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Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Western Storm, Southern Vipers and South East Stars claim victories | Cricket News

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Western Storm opened their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign with a comfortable victory over East Midlands side Lightning; Southern Vipers defeated Central Sparks by seven wickets (D/L) in a heavily rain-affected match; South East Stars beat Sunrisers by 80 runs

Last Updated: 02/07/22 8:41pm

Sophie Luff hit 48 as Western Storm got the better of their opponents

Sophie Luff hit 48 as Western Storm got the better of their opponents

Western Storm opened their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign with a comfortable victory over East Midlands side Lightning in a rain-affected match at the Haslegrave Grove ground in Loughborough.

Chasing a revised target of 250 from 46 overs after Storm had finished on 255 for nine from 50, Lightning were 166 for nine from 34.2 overs when a second stoppage for heavy rain forced the match to be abandoned, losing by 75 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern index.

Sophie Luff made 48 and former England international Fran Wilson 43 off 37 balls after Lightning chose to bowl first. Australian seam bowler Piepa Cleary led the Lightning attack with three for 45 from her 10 overs.

There were useful contributions too from wicketkeeper Natasha Wraith, with a run-a-ball 35 and 17-year-old Sophia Smale, who hit an unbeaten 23, adding 25 with Claire Nicholas for the last wicket.

All-rounder Lucy Higham top-scored with 34 for Lightning, who never recovered from slipping to 23 for three inside seven overs, their troubles compounded when they incurred a five-run penalty for a disciplinary code breach.

The occasion made history by being the first professional match in England to feature a husband-and-wife team of on-field umpires in Naeem Ashraf, an all-rounder who played two one-day internationals for Pakistan in 1995 and Jasmine Naeem.

Vipers beat Central Sparks by seven wickets

Southern Vipers defeated Central Sparks by seven wickets (D/L) in a heavily rain-affected Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy opener at Portland Road.

After frequent interruptions by the weather, Vipers chased down a revised D/L target of 70 in ten overs as they reached 75 for three with just two balls to spare.

On a relentlessly damp afternoon in Birmingham, calculators were to the fore as both innings were truncated by heavy showers.

The Sparks batted first and closed on 163 for seven from 36 overs – an innings of two halves after they reached 103 for three from 24 before a two-hour rain break. They resumed with 12 more overs to have a thrash but added just 60 more against disciplined bowling led by Georgia Elwiss (1-29)

Chasing an initial D/L target of 176 from 36, the Vipers were 24 for one when rain returned. That trimmed the target to 70 from ten and Danni Wyatt paced the chase to perfection with an unbeaten 36 from 24 balls.

Smith the standout as South East Stars beat Sunrisers

The South East Stars beat Sunrisers by 80 runs in their Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy match at Beckenham .

The Stars posted 281 for 8 before dismissing Sunrisers for 201, with Bryony Smith claiming 3 for 37.

Smith was also the Stars’ top scorer with 66, while Alice Capsey hit 64 not out and Kira Chathli 61.

The Stars had looked like hitting in excess of 300 until Sunrisers’ Grace Scrivens took four for 42, but the hosts rallied and although Scrivens then made 74 with the bat, the visitors’ next highest scorer was Amara Carr with 35 and they were all out with eight overs remaining.

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