Beckenham, 14 July
This was a thoroughly engaging match, played on a Beckenham track looking unusually green. Stars certainly seemed to agree, for they fielded a squadron of spinners just as large as England’s in their recent match (teams listed below).
We were lucky: this was the only game played to a finish; the other four teams having only a maximum two points to harvest, thanks to widespread rain.
Bryony Smith chose to bat first, but as two wickets fell in the blink of an eye, may have regretted her confidence. Mady Villiers snaffled both Phoebe Franklin and Paige Scholfield within the first five overs.
The proper response was to score a packet of runs herself. This she did (84), supported by the equally knowing Alice Davidson-Richards (70). Together they hoisted a huge partnership of 148, in effect taking the game away from the visitors. By the time Smith departed, the score had reached 186, and Stars’ array of all-rounders added a further 72 in 12.2 overs. Ryana Macdonald-Gay, whose bowling later wouldn’t totally convince any watching England selector, finished in the grand manner, hitting two 6s and two 4s off Sophie Munro in the 47th.
Stars’ predictions about a spinner’s wicket were justified by Sunrisers’ best bowlers. Villiers, Jodi Grewcock and Grace Scrivens (unusually giving herself a full blast of 10 overs, took seven wickets between them.
The Reply
Smith took the second over herself, another rare indulgence. She proved miserly in the extreme, (9-2-31-2). The two maidens tell their own story.
Franklin, who opened, bowled what the commentator considered a ‘bad ball’ to Scrivens (11). It just happened to land in Jones’ pouch an inch short of the boundary. Maybe the bowler knew more about her former team-mate than he did. That was a vital wicket to fall early.
Tilly Corteen-Coleman, still so young she’s hardly played a 50-over game, bowled decently, but Smith preferred to give Kalea Moore and Gregory their full ten overs. Together they picked up four wickets and beat the bat remarkably often.
Sunrisers tried to put together a partnership to match that giant 148. Jo Gardner and Alice Macleod batted diligently, but they couldn’t achieve anything like the same scoring rate. Macleod led the way, but fell for 44, deceived by Dani Gregory, who was to bowl one of her best spells.
As the pressure grew, so the wickets fell. It’s to their credit that the lower order prevented Stars claiming the bonus point that had seemed all too likely early on. All the batters from 6 to 10 reached double figures, topped by Eva Gray’s defiant 29*.
It’s a moot point whether a team has an advantage in playing most of its games on one ground, as Stars do. They are a smiling team, and full of confident players. It remains to be seen how the last four rounds will play out, but we have to make way for the money-spinning nonsense of The Hundred.
A crucial issue for the play-offs will be which, if any, of the England players will be allowed to take part. Equally, will the managements automatically play them, or stick to the squads who have served them so well?
At least the result saw Stars claim Sunrisers’ third spot.
Teams:
SES: Bryony Smith (captain), Phoebe Franklin, Paige Scholfield, Alice Davidson-Richards, Emma Jones, Aylish Cranstone, Ryana Macdonald-Gay, Chloe Hill, Kalea Moore, Dani Gregory, Tliiy Corteen-Coleman
Sunrisers: Grace Scrivens (captain), Jo Gardner, Alice Macleod, Jodi Grewcock, Mady Villiers, Amu Surenkumar, Flo Miller, Amara Carr, Eva Gray, Sophie Munro, Kate Coppack
Result
South East Stars 258 (Smith 84, Davidson-Richards 70, Grewcock 3-34)
Sunrisers 214 (Gregory 3-47)
Stars won by 44 runs
The top of the table after ten rounds:
Pts
1 Southern Vipers 34
2 Northern Diamonds 32
3 SE Stars 27
4 Sunrisers 25
The Blaze lie 6 points further back
Afterthoughts
The wealth of competition coming through the system leaves us wondering about the priorities Jon Lewis and his staff give to performances.
It’s highly likely that they won’t start considering a player unless she shows above-average competence in at least two of the three areas, batting, bowling and fielding. Probably all three.
Unless a bowler has such class that she can run through the opposition on her own, her fate is likely to remain capless. The obvious example is Sophie Ecclestone; she adds real power with the bat in the lower order. If the team need a six or two, she’s your answer.
Back to the SES-Sunrisers game. Two leg-spinners were on view, Jodi Grewcock and Danni Gregory. They took 3-34 and 3-47 respectively, each playing a leading role in dismantling the opposition batting.
Then we look at their batting CVs. 25-year-old Gregory came in at No 10, with only the 16-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman to follow. Grewcock is very much an all-rounder, and still only 19. She has been in England’s sights for a good while. So despite Gregory’s many assets as a bowler, her chances of advancement remain negligible.
It’s the same story with the many finger-spinners operating in the regions. In this game alone we had Bryony Smith, Kalea Moore, Corteen-Coleman (left-arm), Mady Villiers and Grace Scrivens displaying high skills.
But places in the national squad are severely limited, even when Lewis defies fashion and picks four spinners for one match. At the moment England are in the happy position of possessing classy operators in wrist-spin, Sarah Glenn, and finger spin, Charlie Dean (right-arm) and Ecclestone (left-arm).
At least there is more cricket on offer than ever before.
