Georgia Adams, the captain of the Southern Vipers, shone with both bat and ball to lead her team to a three-wicket Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy triumph over Central Sparks at Wormsley.
Adams got 4 for 30 in Sparks’ 183 for 9 total before scoring a cool-headed 50 off 71 balls to help her team reach their goal with 49 balls remaining.
Sparks’ innings were erratic once he was introduced. Despite strong performances by Ami Campbell (54 off 76 balls) and Abbey Freeborn (43 off 96), they were never able to free themselves from the constraints of the tightly coordinated group bowling of Adams and Charlie Dean.
Vipers were put under a lot of pressure when their reply slipped to 46 for 4 in the 15th over, but Adams and Dean added 105 runs in 19 overs to push their team toward a second straight victory.
Delivering 21 wides cost Sparks dearly in a low-scoring contest, as they were left nursing their second loss in their opening three games.
Vipers decided to bowl because the surface had been freshly soaked by a downpour, and they struck with the eighth ball when Dean took a straightforward return catch from Chloe Brewer.
After rebuilding with a stand of 56 in 18 overs, Eve Jones and Freeborn, Georgia Elwiss struck twice in three balls. There was no question about the dismissal of Davina Perrin, whose middle stump was left leaning at a lazy angle, even though the lbw verdict that sent Jones packing was heavily disputed.
Freeborn and Campbell put together another strong combination, scoring 61 runs in 15 overs, but the Vipers’ bowlers had the batsmen work very hard to get runs. Adams accepted a return catch from Freeborn, earning her first wicket.
Katie George was a beautiful passer of the ball, but the match’s turning point came when she was taken out by an outstanding fielding move.
Alice Monaghan was lashed by George to deep square leg, where Maia Bouchier made an outstanding run-up catch. The value of that catch was enormous because the innings lost all momentum after that.
Sparks fell from a rather healthy 161 for 4 to 183 for 9, scoring just 22 runs and losing five wickets in the final seven overs. Thanks to Linsey Smith’s astute catch, Adams was able to end Campbell’s resistance and bowl the dangerous Issy Wong with the next ball.
The Vipers effectively put an end to the innings with the addition of Lauren Bell’s wicket of Emily Arlott, who nicked to wicketkeeper Rhianna Southby.
The bowlers for Sparks had to get going right away, and they did. In a fierce opening spell of 6-0-12-2, Arlott had Ella McCaughan caught at short fine leg on the fourth ball and added the important wicket of Elwiss.
When George hit the middle stump to remove Maia Boucher, Vipers were 46 for 4 and exposed after Danni Wyatt chipped Wong to midwicket.
With their calm batting, Adams and Dean brought their team within 23 runs of victory. Adams was bowled by Hannah Baker and Dean was caught behind off of George in consecutive overs, but Emily Windsor and Southby quietly guided the Vipers to victory.