Danni Wyatt leads Southern Vipers cost over South East Stars
Southern Vipers 171 for 4 (Wyatt 40, Bouchier 30) beat South East Stars 169 for six (Smith 83, Dunkley 53, Bell 2-25) by six wickets
Danni Wyatt smashed 40 off 20 balls as Charlotte Edwards Cup holders Southern Vipers started their defence with a six-wicket victory over South East Stars.
Opening batter Wyatt plundered 5 fours and a pair of sixes to place Vipers on monitor of their pursuit of 170, the best profitable chase in Charlotte Edwards Cup historical past.
Maia Bouchier impressed with a quick-fire 30 and Lauren Bell claimed 2 for 25 for Vipers, whereas Bryony Smith and Sophia Dunkley clocked thrilling half-centuries in entrance of the on-looking England head coach Jon Lewis, who’s about to enter the throes of Women’s Ashes preparations. But Georgia Elwiss and Charlie Dean acquired Vipers over the road with seven balls to spare.
Having been caught in by Vipers, it was Dunkley that started the first-wicket blitz with a drilled boundary off her first ball however Smith quickly took over. The Stars captain was brutal in her ball hanging on a belting laborious wicket with a fast outfield on the picturesque and pleasant Falkland Cricket Club.
The boundary was lined with about 400 spectators together with 160 college students from native colleges – a lot of which used the web amenities and practised their cricket abilities. They cheered on Smith as she rushed to her half-century in 26 balls together with her eleventh 4.
Vipers provided a collection of probabilities: Dunkley was dropped on 35 and 36 whereas Linsey Smith could not maintain a Smith skier earlier than thumping back-to-back sixes as 200 seemed on the playing cards.
The solely option to half the openers was by their very own misadventure, and that got here when Alice Monaghan speared in a throw from deep sq. leg to expire Smith for 83. It ended a 134-run stand and sparked a slowdown which noticed solely 35 runs added and 6 wickets fall during the last six overs.
Dunkley reached her maiden Charlotte Edwards Cup half-century, and eleventh in T20s, in 42 balls however was quickly caught behind giving herself room to chop.
Paige Scholfield spooned to deep sq. leg earlier than three wickets within the closing over – Alice Davidson-Richards and Tash Farrant bowled by Bell and Kira Chathli run out to go away the guests on 169.
Like the Stars, the Vipers’ openers – Bouchier and Wyatt – tonked the ball round within the powerplay. Both had struck maximums earlier than the tip of the third over as their fifty stand arrived in 24 balls.
Like Smith, Bouchier was run out in full movement – for an 18-ball 30, however Wyatt kicked into overdrive with a simple hoick for a second six because the Vipers stormed to 79 for one off the powerplay.
Australian Nicole Faltum was brilliantly caught at cowl by Dunkley earlier than Wyatt skewed to backward level for 40 as Stars dragged issues again within the center overs.
Georgias Adams and Elwiss put Vipers in management once more with a 48-run stand, however the former was the fourth batter to be run out with 29 runs nonetheless wanted.
The earlier heavy scoring had meant the speed was roughly a run-a-ball for the demise and Elwiss and Dean rigorously took their facet to victory and condemned Stars to a second defeat in two matches.