South East Stars W v Central Sparks W at Guildford on May 18 (16h00 start)
Sparks ’power play’ had two more ‘fours’ and ’sixes’ – setting-up a comfortable win. Having built an insurmountable total with the bat – with Issy Wong top scoring with 45 runs (from 28 balls), Sparks went on to take all ten Stars wickets on a fine but cool evening, winning by 34 runs. Grace Potts ended the day for Sparks with best bowling figures: 4-fer 36. (4/36.)
*Sparks ‘power play’ found gaps to accommodate 8 ‘fours’ and two ’sixes,’ scoring 40 without loss from their first four overs. Both sides put down at least four catches.
*Stars newbie Emma Jones bowled an eventful fifth over when difficult chances to dismiss either opener were put down (at 40/0 and 44/0.)
*Bringing herself on to bowl, skipper Bryony Smith bowled 5 ‘dot’ balls to Eve Jones, but her sixth ball was lofted for ’six’ to conclude the power play.
*Three balls later, England’s Freya Davies took a ballooning catch from skipper Eve Jones (26 runs from 25 balls), from the bowling of Alice Davidson-Richards (2/27). At mid-way Sparks were 80/1.
*England’s Amy Jones (40 from 28) built two partnerships, 27 runs with top-scorer Issy Wong (45 from 28); and 36 runs with Abi Freeborn 11(12).
*Amy Jones went just before the 100 ball (16.4 overs) benchmark (138/4.)
*Freya Davis made two ‘run outs’ from the last two balls of Alice Davidson-Richards’ ‘death’ over. Sparks closed on a defendable 170/6.
*During Stars’ final power play over, opener Aylish Cranstone (18 from 17) edged a vertical ‘skier’ to keeper Amy Jones (44/1 vs 58/0.)
*Living dangerously, skipper Bryony Smith (41 from 31) was afforded two lives, but disaster struck soon after when spinner Hannah Baker had Amy Jones dismiss both the skipper and the teenage star Alice Capsey (19 from 10) within four balls of each other.
*At mid-way Stars were 82/3, having lost two more wickets than their opponents.
*Drama struck during the twelfth over when England spinner Sarah Glenn was on a ‘hat trick.’ By the end of the fifteenth over, Stars had made 100 (104/5 vs 124/3) still carrying two-wickets disadvantage.
*At the 100 ball (16.4 overs) benchmark, Stars were 115/6 (vs 138/4.)
*Bowling the final over, Grace Potts took the last two remaining tail-enders’ wickets. *In summary, Stars lacked the firepower of their opponents and threw away their tail-enders’ wickets.
Result: (Group ‘B’) Central Sparks Women 170/6 (20 overs); beat South-East Stars Women 136/10 (20 overs, target 171) by 34 runs
Central Sparks 170/6 (20 overs, 8.5 runs-per-over): Issy Wong 45 runs (from 28 balls), Amy Jones 40(28), Eve Jones 26(25), Ami Campbell 20 (16), Gwenan Davies 17(11), Abi Freeborn; 11(12); Stars bowling: Alice Davidson-Richards (2/27), Bryony Smith (2/29), Fow 1-59, 2-86, 3-122, 4-134, 5-169, 6-170.
South-East Stars 136/10 (20 overs, 6.80 runs-per-over): Bryony Smith 41(31), Alice Capsey 19(10), Aylish Cranstone 18(17), Kira Chathli 14(17), Kalea Moore 13*(11), Alice Davidson-Richards 11(14); Sparks bowling: Grace Potts 4/36, Hannah Baker 2/19, Sarah Glenn 2/22, Issy Wong 1/14, Emily Arlott 1/40; Fow 1-44, 2-81, 3-82, 4-90, 5-90, 6-112, 7-115, 8-115, 136-9, 136-10.
Scorecards at URL https://www.ecb.co.uk/charlotte-edwards-cup/match-centre/34601
Statistics at URL https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/charlotte-edwards-cup-2022-1298049/south-east-stars-vs-central-sparks-group-b-1298057/match-statistics
