Danni Wyatt guides Southern Vipers to victory over Sunrisers. while Heather Knight leads Western Storm past South East Stars
Sunday 30 August 2020 09:02, UK
Northern Diamonds got their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign off to a near-perfect start with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Central Sparks at Edgbaston.
The visitors comfortably chased down a target of 144 thanks to a 139-run opening partnership between Lauren Winfield (72) and Hollie Armitage (54no).
Katherine Brunt showed her class with the ball, taking five wickets with figures of 9-2-20-5 in two exceptional spells of bowling. Sparks vs Diamonds scorecard
Danni Wyatt opened her Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy account with an effortless 66 as Southern Vipers beat Sunrisers by seven wickets at the Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford. Sunrisers vs Vipers scorecard
Experienced England all-rounder Wyatt dominated with seven boundaries during a 111-run stand for the first wicket - which put the Vipers in complete control of their chase.
Medium-pacer Paige Scholfield (3-33) had earlier helped restrict Sunrisers to 202, with Mady Villiers striking 64, before Scholfield's six saw Vipers over the line with just under 14 overs to spare.
A dominant knock of 91 not out from Heather Knight helped Western Storm beat the South East Stars by six wickets in the opening round. Stars vs Storm scorecard
Invited to bat first after losing the toss under cold, grey skies, at Beckenham, the Stars posted 166 all out off 48.1 overs, after recovering from 55-5 thanks to 38 from former England star Susie Rowe and 37 from captain Tash Farrant, with all-rounder Georgia Hennessy taking 4-31 off 8.1 overs for the Storm.
It was quickly apparent that it was not anything like enough, as Knight and Fi Morris put on 78 for the first wicket in reply, before Morris ran herself out for 27.
Wickets did then start to fall, with the Storm middle order all going cheaply, but Knight pushed on relentlessly, unperturbed by the losses around her, to chalk up the Storm's win with more than 10 overs to spare.
England bowler Sophie Ecclestone offered a rare glimpse of her ability with the bat as Thunder launched their campaign with a four-run win over Lightning in a rain-affected match at Trent Bridge, the left-arm spinner smashing an unbeaten 60 off 61 balls. Lightning vs Thunder scorecard
The 21-year-old - who tops the women's world T20 rankings as a bowler but rarely bats above nine in international cricket - hit six fours and two sixes, plundering 21 runs in the last over of the Thunder innings as the North West-based side racked up a challenging 206-9 from their 50 overs.
Lightning's hopes of overhauling that total were dealt a major blow when their England opener Tammy Beaumont perished for just two. Scotland's Sarah Bryce hit nine fours in her 52 but once she had succumbed to Ecclestone's bowling the home side's chances always looked slim.
After 14 overs were lost to rain, a revised target of 151 left Lightning needing 32 off five overs once play resumed, but the combined experience of Ecclestone, England team-mate Kate Cross and World Cup-winner Alex Hartley enabled Thunder to prevail in a tight finish.
