
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Latest news, Scores and Updates from today's matches – September 5th 2020
All the Latest news, Scores and Updates from today's Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches.
Saturday, September 5, 2020
Sunrisers v Western Storm Starts at 10:30
Skipper Sophie Luff’s elegant half century led Western Storm to a crushing 86-run victory over hosts Sunrisers at Chelmsford.
Luff stroked nine 4s in an innings of 85 from 115 balls, sharing stands of 80 – in just 61 deliveries - with Alex Griffiths and 55 with Claire Nicholas as Storm rattled up 265-6, despite 10 excellent overs of off-spin from Alice Macleod (1-34).
Lauren Filer then took wickets with her first two balls of the tournament, before Fi Morris (5-26) claimed a five-wicket haul as Sunrisers mustered 179 in reply, Jo Gardner top-scoring with 54.
Morris (24) and Lauren Parfitt got Storm off to a solid start with an opening stand of 43 after being asked to bat first. But the former fell to Macleod and helped by a mix-up which saw Georgia Hennessy run out, Sunrisers reduced the visitors to 109-4 just beyond halfway.
Instead of grabbing the match by the scruff, Sunrisers’ bowlers lost their discipline as Griffiths and Luff unleashed a flurry of boundaries, producing 58 runs in the next five overs.
Griffiths hit the innings’ only six before being given a life on 29 when skipper Amara Carr and bowler Emily Thorpe left a simple top edge to one another and the chance was lost.
The Welsh-born all-rounder was eventually snared LBW by Sonali Patel (1-31) for 43, made from just 34 balls, before Luff was stumped off Katie Wolfe (1-23). Nevertheless, 265 looked an imposing score and Filer soon made it look a whole lot bigger.
Storm’s medium pacer struck a huge blow when having Carr caught at slip for a golden duck and her next ball splayed MacLeod’s stumps to leave the hosts 2-2. The hat-trick ball proved an anti-climactic wide, one of three in an over of 11 deliveries - too much adrenaline perhaps?
Hard-hitting Cordelia Griffith lost her middle stump playing all round one from Griffiths, before Morris accounted for both Naomi Dattani (27) and Gaya Gole to leave Sunrisers in tatters at 70-5
Gardner smote two big sixes in a gritty half-century, sharing a sixth-wicket of 51 with Grace Scrivens, but she became Morris’ fifth victim to leave Sunrisers still winless in the tournament.
Southern Vipers v South East Stars Starts at 10:30
The Southern Vipers remained on course for the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy when they made it three wins out of three by defeating the South East Stars by 111 runs at Hove.
The Stars, chasing a target of 210, never came to terms with a difficult surface but kept themselves in touch until they suddenly fell away, losing five wickets in seven overs for 11 runs halfway through their 50-over allocation. It was their second defeat in three matches.
They were 61 for two in the 20th over, slightly behind the rate but still very much in the match with wickets in hand, when the game turned with a stunning piece of fielding from Providence Cowdrill.
The dangerous Maxine Blythin, sensing the need for acceleration, drove Charlotte Taylor powerfully but uppishly and was stunned to be caught by a diving one-handed catch by Cowdrill at mid-off.
Then Susie Rowe jumped down the wicket to drive but only succeeded in chipping the ball to mid-off, where Ella McCaughan took a simple catch. In the following over Aylish Cranstone, who had held the innings together with 28, was unluckily run out as non-striker when a drive was deflected onto the stumps by the bowler Tara Norris. Then Tash Farrant and Rhianna Southby were run out in successive overs and the game was up for the Stars.
The Vipers might have expected to score more than their 209 for eight, especially after openers Georgia Adams and McCaughan had set a solid platform with a first-wicket stand of 84 in 21.3 overs.
But, until the end of their innings, they struggled to lift their run-rate above four an over. They lost wickets just as partnerships were beginning to develop and found no-one to play the commanding middle-order innings to accelerate the run-rate, not that it was needed at the end of the day.
In mitigation, they were batting on a used wicket, which appeared to get slower as the day progressed. And the bowling and fielding by the South East Stars was impressive. Captain Farrant led the way, her bustling left-arm seam bowling taking two wickets for 28 runs in ten overs. She was well supported, particularly by Alice Capsey, who is better known as a right-hand bat but who has also been transformed into a useful spinner by the former Hampshire slow left-armer Rajesh Maru.
Adams, the daughter of former Sussex captain and Test batsman Chris Adams, followed her recent 55 against Western Storm with a 69-ball 44, with three fours, while McCaughan, only 17, made 50 from 81 deliveries, though she hinted at a brisker tempo when she struck three fours in the fifth over of the match, bowled by Eva Gray.
After that Maia Bouchier, with 28 off 35, and Charlotte Dean (28 from 44) threatened to play major innings but both got out when well set and the Vipers only got the 200 up in the 49th over.
Southern Vipers opening batsman Ella McCaughan: “I was happy with my innings. I’ve been batting seven, when the England players were in, so it was good to open up and show what I could do. It feels good to have won the first three and to be top of the table. We didn’t expect to win by that margin but we went in hard to get key wickets early on.”
South East Stars captain Tash Farrant: “I won’t blame the wicket. It was a bit on the slow side, but pretty good. We kept losing wickets in clusters. We didn’t bat well enough. We would have taken their score at the beginning of the day. We bowled and fielded brilliantly after starting slightly sloppily.”
Lightning v Northern Diamonds Starts at 10:30
Central Sparks v Thunder Starts at 10:30
Central Sparks emerged victorious against North West Thunder by 8 wickets, chasing down 167 in 39 overs at New Road thanks to four wickets from Clare Boycott and Eve Jones making 90 to see her side over the line.
The emphatic victory puts Thunder second in the North Group, with Thunder sitting in third place
After losing the toss and bowling, Sparks bowlers had an all round performance, picking up wickets at regular intervals and not letting the visitors run rare get ahead of them. When the batters' turn came, they ensured Thunder didn’t get back into the game, and their positive play in the middle secured the win.
Thunder made a steady start to their first innings, putting on an unbroken opening partnership of 53 from the first 17 overs. However Sparks turned their fortunes around and took three wickets for nine balls. Firstly Anisha Patel trapped Laura Marshall lbw for 25, and Boycott followed by taking 2 wickets in 2 overs. She bowled Jackson for 1, and next over got Boyce edging behind for 27.
After the 3 quick wickets Thunder settled and boundaries began to flow as they upped their intent heading to back stages of the innings, although once again Sparks managed to take wickets at regular intervals to halt the visitors.
An amazing direct hit from skipper, Eve Jones dismissed Ellie Threkeld for 22, after a mix up in the middle between herself and Brown, pushing for a single that wasn’t there.
Another three quick wickets followed for Sparks, for just 3 runs. Thea Brookes came into the attack, making an impact, dismissing Brown for 27, caught behind and trapping Olivia Thomas LBW for 0. Boycott got the third, bowling Heap who went without scoring.
Duckworth and Dyson did put Thunder back into the game in the last 10 overs, bringing their score past 150. Their partnership of 35 was broken by Boycott, getting her fourth wicket, when Dyson was caught for 21, with Thunder posting 166.
Sparks made a positive start to their chase, as openers Gwen Davies and Jones brought up their 50 partnership in the 12th over, as they continued to frustrate in their dominant opening partnership.
Captain, Eve Jones passed her half-century in the 24th over, coming from 82 balls, as the 100 partnership from the openers came in the same over.
The partnership flourished as the innings progressed, reaching 114, but Olivia Thomas found a breakthrough, trapping Davies LBW for 37. Marie Kelly came in and continued her great form alongside Eve, but just on the brink of victory Jnes was run out for 90, Nevertheless, the hosts carried out a comprehensive win in an excellent all-round performance.
©Cricket World 2020