Linsey Smith strikes with bat and ball as Vipers preserve knockout ambitions in their very own arms
Southern Vipers 254 (Smith 51, Adams 49, McCaughan 44, Gregory 4-55) beat South East Stars 196 (Cranstone 69, Smith 3-34) by 58 runs
Linsey Smith scored her finest List A rating and picked up three wickets to beat South East Stars by 58 runs – boosting Vipers’ Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy knockout ambitions.
Former England spinner Smith bagged a no-thrills 51, her first half-century in 50-over cricket, earlier than taking 3 for 34 to arrange a bonus level victory.
Aylish Cranstone cracked 69 however Vipers leap-frogged Stars into second and go away qualification for the Eliminator in their very own arms, whereas Stars will progress in the event that they beat Central Sparks within the final spherical of fixtures.
Vipers selected to bat however discovered early going sluggish on a cheesy pitch, with solely 27 runs coming within the opening 10 overs – Alexa Stonehouse selecting up Abi Norgrove’s wicket and Ryana Macdonald-Gay correct from the opposite finish.
McCaughan and Adams accelerated with 54 coming from the next seven overs earlier than the previous swung to lengthy on and Georgia Elwiss was run out for the second sport in a row.
Adams continued her high-quality kind with seven boundaries in a shiny 49, barely lacking out on a fifth straight 50 when she top-edged to sq. leg.
Emily Windsor had drilled to cowl as Vipers regarded limply at an under-par complete on 128 for five however Freya Kemp’s whacking and Smith’s belligerence put them proper.
Kemp’s two sixes headlined the 48-run stand earlier than slogging to lengthy on, with Gregory finishing her 4 for 55 by pinning Alice Monaghan.
Smith solely scored three boundaries, two of coming from edges, in her maiden Vipers fifty, nonetheless it got here in 56 balls to spotlight her sturdy working.
Rhianna Southby chipped away with 21 off 24 however Vipers had been bowled out in 48.2 overs with Smith caught at lengthy on, Southby bowled and Ava Lee properly caught behind.
In reply, Stars grappled by the powerplay, additionally scoring 27, however misplaced captain Bryony Smith and Kira Chathli as Linsey Smith continued her high-quality sport.
Jemima Spence and Cranstone constructed the foundations of the chase with a 58-run stand earlier than the previous pulled to deep sq..
Former Viper Paige Scholfield and Kalea Moore fell to the more and more spectacular teenager Lee, whereas on mortgage from Vipers Chloe Hill was plumb in entrance to Mary Taylor.
Left-hander Cranstone accomplished her first half-century of the season in 48 deliveries after an innings crammed with fashionable off-side stroke play.
But Adams bowled her after she had added 45 with Stonehouse, who perished quickly after to Linsey Smith’s third.
Bethan Miles was leg earlier than to Adams – who took 2 for 41 – and after a 46-run tenth wicket stand, MacDonald-Gay was caught at deep midwicket.