For a pleasant change the runaway winners of the league stages, Western Storm, carried off the Big Prize in front of a big crowd and the television cameras.

Vipers appeal (Photo: Julian Thompson)

In the play-off for the right to play Storm, Southern Vipers took on Loughborough Lightning at a midday start. Lightning’s batting hasn’t been the stablest this summer, and once Lauren Bell had removed both openers, Amy Jones (off-stump uprooted) and Chamari Atapattu (lbw) inside six overs (4-0-23-2), it was up to the middle order to give the innings real substance.

Although the two Georgias, Elwiss and Adams, Mignon de Preez and Abi Freeborn advanced the total at more than a run-a-ball, none of them lasted long enough to cause concern to Vipers’ sceptics.

As has happened so many times this year, the lower order subsided too fast for comfort – from 118-4 to 143 all out.

Suzie Bates, Vipers’ acknowledged death bowler, outdid herself by taking three wickets in the last helter-skelter over.

Danni Wyatt (Photo: Julian Thompson)

Vipers began their innings the way Lightning had started theirs. Danni Wyatt’s opening square-cut was a sumptuous stroke. She continued her glorious spell of top form, creaming the ball to all parts and sending the scoreboard into fast-forward. Bates joined in the fun. By the time Kirstie Gordon bowled her with a beauty (37), the total had reached 76 in a mere six-and-a-half overs.

What followed was again typical of the tournament: Wyatt followed in quick succession; Maia Bouchier suffered the first of two run-outs on the day; (the second one, quite unnecessary, helped to tilt the result); skipper Tammy Beaumont once more promised more than she could deliver (24 off 19) and tensions rose at 109-4.

Fortunately for Vipers Amanda-Jade Wellington and Paige Scholfield batted extremely well to see them through to victory by 5 wickets. So it was a second unhappy tilt at the trophy in two years for Lightning.

Final – Western Storm v Southern Vipers

Fran Wilson batting (Photo: Julian Thompson)

Last year the top-ranked side, Lightning lost the final game of the tournament. Would the same happen this year to Storm who had been beaten only once, in a much-reduced knockabout last week?

Vipers batted first, knowing they would need a proper score to have a chance of confounding Storm’s outstanding batting line-up.

Bates and Wyatt repeated their feats of the earlier game. It took a remarkable caught and bowled by Sonia Odedra to halt the New Zealander. She skied the ball back towards mid-off. Odedra had to halt in her tracks then go into reverse. She dived to her left and caught the ball left-handed just before it disappeared into the underworld.

The pair had put on 65 in six-and-a-half overs. Difficult for a fielding side to maintain its self-belief under such pressure.

After Beaumont’s dismissal the remaining batters did well to add 34 in under five overs. Carla Rudd had the doubtful pleasure of facing her only delivery, the last of the innings. What shot should she attempt? Her father predicted: ‘The ramp’. And lo and behold, she played the ramp for four!

Would 172 prove a safe total?

Deepti Sharma (Photo: Julian Thompson)

Vipers’ spirits went skywards as Tash Farrant had Smriti Mandhana, last year’s top run-getter, brilliantly caught first ball by Marie Kelly running in at mid-on. But Rachel Priest hit five fours with her usual ferocity (27), and Heather Knight took root.

Of the Vipers bowlers only Farrant returned decent figures (3-0-19-2). Bell couldn’t repeat her heroics of the first game, and all the others suffered, mainly at the hands of England’s captain. She has a quiet confidence about her game these days that is quite admirable. She hit nine 4s and three 6s in a knock of 78* that was the main ingredient in Storm’s victory by 6 wickets.

Heather Knight, Deepti Sharma and the KSL Trophy (Photo: Julian Thompson)

Crucial too was the part played by Deepti Sharma who struck 39* off 22 balls including seven sweetly struck 4s. The pair added 71 in six-and-a-half overs.
This time round, Bates couldn’t repeat her heroics in the last over. She did bowl two splendid yorkers, but three other balls finished in the crowd, sending the Storm support-cast wild with delight.

The quality of Storm’s batting, visible throughout the series, was demonstrated again, allowing them to become the only side to gain the trophy twice in its four-year reign.

Attendance at the 2017 Finals Day – the first time it has been hosted at Hove – was up by over 150% from last year.

In the build-up to last Friday, the Kia Super League had seen significant year-on-year increases in spectator numbers at group matches.

According to ECB figures, over 20,000 fans watched group games this year, compared with 16,000 in 2016. Average attendances were up by 33% to 1,379. 

Reflecting on the success of Finals Day, Sussex Cricket Chief Executive, Rob Andrew said: “We have a strong record of promoting girls’ and women’s cricket in Sussex and I am delighted that we had such a good attendance at the Finals day.

“The potential for growth in the women’s game is huge and we look forward to hosting more women’s events in the coming years.”

Report courtesy of Sussex Cricket

The Vipers beat Loughborough Lightning by 59 runs in front of another four-figure crowd at the Ageas Bowl today to secure top spot in the final table, fired by a fine all-round performance by New Zealand captain Suzie Bates.

That means they go straight through to the title-deciding match at Finals Day in Chelmsford next Sunday (August 21).

But Lightning remain in contention, as after finishing third in the table, they play in the first match of Finals Day, against second-placed Western Storm – with the winners going through to face the Vipers in the final.

The Storm – a joint venture between Gloucestershire, Somerset and the University of Exeter – will head east in confident mood, after crushing Yorkshire Diamonds by six wickets in their last qualifying match at Headingley today, with five wickets for Anya Shrubsole before overseas stars Rachel Priest and Stafanie Taylor shared a century opening partnership.

Heather Knight, the Storm and England captain, said: ” Our batsmen are firing on all cylinders and our bowling has improved as the competition has gone on. Our younger players have done very well as have our overseas players and we are all very excited to be in the first Kia Super League Finals Day.”

Georgia Elwiss, the Lightning captain, said: “It was a disappointing performance from us in general today but we have to dust ourselves down and pick ourselves up for Finals Day. We would have taken Finals Day at the start of the competition and we have a big week to prepare for it.

“Playing a semi final means we get a chance of looking at the pitch and the conditions and to get used to the wicket. Now we are in the semi final we have to look at it positively.”

Bates, who was named the leading woman cricketer in the world by Wisden earlier this year, said: “It is nice going into the Finals weekend knowing we only have one game. If you go straight through to the final like we have you will be considered the favourite but Twenty20 cricket can take games away from you very quickly.”

Kia Super League Finals Day, Sunday August 21, Chelmsford.

Semi Final (11am): Western Storm (2^nd) v Loughborough Lightning (3^rd)

Final (3pm): Southern Vipers (1^st) v Semi Final winners

Report courtesy of the ECB