The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy under way.
The ECB did very well to get women’s cricket going on a national scale with the newly minted Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. A 50-over tournament was wisely chosen.
The opening day of hostilities just happened to be almost exactly a year since the last final of the KSL at Hove.
The new pattern of women’s cricket was in operation. The eight squads competing represent geographical divisions of the country larger than the counties. England’s elite players have taken part in the first two rounds only. The main thrust of the operation is to take a close look at the talent coming up behind them. So each of what are essentially franchises included a small number of experienced international players to set an example to the rest.
The absence of overseas players was a total plus. Their presence in the Kia Super League of the past four years served to hold back the advance of home-grown youngsters. Once more use was made of a Bank Holiday weekend to reduce the inconvenience to amateur players.
Saturday 29 August Round One
Leading players took leading roles: Heather Knight looked a class apart as she calmly accumulated an unbeaten 91 to show the rest of the cast how to do the job. Lauren Winfield dominated Thunder’s decent total of 205-9 with an encouraging 73. Danni Wyatt hit a typically forthright 66 in an opening stand of 111 with Georgia Adams for Vipers.
But a much less predictable offering came from Sophie Ecclestone who, promoted to No 6, justified the move with an excellent 60*. After Thunder’s years of travail in the KSL it was good to see them pass 200 with contributions from Natalie Brown and Ellie Threlkeld. Then their bowlers, led by Kate Cross, held Lightning to a distant 146.
We shouldn’t be surprised to find Katherine Brunt showing the way on the bowling front. Her final figures of 5-20 against Sparks are ridiculously fine; the England selectors will be delighted to see her in her best form, but then they must worry about the next generation.
Of the candidates Lauren Bell looked marginally more impressive than Freya Davies. With her good action and pace she gets a deal of movement, mainly into the right-hander, but beat the outside of the bat as well. A number of left-arm seam bowlers were on view, led by Tash Farrant, captaining the Stars. Others include Katie George and Tara Norris who produced her best form in Round 2.
Ultimately, all personal performances must be set against the best the world has to offer, that is the Australians. One major black mark on the first day was the number of wides. They totalled an unlikely 123. Of course bowlers were being tested for the first time in many months, after being tied down by the pandemic. But even so…
Results
Central Sparks 144 lost to Northern Diamonds 145-1 by 9 wickets
Lightning 146 lost to Thunder 205-9 by 59 runs
South East Stars 166 lost to Western Storm 167-4 by six wickets
Sunrisers 202 lost to Southern Vipers 208-3 by seven wickets
Bank Holiday Monday 31 August Round Two
Vipers produced the major result of the day, defeating the leading squad of recent times, Storm, at Bristol. Once Heather Knight (67) and skipper Sophie Luff (60) were dismissed, it was left to Lauren Parfitt (33) and Claire Nicholas (22) to stop the rot. But Tara Norris took four wickets and captain Georgia Adams completed a fine day by adding three to her earlier score of 55.
Stars lost two wickets in the first over to Katie Wolfe of Sunrisers, but thereafter Sophia Dunkley and Alice Davidson-Richards took control with a fine partnership of 123. Dunkley must have impressed England selectors. She has added calm and judgement to her power and aggression. Only on the brink of a deserved century did she allow herself a careless wallop and was caught in the deep. Stars’ middle order kept up the pressure to help them reach the highest total thus far, 289-9. They have the advantage of the excellent square at Beckenham.
There was another heartbreaking dismissal in the same game, this time for Amara Carr for Sunrisers. She lifted a foot on 99 and was stumped by Rhianna Southby. Apart from that she deserves every credit. After leaving Devon for a contract with Middlesex, she was honoured with the captaincy of this new outfit, and kept wicket tidily into the bargain.
The only century thus far (104) went to a familiar figure, Nat Sciver, who now sports Diamonds’ colours. She held the fort as five of the other six top batters mustered 11 runs between them. Her hard work paid off. In the tensest game of the day Lightning couldn’t complete the job after the top three batters, Tammie Beaumont and the Bryce sisters, added 176 towards the total of 217-7.
It was a great day for the two Scots. Kathryn took a remarkable 5-29, then passed her younger sister’s 57 with 68*. Sarah outshone Beaumont in a threatening first-wicket stand of 117. But neither they nor the England opener could dominate the strongest bowling unit in the tournament: five England players (Brunt, Langston, Sciver, Gunn and Linsey Smith) plus Katie Levitt who has taken more wickets for Yorkshire that anyone.
Yes, Jenny Gunn and Smith weren’t with Lightning anymore, but I’ll leave the question of squad allocations to another day.
It will be fascinating to see how the competition develops once the contracted players leave the scene for Round 3.
Results
Northern Diamonds 226-9 beat Lightning 217-7 by 9 runs
Thunder 135 lost to Central Sparks 136-6 by 4 wickets
South East Stars 289-8 beat Sunrisers 212 by 77 runs
Western Storm 239 lost to Southern Vipers 261-7 by 22 runs
Individual Performances over Two Rounds
Batting
104 Nat Sciver
99 Amara Carr (stumped!)
97 Sophia Dunkley
91* Heather Knight
72 Lauren Winfield
71* Kathryn Bryce
67 Heather Knight
66 Danni Wyatt
64 Mady Villiers
61 Alice Davidson-Richards
60* Sophie Ecclestone
60* Charlie Dean
60 Sophie Luff
Bowling
Katherine Brunt 9-2-20-5
Kathryn Bryce 10-1-29-5
Georgia Hennessy 8.1-1-31-4
Sonali Patel 10-0-52-4
Tara Norris 8-0-45-4
Wides
First day: 123!
Second day: 110!
The Eight Squads (not all the England contracted players are listed here)
Central Sparks: Emily Arlott, Hannah Baker, Clare Boycott, Thea Brookes, Gwenan Davies, Poppy Davies, Georgia Davis, Sarah Glenn, Milly Home, Chloe Hill, Amy Jones, Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly, Anisha Patel, Grace Potts, Liz Russell, Issy Wong
Lightning: Abbey Freeborn, Alicia Presland, Bethan Ellis, Bethany Harmer, Grace Ballinger, Ilenia Sims, Kathryn Bryce, Leah Kellogg, Lucy Higham, Nancy Harman, Ria Fackrell, Sarah Bryce, Shachi Pai, Sophie Munro, Teresa Graves
Northern Diamonds – Hollie Armitage, Ami Campbell, Leah Dobson, Helen Fenby, Phoebe Graham, Jenny Gunn, Bess Heath, Rachel Hopkins, Sterre Kalis, Beth Langston, Katie Levick, Alex Macdonald, Rachel Slater, Ella Telford, Layla Tipton
South East Stars: Megan Belt, Maxine Blythin, Chloe Brewer, Alice Capsey, Aylish Cranstone, Tash Farrant, Phoebe Franklin, Grace Gibbs, Amy Gordon, Eva Gray, Danielle Gregory, Hannah Jones, Susie Rowe, Rhianna Southby, Kirstie White
Southern Vipers: Georgia Adams, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Ella Chandler, Providence Cowdrill, Charlie Dean, Ariana Dowse, Freya Kemp, Cassidy McCarthy, Ella McCaughan, Alice Monaghan, Tara Norris, Carla Rudd, Paige Scholfield, Emily Windsor
Thunder: Georgie Boyce, Natalie Brown, Alice Clarke, Danielle Collins, Rebecca Duckworth, Alice Dyson, Alex Hartley, Liberty Heap, Laura Jackson, Hannah Jones, Laura Marshall, Daisy Mullan, Olivia Thomas , Ellie Threlkeld, Sophia Turner
Sunrisers: Amara Carr, Naomi Dattani, Cordelia Griffith, Jo Gardner, Kelly Castle, Sonali Patel, Gaya Gole, Emily Thorpe, Mia Rodgers, Katie Midwood, Hayley Brown, Scarlett Hughes, Katie Wolfe
Western Storm: Sophie Luff, Fi Morris, Danielle Gibson, Claire Nicholas, Alex Griffiths, Georgia Hennessy, Nat Wraith, Lauren Filer, Steph Hutchins, Lauren Parfitt, Emily Edgcombe, Niamh Holland, Emma Corney, Abbie Whybrow
