At Southampton (The Ageas Bowl) Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy on July 23
Paige Scholfield told reporters it was ‘scary’ as she stepped-up with Chloe Hill (loaned from Sparks) for their maiden fifties to get Vipers back into the match. Scholfield added that having ‘Deano’ (Charlie Dean – pictured) ‘helped massively.’ Dean took a match-winning 3-fer (3/31.) Sunrisers’ Kate Coppack (4/48) who took a ‘4-fer,’ told same reporters that it ‘felt good’ getting wickets ‘at such a high level.’ Also (when bowling) she found useful ’bounce and nip’ from the pitch. Kelly Castle’s Sunrises fell short by 11 runs in a ‘David and Goliath’ match between top-of-table Vipers and Sunrisers, on ‘nil’ points. Commentators were Kevan ‘Kev’ James (BBC) and Phil Green, with Australian guest Kayla Van Spall (Hursley women’s team.) Also via ESPN-cric-info social media. Weather was described as a ‘lovely day (24C.)
Vipers’ innings
*With Charlie Dean and Lauren Bell, but without Danni Wyatt (England duty) and Maia Bouchier (Commonwealth Games). Alice Monaghan and Carla Rudd (injury) were absent. *Keeper was Chloe Hill loaned from Central Sparks. *Chalked-up their third consecutive below-par power play score (46/5) *Firstly, Georgia Adams went ‘leg before’ to Mady Villiers. Vipers were said by commentators to be ‘in trouble’ (25/2) when Charlie Dean was ‘caught on the crease’ (leg before) to Kate Coppack. *Thirdly, Georgia Elwiss (0) was said to be a ‘consistent run-scorer.’ Commentators curse struck when Elwiss played a ‘defensive shot’, missing the ball that drifted between ‘middle-and-off stump’ for a golden duck. *Kate Coppack placed on a ‘hat trick.’ *Coppack (4/48) bagged a second pair of power play wickets firstly when opener Ella McCaughan (12) made a ‘huge mistake’ and was caught ‘down the throat’ of Naomi Dattani arriving at ‘mid-wicket.’
*Beefing-up Emily Windsor, commentator’s curse struck once again when Windsor ‘flashed at a (cover) drive’ and was caught at ‘first-slip’ by Cordelia Griffith for a fifth-ball duck. *At 100 balls (16.4 overs) Vipers were 88/5 – an extraordinary situation. *By mid-way, Vipers were recovering. 127/5. *Paige Scholfield 74 runs (from 72 balls) and Chloe Hill 55(110) chalked-up maiden half-centuries: their century sixth-wicket partnership in 119 balls (67 mins.) *Chloe Hill had a lucky reprieve when keeper Amara Carr missed a stumping. *Scholfield ‘holed out’ to ‘deep mid-wicket’ from Mady Villiers’ bowling Kate Coppack finished with 4-fer (4/48.) Partnering Chloe Hill for a 51-run partnership, USA International Tara Norris 19(37) was ‘run out’ from the bowler’s end.
Sunrisers’ innings
*After ten overs power play Sunrisers were 28/1(vs46/5.) *Charlotte Taylor (slow) and Lauren Bell (medium pace) peppered openers with ‘dot’ balls for a slow start. *Charlie Dean’s second ball clean bowled Grace Scrivens 15(28). *Cordelia Griffith and Naomi Dattani’s second-wicket partnership crafted 74 until Dattani 34(57) was clean-bowled by Charlie Dean. *At mid-way, Sunrisers were 101/2 (vs 127/5.) *Cordelia Griffith chalked-up back-to-back ‘fifties’. *Separately, Griffith struck five ‘fours’ in the first-half of her innings but none during the second-half. *Charlie Dean bagged her third wicket when Mady Villiers (9) was clean-bowled. Georgia Elwiss (2/50) trapped Amara Carr (8) ‘leg before;’ and Georgia Adams trapped Cordelia Griffith ‘leg before.’ *Mia Rogers was clean-bowled by Elwiss, four balls later. *Crucially Castle was ‘run out’ with two balls remaining, leaving Jo Gardner 43*(45) ’not out.’
Summary
Far from a being one-sided match, Sunrisers started-off beyond all expectation; Vipers’ low power play score (46/5) astounding commentators. Firstly, Mady Villiers had Georgia Adams ‘leg before,’ followed by two pairs of Vipers’ wickets bagged by Kate Coppack (4/48.) Vipers mounted a century sixth-wicket partnership with two maiden ‘fifties’ by Paige Scholfield and Chloe Hill who stepped-up to get back into the game. Sunrisers’ Cordelia Griffith scored back-to-back ‘fifties’ and Jo Gardner hit a spirited 43*. Charlie Dean was top bowler for Vipers, taking 3/31 with Georgia Elwiss taking 2/50. The match came toward an exciting finish with Sunrisers needing 18 runs for 8 balls; beyond which point Vipers seemed certain to win. Defending champions Vipers stay top-of-the-table (18 points) bagging four-straight-wins from the first four rounds of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Result: Southern Vipers Women 233/9 (50 overs) beat Sunrisers Women 222/8 (50 overs, target 234) by 11 runs
Southern Vipers batting 233/9: (50 overs, 4.66 runs-per-over): Paige Scholfield 74(72), Chloe Hill 55(110), Tara Norris 19(37), Lauren Bell 17(15), Nancy Harman 15(23), Ella McCaughan 12(17), Georgia Adams 12(17); Sunrisers bowling: Kate Coppack 4/48, Mady Villiers 1/32, Grace Scrivens 1/36, Naomi Dattani 1/46, Kelly Castle 1/47; Fow: 1-18, 2-25, 3-25, 4-38, 5-38, 6-143, 7-194, 8-207, 9-233;
Sunrisers batting: 222/8 (50 overs, 4.44 runs-per-over): Cordelia Griffith 65(109), Jo Gardner 43*(45), Naomi Dattani 34(57), Grace Scrivens 15(28), Jess Olorenshaw 14(20); Vipers bowling: Charlie Dean 3/31, Georgia Elwiss 2/50, Lauren Bell 1/29, Georgia Adams 1/45; Fow 1-25, 2-99, 3-127, 4-148, 5-157, 6-160, 7-216, 8-219.
Scorecard and statistics at URL: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy-2022-1297659/southern-vipers-vs-sunrisers-1297939/full-scorecard
Match highlights free-to-view from ECB (NV play) at URL: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/#m34b88ccc-9a7e-4f62-a497-c77f24170efc
Entire match courtesy of Southern Vipers via youtube with recorded ‘love stream’ from 09m30 (07h02m04s) at URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jC-YKK-9h0
