After struggling to register their first victory as a team in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, the Sunrisers started the Charlotte Edwards Cup with an emphatic seven-wicket win against Western Storm on Saturday (June 26). Mady Villiers and Grace Scrivens were stars of the day for the Sunrisers, as the duo helped the team chase down a tricky target on the opening day of the tournament.
Opting to bowl first, Sonali Patel got them off to a good start running through the Storm's top-order. They were down to 36 for three and slumped further to 51 for five. Skipper Sophie Luff, joined by Natasha Wraith, tried to build a partnership and revive the innings.
Together, they added 42 runs in 32 balls before the former got out to Katie Wolfe for a 33-ball 31. Wraith remained unbeaten till the end, taking the team past the 130-run mark. She made 36 runs from 24 balls. Patel was the pick of the bowler for the Sunrisers taking two for 26 in her four overs.
Searching for their first win as a team, Naomi Dattoni and Alice Macleod got them off to a steady start. However, when the duo fell in short intervals after each other, Villiers and Scrivens ensured that they did not lose any more wickets. The former made 36 runs from 26 balls before getting out to Alex Griffiths. Scrivens and Amara Carr helped the team cross the line and register their first-ever victory.
In the other Group B game, Thunder trumped Northern Diamonds by 12 runs in a low-scoring encounter. Electing to bat first, Thunder opener Emma Lamb smashed 58 runs from 43 balls, while her partners at the other fell in quick succession. With some late support from Natalie Brown, she took the team past the 100-run mark. They finished with 118 for six in 20 overs.
With the ball, Sophia Turner and Lamb struck early to get rid of the Diamonds top-order. Hollie Armitage and Sterre Kallis fought hard to keep their team in the chase. The former scored a 19-ball 20, and Kallis made a fighting 32 from 37 balls. Once the duo got out, Lamb and Turner ran through the lower-order, helping Thunder win by 12 runs. Lamb finished with four for 13 in her four overs.
Meanwhile, South East Stars and Southern Vipers registered bonus-point victories in Group A. After dismissing the Lightning for 107, thanks to Bryony Smith's four-wicket haul, the Stars chased down the target in 13.1 overs with six wickets to spare. Opening the batting, Smith went berserk, hitting 30 runs from just 14 balls and set the tone for the chase. The batters who followed ensured that the run rate didn't dip further while Phoebe Franklin held one end and anchored the chase. Kathryn Bryce was the lone star for Lightning with the ball, picking up two for 26 in her three overs.
Against Central Sparks, Charlotte Dean's impressive fifer helped the Vipers dismiss the Sparks for 83 in 17.5 overs. With Norris and Bell cleaning up the top-order, Dean ran through the middle-order, taking five for 19 in 3.5 overs. Marie Kelly fought a lone battle scoring 36 runs from 41 balls.
Chasing close to four runs an over, England star Danielle Wyatt, who was dropped from the ODI series against India, made a statement with the bat. She smashed six boundaries and a six in her breezy 33-ball 45. Once she got out, Maia Bouchier and Georgia Elwiss took the team across the line in 13.1 overs.
Brief Scores:
Western Storm 129/6 in 20 overs (Natasha Wraith 36; Sonali Patel 2/26) lost to Sunrisers 133/3 in 17.5 overs (Mady Villiers 36; Alex Griffiths 1/24) by seven wickets.
Thunder 118/6 in 20 overs (Emma Lamb 58; Beth Langston 2/32) beat Northern Diamonds 106/9 in 20 overs (Sterre Kalis 32; Emma Lamb 4/13) by 12 runs.
Lightning 107/10 in 19.1 overs (Bethany Harmer 34; Bryony Smith 4/15) lost to South East Stars 108/4 in 13.1 overs (Bryony Smith 30; Kathryn Bryce 2/26) by six wickets.
Central Sparks 83/10 in 17.5 overs (Marie Kelly 36; Charlotte Dean 5/19) lost to Southern Vipers 85/2 in 13.1 (Dannielle Wyatt 45, Emily Arlott 1/13) by eight wickets.
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