All twenty wickets fell during the Southern Derby, with both teams missing players on England call-up; with equal expectations to qualify beyond the group stage to play the Eliminator if they won two-out-of-three of their remaining matches. Previously, ’Stars’ unexpectedly defeated ‘The Blaze’ by 100 runs on September 10:- (during which England’s Alice Davidson-Richards scored a ‘ton.’) ’Vipers’’ best batter & bowler was Linsey Smith who scored her maiden ’fifty’ at 50 overs [51 runs (from 58 balls)] with her bat; followed by a match-winning 3-fer (3/34) with the ball. ‘Stars’’ Aylish Cranstone [69 runs (from 64 balls)] made top-score of the day, and ’Stars’ spinner Danielle Gregory took a 4-fer (4/55.) Commentators were Kevan ‘Kev’ James (BBC radio Solent), Phil Green (Hursley Park) and guest. Video highlights courtesy of ECB (NV Play) & Southern Vipers for Hants Cricket (please see below.) Weather at Southampton was mainly overcast with grey clouds, improving with barely noticeable sunny spells as the match progressed.
Vipers Innings *Skipper Georgia Adams [*Kira Chathli keeping wicket for Stars] *With Freya Kemp and Mary Taylor, plus Academy players Ava Lee (bowler) Abi Norgrove (batter) *International player Nicole Faltum (Aus) conveying drinks. *Depleted without England call-ups (Maia Bouchier, Charlie Dean, & Danni Wyatt) Lauren Bell rested. *Stars seamers Alexa Stonehouse paired with Ryana Macdonald-Gay bowled six overs each. *Abi Norgrove 5(11), scooped ‘off-her-legs’ to ‘mid-wicket’ and was caught by Bethan Miles from seamer Alexa Stonehouse (1/32); After 10 overs ‘Power-play,’ ‘Vipers’ were 27/1. *Bethan Miles (spin) was paired to bowl three overs with Paige Scholfield (seam.) *Breakthrough came when Ella McCaughan 44(58) steepled down-the-ground, caught at ‘long-on’ by Ryana Macdonald-Gay from spinner Bethan Miles (1/40); *Georgia Elwiss 2(4) was short-lived, run out’ by Jemima Spence’s direct hit fron ‘square-leg.’ *Commentators’s curse struck during the 25th over, when Emily Windsor 9(17) was caught by Paige Scholfield from Danielle Gregory. *By mid-way ‘Vipers’ were 118/4.*Two overs later a ‘massive wicket’ fell when Georgia Adams 49(61), top-edged to ’square,’ caught by Aylish Cranstone one short of ‘fifty,’ also from spinner Danielle Gregory. *Scoring two ‘sixes,’ Freya Kemp 39(33), steepled down-the-ground, caught at ‘long-off’ by Ryana Macdonald-Gay, again from Danielle Gregory. *After 40 overs, Alice Monaghan 11(18) played across-the-line and went ‘leg-before’ to Danielle Gregory (4-fer 4/56); *Scoring her maiden ‘fifty’ for ‘Vipers,’ Linsey Smith 51(58), steepled down-the-ground, caught at ‘at-deep-mid-on’ by Ryana Macdonald-Gay, from Paige Scholfield (2/31); *Vipers last two wickets fell for 1 run when Rhianna Southby 21(24), was beaten ‘through-the-gate,’ top of ‘middle-and-leg,’ bowled by Ryana Macdonald-Gay (1/38); Finally, Ava Lee 0(2) snicked a ‘leading-edge’ to Kira Chathli from Paige Scholfield for a ’second-ball-duck’ *’Vipers’’ best batter was Linsey Smith 51(58); *Best ‘Stars’’ bowler was Danielle Gregory 4-fer: 4/56.
Stars Innings *Skipper Bryony Smith [*Rhianna Southby keeping wicket for Vipers] *With Academy players Bethan Miles, Kalea Moore & Jemima Spence. Chloe Hill on loan from ‘Vipers.’ Without Alice Capsey, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley or Alice Davidson-Richards. *Initially, scorers gaffed between two ‘Smiths’ playing on opposite sides, when one Smith (Linsey) took a wicket and another Smith (Bryony) arrived to bat; *Skipper Bryony Smith 1(10) ‘who didn’t really get going,’ was caught by Alice Monaghan from Linsey Smith coming around-the-wicket; *Kira Chathli 3(9) steepled down-the-ground, caught at ‘long-off’ by Abi Norgrove (gaffed as Ava Lee) from spinner Linsey Smith. *After 10 overs ‘Power-play,’ ‘Stars’ were level-pegging on 27/2 (vs 27/1.) *Two wickets fell ten balls apart, firstly when Jemima Spence 28(57) steepled high, caught at ’deep-square’ by Emily Windsor, from seamer Alice Monaghan; *Secondly when Paige Scholfield 2(8) was caught by Freya Kemp from Ava Lee’s slower ball; *During the 24th over, Kalea Moore 7(19) ‘chipped back’ and was caught-and-bowled by rolling Ava Lee 2/38; *By mid-way ‘Stars’ were 94/5 (vs 118/4.) *Chloe Hill 4(8) was short-lived, going plumb ‘leg-before’ to Mary Taylor 1/40; *Once top-scorer Aylish Cranstone 69(64) was bowled by Georgia Adams’ ‘yorker;’ ‘Stars’ needed 111 runs from the last 15 overs. *Five balls later, the last recognised batter Alexa Stonehouse 25(36) was bowled ‘ middle-and-off’ by Linsey Smith (3/34); followed by Bethan Miles 2(6) missed a ‘slog-sweep,’ fell over and went ‘leg-before’ to Georgia Adams 2/41; *Tail-enders gave spirited resistance by adding 46 runs for ‘Stars’ 10th wicket. *Ryana Macdonald-Gay 23(31) was caught at ‘mid-wicket’ by Freya Kemp, from Alice Monaghan 2/30; *Danielle Gregory 20*not out (36); *’Stars’’ best batter was Aylish Cranstone 69(64); *Best ‘Vipers’’ bowler was Linsey Smith 3/34.
Match summary: Both teams made cautious carbon-copy starts during their respective Power-plays.’ They also bowled each other out. When ‘Viper’s’ Georgia Adams missed-out by one run on her 5th consecutive skipper’s ‘fifty’ followed by Georgia Elwiss’ back-to-back ‘run out;’ ‘Vipers’ look set for an under-par score. Freya Kemp’s quick-fire 39 runs (from 33 balls) plus Linsey Smith’s maiden ‘fifty’ at 50 overs boosted a defendable score. ‘Stars’ Aylish Cranstone (having recovered from wrist injury) came closest to scoring around one-run-per-ball. ‘Stars’ bowlers-turned-batters (Danielle Gregory and Ryana Macdonald-Gay) made a ‘frustrating’ last-wicket stand of 46 runs for ‘Stars” 10th wicket. ‘Vipers’ gained a bonus point from a ‘brilliant end’, leap-frogged ‘Stars’ isecond place in the table with one group stage match to go (at the time of writing.) ‘Vipers’ (2nd) 33 points; ‘Stars’ (3rd) 31 points; with ‘Sparks’ and ‘Diamonds’ close on their tails. Post match interview with Linsey Smith 3m25s (Smith Reviews ‘Strong Performance’ In Stars Victory) courtesy of BBC radio Solent & Southern Vipers on YouTube @URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufx2vPF9CtU
Match result: Southern Vipers 254/10 beat South East Stars 196/1, by 58 runs (with 16 balls remaining)
*Vipers batting: 254/10 (from 48.2/50 overs @5.2 runs-per-over) Linsey Smith 51(58), Ella McCaughan 44(58), Georgia Adams 49(61), Freya Kemp 39(33), Rhianna Southby 21(24), Alice Monaghan 11(18); *Stars bowling: Danielle Gregory 4/55, Paige Scholfield 2/31, Alexa Stonehouse 1/32, Ryana Macdonald-Gay 1/38, Bethan Miles 1/40; *Fow 1-12, 2-18, 3-94, 4-117, 5-128, 6-176, 7-205, 8-245, 9-253, 10-254.
*Stars batting: 196/10 (from 47.2/50overs@4.1 r-p-o) Aylish Cranstone 69(64), Jemima Spence 28(57), Alexa Stonehouse 25(36), Ryana Macdonald-Gay 23(31), Danielle Gregory 20(36);*Vipers bowling: Linsey Smith 3/34, Alice Monaghan 2/30, Ava Lee 2/38, Georgia Adams 2/41, Mary Taylor 1/40. *Fow 1-5, 2-13, 3-71, 4-74, 5-84, 6-99, 7-144, 8-146, 9-150, 10-196.
* Scorecard courtesy of ECB @URL https://www.ecb.co.uk/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy/matches/35821#scorecard
* Video highlights, via NV Play @URL https://www.ecb.co.uk/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy/matches/35821#videos
* Match highlights, via Southern Vipers [09m53s] @URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK_YVSiTAjk&t=1s
