Here are all the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022 Matches for September 17th and 18th with all the  Latest News, Scores and Match Reports

 

Top Tournament Stats -  Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022

Top Batter (Runs Scored)

Top Bowler (Wickets taken)

Most Sixes

Points Table

 

Sunday, September 18th 

Thunder vs Western Storm

Western Storm ended their season on a high with a narrow two-wicket victory over Thunder in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Emirates Old Trafford.

An 81-run partnership between Danielle Gibson and Nat Wraith midway through the Storm innings looked to have proved decisive in chasing a DLS target of 239 in 48 overs after a half-century by Seren Smale and Libby Heap’s explosive 36 had helped the hosts reach 242 for five in 50.  

But Thunder hit back with late wickets to produce a tense finish before Chloe Skelton hit the winning run with 21 balls to spare.  

The Storm’s third win means they finish fourth in the group on 15 points while Thunder end in seventh spot with six points.  

Storm made a good start to their innings with a 53-run partnership inside 10 overs between Emma Corney and Alex Griffiths, ended when Phoebe Graham bowled Corney for 23.  

Fellow opener Griffiths edged behind off Sophia Turner for 33, the first of three catches for wicketkeeper Ellie Threlkeld who also snared Fran Wilson for 28 off spinner Heap and Storm captain Sophie Luff to give the excellent Turner a second wicket and leave the visitors in a spot of difficulty on 115 for four in the 25^th over.  

But Wraith and Gibson took 22 runs off a wayward 27^th over from Deandra Dottin to put the run chase, delayed briefly by rain, back on course and the pair went on to produce that vital fifth-wicket partnership of 81 inside nine overs.  

Gibson hit eight boundaries in an eye-catching innings of 56 off 40 balls with wicketkeeper Wraith providing great support with 32 off 30 before being well caught at long-on by Daisy Mullan off Laura Jackson (three for 50) with 43 required.  

Jackson bowled Niamh Holland and had Gibson caught at short fine-leg before Lauren Filer departed to Graham to set Storm nerves jangling.  

But in a tense finale Sophia Smale (nine not out) and Skelton (six not out) edged their way to victory in the 45th over. 

Having been inserted, Thunder enjoyed a good start and a great finish to their innings to post what looked to be a challenging total.   

Dottin and Seren Smale combined for Thunder’s highest-ever opening partnership in three seasons of this competition to get the hosts off to the perfect start.   

Both batted fluently with overseas all-rounder Dottin driving to good effect in making a tournament best 46 before picking out Wilson at short extra cover off Skelton with 87 runs on the board inside 20 overs.   

Smale, who survived a chance off Filer on 12, went on to make a career-best 57 with some clever placement exploiting gaps in the field as Thunder arrived at the halfway stage well-placed at 98 for one.   

After Smale had reached her maiden half century off 85 balls when driving Griffiths for her fifth boundary, it took a splendid one-handed return catch by Skelton to send back the Thunder opener during an excellent 10-over spell of two for 33.   

Dani Collins hit four boundaries in a steady innings of 32 – her best in List A - before top edging Filer behind midway through the 38th over.   

Filer (three for 46) trapped Laura Marshall lbw and had Mullan caught at mid-on but Threlkeld and all-rounder Heap then put huge momentum into the Thunder innings with an unbroken alliance of 58 from the final 29 deliveries.   

Thunder skipper Threlkeld made 30 off 31 balls but Heap smashed two sixes and three fours in a stunning innings of 36 from only 18 balls to take Thunder to a total that very nearly proved to be enough.  

Saturday, September 17th 

Northern Diamonds vs Southern Vipers

Lauren Winfield-Hill’s brilliant unbeaten run-a-ball 125 guided the Northern Diamonds into next Sunday’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final at Lord’s at the expense of champions Southern Vipers, who could not defend 227 at Headingley and lost by four wickets.

England fringe opener Winfield-Hill steered a chase which had stumbled to 79 for four in this winner takes all final group game, gaining help from fellow wicketkeeper batter Bess Heath, who contributed 54 to a fifth-wicket partnership of 129. 

The Vipers, the back-to-back champions who posted 226 for nine, must now go into Wednesday’s semi-final Eliminator clash with South East Stars - likely to be at Beckenham - in order to keep alive their hopes of the ‘Threepeat’.

If they win, all three RHF Trophy finals will have been contested between the Diamonds and the Vipers, the latter winning the previous two. Having reached four regional finals in all, the Diamonds will now hope to secure their maiden trophy.

The Vipers, for whom Georgia Elwiss top-scored with 61 off 95, came into this fixture top of the table and only ahead of the Diamonds on net run-rate after five wins apiece and lost with seven overs to spare. 

They fell to 24 for two inside four overs after electing to bat. 

Lizzie Scott flattened Ella McCaughan’s leg-stump with a big in-swinger in the opening over before Linsey Smith trapped England’s Maia Bouchier lbw for nine.

But Elwiss and fellow Georgia, her captain Adams, calmly steadied with a 72 stand in 17 overs before Adams had a momentary lapse in concentration on 33 to open the door again at 96 for three in the 21st.

She handed leg-spinner Katie Levick the first of two wickets when she was stumped by Winfield-Hill. 

Elwiss reached her fifty off 77 balls shortly afterwards, though lost Paige Scholfield bowled by Levick - 121 for four in the 29th over.

And she was gone herself four overs later when bowled playing back to one which skidded through from off-spinner Emma Marlow. 

At 143 for five after 33, the Diamonds had reasserted the authority they had gained in the opening stages.

Captain Hollie Armitage then struck with her third ball as Chloe Hill chipped her leg-spin to mid-off, the first of three wickets to fall for 23 as Tara Norris was run out and Alice Monaghan caught behind off Armitage, who returned three for 37 from seven overs.

The latter two fell in as many deliveries, leaving Vipers 182 for eight in the 42nd.

But, just as happened at the start, the Diamonds failed to maintain pressure, as conceding 32 runs in wides suggests.

Emily Windsor accumulated an unbeaten 49, scoring the lion’s share of 44 added for the last two wickets with Charlotte Taylor and debutant leg-spinner Finty Trussler. 

Armitage had the former caught at mid-on in the final over.

But the Diamonds’ task of removing the venom would be far from straightforwards against a Vipers team to be reckoned with. And so it proved, as they stumbled to 79 for four inside 16 overs.

Smith miscued left-arm seamer Norris to mid-off early on before second-wicket pair Winfield-Hill and Armitage shared 44. 

Then came the loss of three wickets for 17, sparked by a cutting Armitage edging the off-spin of Adams behind. 

That was followed by two wickets in 19-year-old Trussler’s second over, the 16th. Sterre Kalis pulled a full toss out to deep midwicket before Leah Dobson was lbw.

But Winfield-Hill, who won the Hundred at Lord’s with Oval Invincibles earlier in the month, was not to be deterred. 

She reached her eighth fifty of the summer in all cricket off 56 balls and was particularly strong on the drive. 

With Heath’s help, they positively turned the game back in their favour in a defining 25-over alliance.

And by the time Winfield-Hill reached her fourth career professional century - her first this summer - off 105 balls, the game had been iced at 195 for four in the 36th over. 

After reaching her fifty off 61 balls, Heath fell to Adams with 19 required. But it was inconsequential, as was the run out of Leigh Kasperek. Winfield-Hill finished it with her only six over long-on off Norris. 

Centurion Lauren Winfield-Hill, of the Northern Diamonds, said:

“We’re delighted to get to another final. It was a really good team performance. Now we want to go on and win it. It will be a fantastic day for the girls at Lord’s. We can’t wait. 

“I’ve certainly not played better than that for the Diamonds. I feel like I’ve played well all year, but I haven’t got the job done through to the end all year.

“The biggest thing for me was to be there at the end and not give it up.

“I feel like I’m striking the ball nicely and getting off to really good starts, and coming off the Hundred I’ve battled a bit last week (74 v Storm) and this because I just wanted to keep going. Adjusting to 50-over cricket has been a challenge. 

“For the last two weekends, I’ve turned around at the 15-over mark and gone, ‘Gee, we’ve still got 35 overs left’. 

“That was probably my biggest learning from last week, so it was nice to turn it around quickly and get the big one.” 

 

Southern Vipers’ captain Georgia Adams said: 

“We were probably a bowler light today. We’ve got a lot of players out to England and through injury. 

“Lauren batted very, very well for them.

“We would have liked 250 on the board to give ourselves a good chance. We didn’t have enough runs on the board and didn’t bowl as well as we needed to. In all three disciplines, really, we just weren’t firing today.

“The belief we’ve got in this team and the depth we’ve got, we always believe we can win a game of cricket. That’s one thing we’ve got over other sides.

“We’ll pick ourselves up and go again in the play-off on Wednesday and give ourselves every chance of getting to Lord’s.”

Central Sparks vs Sunrisers

Central Sparks rounded off their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign with an emphatic 139-run win over Sunrisers at Worcester. 

Both sides went into their final group game with hopes of qualification for the knockout stage over but Sparks at least ended on a high after piling up 260 for nine and then rattling out their opponents for just 139.  

Their hefty total was built by a solid collective effort led by Emily Arlott (63, 73 balls), supported by Abi Freeborn (46, 45) and 16-year-old Davina Perrin (45, 51). Mady Villers took three for 44 for Sunrisers. 

Sunrisers then completed their campaign without a win after Grace Scrivens (61, 75) offered lone resistance, no one else reaching 15. Perrin completed her excellent day with three for 26. 

Sunrisers chose to bowl and quickly took a big wicket when Villiers bowled skipper Eve Jones through an attempted cut in the fifth over but Perrin and Freeborn added 77 in 12 overs. Jodie Grewcock hit back by bowling Perrin and Ami Campbell in the space of five balls, but the Sparks' middle order fired effectively. 

Arlott struck eight fours and a six and Sarah Glenn (33, 38 balls, four fours and a six) injected impetus which took the Sparks' total from solid to imposing. 

Faced with some scoreboard pressure, Sunrisers needed a strong start but an immediate brake was applied by the accuracy of Grace Potts. The opening stand  of 23 between Scrivens and  Grewcock occupied eight overs before the latter played on to Arlott, her five runs having taken 25 balls. 

Naomi Dattani started purposefully with three fours in a cameo 13 but after she edged Potts and was smartly taken by wicketkeeper Freeborn, standing up to the stumps, Scrivens was starved of further support. The last seven wickets fell for 58 runs as Perrin ran through the middle order and Glenn added two wickets to her earlier important contribution with the bat. 

Scrivens reached a valiant 66-ball half-century before she was last to fall, run out by Georgia Davis's throw from mid off, a predatory piece of fielding which encapsulated an all-round impressive display by Sparks.  

Loughborough Lightning vs South East Stars

South East Stars 281/9 beat Lightning 169 by 112 runs

Bryony Smith’s majestic 114 set South East Stars up with a home Playoff clash with Southern Vipers and condemned Lightning to a limp farewell from the regional structure.

Stars skipper Smith, who had played in all three of England’s T20 series victory over India last week, returned to smash an exhilarating first Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy century.

Ryana Macdonald-Gay’s half-century backed up her captain to pile on 281 at the Uptonsteel County Ground in Leicester, which proved 112 runs too many despite Georgie Boyce scoring 60 on her second appearance since joining from Thunder.

Stars will host Vipers at The County Ground, Beckenham on Wednesday, with the winners facing Diamonds at Lord’s on Sunday (25th September).

Lightning lost the toss and were asked to field first in their last game as a Loughborough-based region, before moving to Nottinghamshire next year, but started their goodbye strongly as Grace Ballinger bowled Chloe Brewer with an in-swinger.

That brought Smith to the crease, and despite four dots to start, destruction wasn’t far away.

She never veered too far away from going at a run-a-ball throughout, helped by some luscious early driving, but streaked ahead with four consecutive boundaries off Ballinger to motor into the 40s.

Her fourth time past 50 in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy came in 47, but it only took her a further 39 deliveries to become the competition’s 14th centurion in three seasons – and the second fastest to the landmark.

Smith’s timing and picking up on poor legside balls were the foundation of the phenomenal innings but so too was her ability to dominate partnerships despite wickets falling regularly. She put on 40 with Kira Chathli, 66 with Jemima Spence (of which Smith scored 45) and 51 with Rhianna Southby.

When she departed for 114, having smashed straight at mid-off to end a blistering innings packed with 17 fours and a six over long-on, it felt inevitable that Stars would slump in her wake.

But 196 for seven was revived to 267 for eight after a low-risk, high-reward stand between Ryana Macdonald-Gay and Alexa Stonehouse. The former wristily found gaps to bring up a maiden List A half-century in 56 balls.

It helped Stars end up on a well-above-par 281, although Ballinger’s three for 62 belied her impressive first five overs, while Kirstie Gordon was exemplary with two for 38.

Franklin demolished the Lightning top order by bowling Marie Kelly via a chop on, running out Beth Harmer with a direct hit from square leg, and had Michaela Kirk leg before.

Lucy Higham was struck in front by Eva Gray to leave Lightning in a heap on 54 for four, but Boyce showcased her impressive skills in a 76-run stand with the increasingly impressive Ella Claridge.

The pair got their side back towards a manageable rate, with Boyce collecting a 60-ball fifty. But wicketkeeper Claridge fell for 35 and Boyce 70 within three overs of each other to stunt the hosts again, before the bottom fell out.

Macdonald-Gay continued her fine day by bowling Boyce and Sophie Munro, Gray picked up her second and third when Thresa Graves was astonishingly caught at backward point by Southby and Josie Groves tickled behind. Dani Gregory picked up the last wicket of Ballinger with 70 balls to spare.

Lightning batter Georgie Boyce (who was an original Lightning player back in the 2016 KSL):

"We wanted to get a win on the board to end the Lightning but if you look at the bigger picture and where we've come from November 2015 to now, today is only a small piece in that. We would have liked to get over the line but it ends a chapter that is really significant in people's careers and has some of the best memories that go with it.

"Loughborough has been a massive part of women's cricket and it is sad that it is no longer going to be there. It is probably at the right time to move onto Nottinghamshire and a first-class ground. It is exciting and sad at the same time.

"I was personally really happy with today. I've had a tough few months cricket wise. We didn't get off to the best start so Ella and I tried to see how far we could get the game going.

"We thought it we could have kept them under 250 we would have been in the game but they batted us out the game at the end and then we lost early wickets at the top.

On her move to Lightning/new region: "Moving back closer to home is a big part of it but I think it is the right time in my career to have new people, a new culture and new environment and hopefully it kicks on my career."

 

South East Stars batter and captain Bryony Smith:

"We were really looking for the home Playoff as it was either that or Scarborough. I was really happy with our clinical performance.

"It was quite tricky out there as they bowled really well up top, but I knew if we batted time then it would get easier. It has been a while since I have done a 50-over game but being around the international scene you learn so much and I try to bring that back here.

"It is tough to lose players for England and it has happened quite often to us. It is great because it is international cricket, so when one of us are back really really look to lead things. We have such a young squad and it is great to see those slightly older ones take on responsibility. Us and Vipers have lost the most probably but we have put in some dominant performances throughout the tournament.

"We trusted ourselves and built partnerships together. I think that partnership between Macca and Alexa at the back end was just as important as my century to get us up to 280, which was way above par on that pitch."

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