Georgia Adams runs the present as Southern Vipers edge previous Central Sparks
Southern Vipers 184 for 7 (Adams 50, Arlott 2-23) beat Central Sparks 183 for 9 (Campbell 54, Adams 4-30) by three wickets
Southern Vipers captain Georgia Adams starred with bat and ball to energy her facet to a three-wicket Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy victory over Central Sparks at Wormsley. Adams took 4 for 30 in Sparks’ complete of 183 for 9 after which made a composed 50 off 71 balls as her facet reached their goal with 49 balls to spare.
After Sparks had been put in, their innings was a staccato affair. Despite spectacular knocks from Ami Campbell, with 54 off 76 balls, and Abbey Freeborn (43 from 96), they by no means really escaped the shackles of tight collective bowling led by Adams and Charlie Dean. When Vipers’ reply dipped to 46 for 4 within the fifteenth over, they had been beneath extreme stress, however Adams and Dean added 105 in 19 overs to take their facet to the brink of a second successive victory.
Sparks had been left nursing a second defeat of their first three video games and will mirror that delivering 21 wides value them pricey in a low-scoring match.
With the pitch freshened up by a torrential downpour, Vipers selected to bowl and struck with the eighth ball when Dean accepted a easy return catch from Chloe Brewer.
Eve Jones and Freeborn rebuilt with a stand of 56 in 18 overs earlier than Georgia Elwiss struck twice in three balls. If the lbw determination that dispatched Jones was extremely debatable, there was little doubt concerning the departure of Davina Perrin whose center stump was left leaning at a lazy angle.
Freeborn constructed one other strong partnership – 61 in 15 overs – with Campbell however Vipers’ bowlers all the time made the batters work arduous for runs. Adams collected her first wicket when she accepted a return catch from Freeborn.
Katie George labored the ball round sweetly however her dismissal by an outstanding piece of labor within the discipline proved the pivotal second of the match. George ladled Alice Monaghan to deep sq. leg the place Maia Bouchier took a superb catch on the run and the worth of that catch proved enormous because the innings misplaced all momentum from that time.
The final seven overs introduced simply 22 runs for 5 wickets as Sparks slumped from a comparatively wholesome 161 for 4 to 183 for 9. Adams ended Campbell’s resistance because of a wise catch from Linsey Smith and bowled the harmful Issy Wong second ball. Lauren Bell added the wicket of Emily Arlott who nicked to wicketkeeper Rhianna Southby because the Vipers snuffed out the innings with nice effectivity.
Sparks’ bowlers wanted to make early inroads they usually did. Arlott had Ella McCaughan caught at quick advantageous leg from the fourth ball and added the large wicket of Elwiss in a bristling opening spell of 6-0-12-2. Danni Wyatt chipped Wong to midwicket and when George hit center stump to uproot Maia Boucher, Vipers had been 46 for 4 and susceptible.
Adams and Dean batted with nice composure to take their facet inside 23 of victory. Both perished in successive overs, Adams bowled by Hannah Baker and Dean caught behind off George, however Emily Windsor and Southby calmly noticed Vipers dwelling.