CE Cup: Southern Vipers and Central Sparks continue their winnings ways

Women's CricZone Staff

22 May 2022 00:00 IST

New Update

CE Cup: Southern Vipers and Central Sparks continue their winnings ways © Getty Images

Southern Vipers and Central Sparks remained unbeaten after the third round of the ongoing Charlotte Edwards (CE Cup) on Saturday, May 21. Meanwhile, Lightning registered their first victory of the tournament and Aylish Cranstone’s second half-century of the season led defending champions South East Stars to their second win of the season.

Central Sparks vs Sunrisers

Sunrisers captain Kelly Castle won the toss and invited Central Sparks to bat first at the Edgbaston. Sparks decided to open with Eve Jones and Issy Wong, and the latter provided the first boundary of the day for the Sparks. Wong couldn’t do much damage at the top as she was bowled by Naomi Dattani in the next over. Wicket-keeper Amy Jones joined her captain, and the pair added 50 runs for the second wicket.

Once Castle bowled her counterpart in the 11th over, Amy changed the gears and went after Sunrisers bowlers. She hit her second half-century of the season off just 38 balls and added 82 runs with Abigail Freeborn for the third wicket. By the end of the innings, Central Sparks had scored 153 runs in the first innings. Amy was the highest run-scorer of the innings, with 80 off 49 balls, including six fours and six sixes.

In reply, Sunrisers’ opening pair, Cordelia Griffith and Grace Scrivens got off to a promising start, scoring 43 runs in the powerplay. Emily Arlott broke the partnership with the final ball of the powerplay to send Scrivens back for 26. Sarah Glenn castled Griffith the very next delivery to sink the chasing side’s hopes. Sunrisers continued to lose the wickets, but Dattani stood tall amongst the collapse. She scored her first half-century of the CE Cup off just 31 balls.

Dattani’s efforts could not help Surisers cross the line as Central Sparks won their third match of the CE Cup.

Also Read: Northern Diamonds and Southern Vipers begin Charlotte Edwards Cup 2022 with a bang

Southern Vipers vs Northern Diamonds

At the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street Vipers captain Georgia Adams won the toss and opted to bat first in their third match of the CE Cup. Adams opened the batting with England international Danni Wyatt. The pair was on song as they scored 37 runs in four overs, with Adams leading the charge. Diamonds captain Hollie Armitage introduced the leg-spin of Katie Levick inside the powerplay, and she gave her team the much-needed breakthrough by dismissing Adams for 24.

Wyatt continued her hitting as she was closing in on her first half-century of the season. Vipers lost three wickets in just seven runs and Wyatt watched it all unfold from the non-strikers' end. She tried to uplift the Vipers' innings with a partnership of 27 runs with Freya Kemp. Wyatt missed out on her half-century by two runs when she became Abigail Glen’s second wicket of the season. None of the batters could add much to the total after Wyatt’s departure as Levick counter-attacked with five wickets of her own. Vipers were bowled out for 126 in the final over of the innings.

In the chase, wicket-keeper Bess Heath and Sterre Kalis gave the Diamonds a promising start. The pair added 48 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket. Kalis’ run out in the seventh over broke the opening partnership. England’s vice-captain, Natalie Sciver, joined Heath at three, but could not add much to the scorecard. Vipers continued to put pressure on the opposition as the Diamonds could not score a single boundary in five overs.

Heathe scored a fighting half-century off 42 balls. With the mounting required run rate, she decided to up the ante and that resulted in her downfall. Diamonds lost four wickets for just 21 runs and fell short of the target by 11 runs.

South East Stars v Western Storm

At the Kent County Cricket Ground, South East Star’s Bryony Smith won the toss and invited Western Strom to bat first. England captain Heather Knight opened the batting with Georgia Hennessy and the pair attacked the Stars’ bowlers right from the word go. By the end of the powerplay, Storm were 49 without losing a wicket. Knight and Hennessy added 81 runs for the first wicket before a runout broke the partnership in the 12th over.

Hennessy scored her half-century off 51 balls, but she was caught and bowled by captain Smith the very next ball. Danielle Gibson decided to counter-attack and she hit Alice Capsey for a six and a four, but Capsey made a comeback and dismissed Gibson for 11. Storm struggled to score runs quickly in the final four overs and by the end of the first innings they were 145 for six.

After an aggressive start in the chase, South East Stars lost Smith and Capsey inside the powerplay. Phoebe Franklin and Aylish Cranstone steadied the ship in the powerplay. Stars scored 39 runs in the powerplay and needed 107 runs from 14 overs to get back on the winning ways. Storm’s captain Sophie Luff introduced Knight immediately after the powerplay and Storm and she broke the partnership.

Kalea Moore joined in form Cranstone in the seventh over. The latter scored her second half-century of the CE Cup off 43 balls. Moore supported her partner at the other end by smashing her first-half century of the CE Cup 2022 off 45 balls. The pair added 108 runs for the fourth wicket and ensured the victory for the Stars with seven wickets in hand.

Also Read: Charlotte Edwards Cup 2022: Everything you need to know about the squads

Thunder vs Lightning

At the Grace Road in Leicester, Thunder’s skipper Eleanor Threlkeld won the toss and opted to bat first. After a conservative start with the bat, the opening pair of Georgie Boyce and Emma Lamb found a rhythm. Lamb scored her second consecutive half-century of the CE cup in the 14th over as Thunder crossed 100 runs mark without losing a wicket. Boyce joined her partner by hitting her second consecutive half-ton off 44 balls. Lightning’s Australian recruit Piepa Cleary broke the stand of 130 runs when she dismissed Lamb for 56. None of the other batters scored in the double digits as Thunder ended up scoring 152 for five by the end of the innings.

In reply, Lightning were in some early trouble when they lost the opener, Marie Kelly, for just eight runs. Tammy Beaumont found a partner in Ella Claridge as the pair added 61 runs for the second wicket. Beaumont hit Laura Jackson for three boundaries in an over, but that aggression came undone as Jackson dismissed the England international in the same over. Kathryn Bryce’s cameo of 29 runs off 20 balls ensured the first victory of the season for Lightning.

Brief Score:

Central Sparks 153/5 in 20 overs (Amy Jones 80; Kelly Castle 2/19) beat Sunrisers 129/8 in 20 overs (Naomi Dattani 51; Sarah Glenn 2/14) by 24 runs

Southern Vipers 126 all out in 19.3 overs (Danni Wyatt 48; Katie Levick 5/15) beat 115/7 in 20 overs (Bess Heath 51; Georgia Adams 2/9) by 11 runs

Western Storm 145/6 in 20 overs (Georgia Hennessy 50; Bryony Smith 2/22) lost to South East Stars 148/3 in 19 overs (Aylish Cranstone 66; Claire Nicholas 2/17) by seven wickets

Thunder 152/5 in 20 overs (Georgie Boyce 71; Piepa Cleary 3/34) lost to Lightning 155/5 in 18.5 overs (Tammy Beaumont 59; Alex Hartley 1/13) by five wickets

CE Cup Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022