Match Report – CS vs SUNR 14th Match, Could 01, 2024

Sunrisers 214 for five (Scrivens 118*) beat Central Sparks 213 (Freeborn 93, Coppack 3-26, Hancock 3-34) by 5 wickets

It seemed a under-par whole on an honest batting pitch and Scrivens navigated Sunrisers’ pursuit of it to perfection, with a stroke-laden unbeaten 118 off 123 balls to take her aspect to 214 for five with 10.2 overs to spare.

A 3rd win from 4 video games strengthened Sunrisers’ place among the many Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy front-runners however Central Sparks have to reboot after following their opening-round win with three successive defeats.

“It was nice to get one other bonus-point win,” Scrivens mentioned. “I am feeling good for the time being and if you find yourself feeling good you must money in. I used to be simply glad I did that right now and helped get us over the road.

“I assumed we stored them to a complete which was somewhat bit under par. We bowled nicely up high to take some wickets after which bowled nicely via the center too. Generally you possibly can let issues drift when you do not take wickets however we caught at it rather well and it was good to limit Freeborn to the mid-nineties when she was in and set.”

Sparks captain Eve Jones endured a bracing begin to the day: at 10am, she misplaced the toss. At 10.30am, she edged the primary ball of the match, an absolute magnificence from Coppack, to wicketkeeper Amara Carr.

When Chloe Brewer edged Coppack behind, each Sparks openers had departed with out scoring and debutant Courtney Webb walked in to bat with the rating at 1 for two. The strain on the batters remained excessive – Coppack opened with 5-2-8-2 and Hancock 5-1-6-0 – however Freeborn and Webb withstood it so as to add 67 in 20 overs earlier than the latter miscued a straight hit and was caught by Scrivens in entrance of the sightscreen.

Freeborn accomplished her second half-century of the season from 99 balls however companions continued to come back and go as Davina Perrin and Katie George despatched up catches in successive overs from Jo Gardner.

Freeborn had her success – on 69 she ought to have been out twice to the identical ball from Gardner, stumped at one finish then run out on the different as she tried to scramble a bye – however batted with selective assertion. The 27-year-old struck 12 fours and was seven in need of emulating her century towards Sunrisers final season when she top-edged a pull and fell to a unbelievable diving catch by Mady Villiers.

Bethan Ellis provided some impetus with a 35-ball 31 which included the one six of the innings, however Coppack and Hancock returned to lop off the tail, supported by extra wonderful catching.

When Sunrisers replied, the catching bar was raised nonetheless additional by George’s good, one-handed seize at second slip off Grace Potts as Ariana Dowse grew to become the third opening batter within the day to bag a duck.

The fourth opener stuffed her boots although. Reprieved on 22 when wicketkeeper Freeborn grassed a tricky likelihood from an edge off Grace Potts, Scrivens performed with the liberty and confidence of a batter in high type. She reached 50 from 53 balls and celebrated by lifting Ria Fackrell over long-on for six.

Scrivens and Cordelia Griffith (37) added 110 in 19 overs earlier than Fackrell struck twice to retain a Sparks toe-hold within the recreation. Griffith belted a full toss straight to a fielder and Jodi Grewcock fell lbw, sweeping. When George took one other fantastic catch, at midwicket off Ellis, to finish Villiers’ counter-attack, it was 149 for 4 and Sparks had a glimmer of alternative.

That glimmer was emphatically extinguished by Scrivens and Carr (26), the previous reaching her century from 108 balls in a victory-clinching fifth-wicket partnership of 59 in 9 overs.