Charlotte Edwards Cup – Round Three
Western Storm v Northern Diamonds
The one nail-biter over came at Taunton where Jenny Gunn was needed once more to pull the trigger at the end of a fraught game.
Storm’s total of 106 looked barely adequate; Linsey Smith put the visitors on top right at the start, pinning Georgia Hennessy lbw third ball. We were privileged to see Sarah Taylor make another astonishing catch, leaping to her right to take an edge from Sophie Luff (0) directed towards third slip. Only Katie George and Nat Wraith reached 20, and Wraith was cleaned up by Smith who finished with 2-15 off her four overs of left-arm slows. Alex MacDonald made sure the total was kept in bounds, returning the outstanding analysis 4-0-17-4.
But Storm came fighting back after the interval. Once again nobody could establish a major innings, Storm’s bowlers preventing all the first eight batters passing 15. Taylor showed her annoyance at getting run out taking a second run. Alex Griffiths and Fi Morris combined brilliantly on the square-leg boundary to haul in a powerful hook then return the ball over the stumps to Nat Wraith. Taylor realised her plight only over the last few yards. Her reaction was understandable as a procession of batters then went cheaply. Storm realised they could take a game that had looked out of reach. When Sterre Kalis was bowled by Danielle Gibson (78-7), alarm bells were ringing in the Yorkshire Dales.
So sure are Diamonds of Gunn’s finishing powers that she was delayed till No 9 on the list. Diamonds needed 13 off the last two overs, 10 off the last with nine down already, and Katie Levick bats No 11 for a reason. She heaved an edge off the first ball – a single to put Gunn on strike. She missed the next ball. but from there it went 2-4-2… and a four off the very last ball to give Diamonds the crucial points. (tables below) Great entertainment.
Thunder v Sunrisers
The Friday game saw the competition’s leading player lay out her claim for England selection.
Emma Lamb offered Lisa Keightley 111 not out and 3-16 for her perusal. It’s a sign of Sunrisers’ plight that Kelly Castle asked Grace Scrivens to open the bowling at Old Trafford. The 17-year-old is highly promising, but the need to call up a teenage off-spinner to face the form batter in the country was a silent admission of the team’s shortcomings. Scrivens went for two runs.
Later bowlers were to prove less frugal. Gayatri Gole had Georgie Boyce caught by Cordelia Griffith for 34 (69-1), but that was the end of the good news. Ellie Threlkeld (26*) batted sensibly, giving her partner the strike whenever possible. Lamb took the bowling apart, hitting an astonishing series of powerful shots all over the ground. In the remaining 10.1 overs she and Threlkeld added 117 runs. It was slaughter. Off 61 balls Lamb hit eleven 4s and three 6s. Her only sign of weakness was the need to take in large doses of oxygen after another fast run two.
To their great credit Sunrisers rose to the challenge, Griffith (34) and Amara Carr (29) in particular showing aggressive intent. But once Kate Cross decided Lamb had had quite enough rest in the field, she brought her on to bowl. The result: 4-0-16-3. The last five wickets collapsed in a heap for 12 runs.
SE Stars v Southern Vipers
There was a tighter game at Beckenham, but only slightly. Stars’ leading batters couldn’t get going against one of the strongest bowling line-ups in the competition. Charlotte Taylor reinforced her position as the top off-spinner in the country, snaring both the openers, Bryony Smith and Alice Davidson-Richards, for single figures. Alice Capsey (29) and Phoebe Franklin (24) tried to right the ship, and later Susie Rowe and especially Kira Chathli (30) helped the total closer to respectability; but 127 looked inadequate on a true Beckenham track.
And sadly for them Georgia Adams has returned to her form of last year. She dominated the opening stages of the reply, completing a 50 that more or less secured victory. Maia Bouchier continued confidently after her dismissal, compiling an authoritative 53* to see Vipers home. They became the only team to post three straight wins.
Lightning v Central Sparks
Despite appearing at Leicestershire’s county ground Lightning couldn’t find inspiration from the new venue. Their top players are out of form and they lack the overall strength to make up for individual misfortune.
One player to produce the goods was Sophie Munro. She top-scored with 20 but at No 11! Then she came on in the third over to capture the wickets of Marie Kelly and Milly Home and set Sparks back at 5-2. But the skipper Eve Jones took root to bat right through (29*), and Gwenan Davies and Thea Brookes accompanied her at a faster rate to see the visitors home.
Their approach was interesting. Facing one of the lowest totals of the competition, their policy was to take their time. Credit must go to Lightning’s bowlers, but should a score of 84 really have taken nineteen full overs to pass? When net run-rates can be the clincher for a place in the play-offs, that seems counter-productive.
Results:
Friday Thunder 186-1 Sunrisers 115 Thunder won by 71 runs Old Trafford
Saturday Lightning 81 Sparks 84-4 Sparks won by 6 wickets Leicester
SE Stars 127-7 Vipers 130-3Vipers won by 7 wickets Beckenham
Storm 106-9 Diamonds 110-9Diamonds won by one wicket Taunton
After three rounds the two groups look like this:
GROUP A W L NRR Pts
Southern Vipers 3 0 2.180 15
SE Stars 2 1 0.772 9
Central Sparks 1 2 -0.924 4
Lightning 0 3 -1.629 0
GROUP B
Thunder 2 1 1.513 9
Northern Diamonds 2 1 0.245 8
Western Storm 1 2 -0.142 5
Sunrisers 1 2 -1.375 4
A reminder: the top two teams go through to the play-offs, plus the next highest finisher. There’s a long way to go yet, but Sparks, Lightning and Sunrisers have an uphill struggle.
After this third round there’s a break till 25 August for other forms of cricket to take precedence.
