightning attack were made to struggle when Vipers won the toss and chose to bat first in ideal conditions, their cause not helped by giving McCaughan a life on 43, when she was dropped at mid-on off spinner Lucy Higham.

After treating the new ball with respect, posting 37 in the opening 10 powerplay overs, Adams and McCaughan hit the accelerator as McCaughan completed her half-century from 69 balls, having given just that one chance. Adams soon reached the milestone herself, from 57 deliveries.

Three wickets in as many overs suggested a Lightning fightback as Vipers went from 153 without loss in the 28th to 155 for three.  Groves turned one nicely to bowl McCaughan before a Kathryn Bryce inswinger bowled Georgia Elwiss for a second-ball duck.  An lbw decision against Chloe Hill gave Groves a second scalp.

Paige Scholfield hit 18 off 17 balls but was denied more when Groves safely pouched the ball at deep backward square before Adams saw the chance of a century slip away as Piepa Cleary caught a steepling top-edge to off her own bowling.

But Lightning could not dislodge Windsor and Vipers’ last two wickets added 85, including 23 off 12 balls by Nancy Harman.

In reply, Lightning were ahead in runs after their opening 10 overs but at 49 for two had lost Beth Harmer, leg before trying to pull Scholfield’s medium pace, and Kathryn Bryce, who offered Taylor a simple return catch, falling for just one after a match-winning century against Thunder.

With Marie Kelly missing through injury, it placed an onus on Kathryn’s sister Sarah to carry the Lightning innings and though she and third-wicket partner Bethan Ellis were still together at 109 for two in the 25th over, they were a daunting 185 runs behind as the disciplined Vipers bowlers offered few easy opportunities.

Both then departed in turn, Sarah Bryce falling one short of a half-century when she went after Harman but picked out the fielder at deep midwicket, before a thin edge off the excellent Taylor saw Ellis caught behind.

Groves kept Lightning’s hopes alive with her uninhibited hitting, picking up six fours and smashing Schofield for six over long on, riding her luck on 39 when dropped off Elwiss, but after she sliced to backward point for 55 from 39 balls, with 96 off 13.3 overs required, Sophie Munro was bowled by Taylor, Norris dismissed Higham and Piepa Cleary in the same over and had Alicia Presland stumped in her next over to wrap up the win.

 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy - Thunder vs South East Stars, Match 11

Lauren Smith made 73 not out and Bethan Miles took three for 15 on her debut as South East Stars fought back from 122 for nine to inflict a third defeat in three games on the north-west based side, Thunder in this year’s Rachael Heyhoe- Flint Trophy.

After posting a clearly competitive 198 all out on a wicket helpful to the spinners, the Stars dismissed Thunder for 146 to complete a fine 52-run victory and achieve their second win in the 50-over competition.   

The Stars’ innings was composed of three very distinct phases. In the first 13.1 overs of the game Chloe Brewer and Kirstie White took advantage of some loose bowling and the quick outfield to put on 67 for their side’s first wicket.

Then Alex Hartley took over. Four balls after she had dropped White when presented with a straightforward chance in the ring off Phoebe Graham, the slow left-armer had the reprieved batter leg before wicket for 12. That began a collapse that saw the Stars lose nine wickets for 55 runs in 19 overs.

Hartley was the chief beneficiary and she finished with six for 24 from her ten overs, which is just outside her List A best of six for 23. The spinner bowled superbly but was helped by some indifferent batting and also by a quite brilliant catch by Daisy Mullan, whose full-length diving effort at deep midwicket saw the end of Rhianna Southby for eight and also gave Hartley her fifth wicket.

When Miles was ninth out, bowled by Deandra Dottin for nought, Thunder probably anticipated a relatively simple run-chase, but Smith and her last-wicket partner, Dani Gregory, had other ideas. Showing exemplary common sense, they defended straight balls capably and took advantage of anything loose to put on 76 in 15.3 overs.

Smith reached her fifty off 70 balls and went on play the innings that set up a fascinating second half of the match. Dottin took the last wicket when she had Gregory caught behind and she finished with three for 49 from 9.5 overs. Hannah Jones also bowled a tight spell and took the important wicket of the opener, Brewer, who was bowled by a flighted, full-length delivery for 49.

Thunder’s pursuit of 199 began poorly when Dottin top-edged a pull off Phoebe Franklin and was caught by White at short fine-leg for eight. Rebecca Duckworth then made 15 of a 53-run stand for the second wicket with Georgie Boyce but by then the Stars had the spinners on and they were getting as much joy from the pitch as Thunder’s slow bowlers had enjoyed.

Duckworth was gated by an off-spinner from Lauren Smith, skipper Ellie Threlkeld was bowled when attempting to sweep Miles and the debutant followed her maiden wicket by running out a dawdling Natalie Brown for two and trapping Shachi Pai leg before for nought.

Slow left-armer Miles then took the vital wicket of Boyce for 68 when she beat the opener in the flight with a beautiful looping delivery and that left the last four Thunder wickets with the task of scoring 72 runs in 18 overs.

Despite some useful blows from Graham, who made 11, they never looked like reaching their target and, appropriately enough it was Smith who took the last wicket when she had Hartley caught at mid on with 9.5 overs to spare.  Smith ended the game with two for 20, Gregory took two for 36 and Franklin, two for 25.  

 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy - Sunrisers vs Western Storm, Match 12

Sunrisers 254-6

Western Storm 257-7

Western Storm won by three wickets

Sophie Luff and Katie George broke Sunrisers’ hearts as their stunning partnership carried Western Storm to a 3-wicket win in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Chelmsford.

It looked for all the world as if the hosts would secure a first-ever win in the 50-over competition at the 16^th  attempt when half-centuries from Cordelia Griffith (74) and Grace Scrivens (69) carried them to 254-6 and they reduced Storm to 103-5 in reply.

But the visitors, who beat Sunrisers off the last ball in the Charlotte Edwards Cup earlier in the season at the same venue, snuffed out those dreams with a sixth-wicket stand of 125 in just 95 balls.

George was the catalyst with 74 from 43 balls, including a six and 13 fours  while skipper Luff completed an unbeaten century with the winning hit with one over to spare.

Sunrisers were indebted to Griffith and Scrivens for laying a superb platform.

The duo saw off the in-form Lauren Filer before Scrivens took successive boundaries off Danielle Gibson via a classic off-drive and a flick to long-leg. And with Griffith tucking into Gibson’s next over the 50 came up in 66 balls.

Both drove strongly, while Griffith, dropped at mid-wicket on 39 from the bowling of Fi Morris, employed some wristy cut shots.

Their 50s came up in the same over Griffith’s from 84 deliveries and Scrivens 11 balls quicker thanks to eight boundaries.

At 140-0 a huge score looked in the offing, but Filer returned to have Griffiths caught at cover and then Holland (two for 32) took centre stage.

The youngster caught Dattani off the bowling of Morris before getting ball in hand to claim the prize scalp of Scrivens, who top-edged an attempted pull which Sophia Smale ran behind wicketkeeper Natasha Wraith to grab just above the turf.

Mady Villiers (33) briefly regained the initiative with some inventive stroke-play before Holland castled her too, and it needed a six in the final over from Joanne Gardner (29 not out) to carry Sunrisers beyond 250.

The host’s tally appeared light, but there was early reward in the field when Kate Coppack had Wraith snaffled at mid-wicket and Alex Griffiths too went cheaply caught at mid-off from the bowling of Villiers (two for 33).

Scrivens was introduced after the powerplay, but it was spin-twin Abtaha Maqsood who made the next incision with the big wicket of former England star Fran Wilson who slashed a wide one to Mia Rogers at backward point.

Storm’s hopes now rested heavily on skipper Luff who clouted Maqsood back over her head to begin a counter-offensive.

Morris too took heavy toll of a full toss from Maqsood, but was given a life on 16  when Dattani couldn’t cling on to pull shot above her head.

But the run-rate kept climbing and pressure told when confusion in running saw both batters stranded mid-pitch, Morris the one to depart.

Scrivens (one for 25) finally gained reward for a Scrooge-like spell when Gibson slashed third last ball into the hands of Griffiths and Sunrisers had scent of that elusive win.

Luff though stood firm to reach 50 from 92 balls while George plundered 24 off one Gardner over as she raced to 50 in 25 balls with 11 fours.

With the momentum shifted, the pair sent the bowling to all parts to raise the 100-stand.

Villiers returned to york George and Castle removed Holland to threaten a final twist, but Luff had the last say to leave Sunrisers reflecting once more on what might have been.

 

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