Western Storm move top of KSL table after win over Southern Vipers
Lightning up and running after nine-wicket demolition of Diamonds
Sunday 11 August 2019 17:43, UK
Western Storm moved top of the KSL table with a stuttering three-wicket victory over previously unbeaten Southern Vipers in Southampton.
Fran Wilson (40) and Sophie Luff (24) moved Storm towards their target of 143 after Heather Knight (38) and Smriti Mandhana (30) had been ousted in quick succession by Tash Farrant (3-23) to leave the visitors on 77-3.
But Storm then slumped from 135-3 to 141-7 with three deliveries remaining after losing four wickets in nine balls and three in four, only to then scrape over the line with a ball to spare at The Ageas Bowl.
Knight's side have leapfrogged Vipers and Surrey Stars in the standings after recording a third win in as many games and inflicting a first defeat in three on Tammy Beaumont's Vipers. Scorecard
Beaumont hit 37 and West Indies' Stafanie Taylor clubbed 44 not out from 28 balls as the hosts posted 142-5 after electing to bat.
Storm, though, just about surpassed that despite the best efforts of left-arm seamer Farrant and the two-wicket Suzie Bates.
Vipers will look to bounce back against Stars at The Oval on Monday night, live on Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Mix.
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Loughborough Lightning, meanwhile, secured their first victory at the third attempt as they thrashed winless Yorkshire Diamonds by nine wickets.
Diamonds vs Lightning scorecard
West Indies' Hayley Matthews (54no) and Sri Lanka's Chamari Atapattu (40no) took last year's beaten finalists to their target of 122 in 13.2 overs after England's Amy Jones (12) fell cheaply.
Lightning - who lost to Storm and Vipers last week - limited Diamonds to 121-6 with Kirstie Gordon taking two wickets and Sarah Glenn conceding just 17 runs from four overs.
Diamonds have now lost two from two and are one of only two sides yet to pick up a point, alongside Roses rivals Lancashire Thunder, whom they play in Liverpool on Tuesday.
Watch more KSL action live on Sky Sports The Ashes, Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Main Event from 6pm on Monday as defending champions Surrey Stars host Southern Vipers at The Oval.
