Linsey Smith strikes with bat and ball as Vipers keep knockout ambitions in their own hands

Linsey Smith scored her best List A score and picked up three wickets to beat South East Stars by 58 runs - boosting Vipers' Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy knockout ambitions.

Former England spinner Smith bagged a no-thrills 51, her first half-century in 50-over cricket, before taking 3 for 34 to set up a bonus point victory.

She was the lynchpin for Vipers' 254 - which saw Ella McCaughan and Georgia Adams score 40s and Dani Gregory take a four-for.

Aylish Cranstone cracked 69 but Vipers leap-frogged Stars into second and leave qualification for the Eliminator in their own hands, while Stars will progress if they beat Central Sparks in the last round of fixtures.

Vipers chose to bat but found early going slow on a tacky pitch, with only 27 runs coming in the opening 10 overs - Alexa Stonehouse picking up Abi Norgrove's wicket and Ryana Macdonald-Gay accurate from the other end.

McCaughan and Adams accelerated with 54 coming from the following seven overs before the former swung to long on and Georgia Elwiss was run out for the second game in a row.

Adams continued her fine form with seven boundaries in a glossy 49, barely missing out on a fifth straight 50 when she top-edged to square leg.

Emily Windsor had drilled to cover as Vipers looked limply at an under-par total on 128 for 5 but Freya Kemp's whacking and Smith's belligerence put them right.

Kemp's two sixes headlined the 48-run stand before slogging to long on, with Gregory completing her 4 for 55 by pinning Alice Monaghan.

Smith only scored three boundaries, two of coming from edges, in her maiden Vipers fifty, however it came in 56 balls to highlight her strong running.

Rhianna Southby chipped away with 21 off 24 but Vipers were bowled out in 48.2 overs with Smith caught at long on, Southby bowled and Ava Lee well caught behind.

In reply, Stars grappled through the powerplay, also scoring 27, but lost captain Bryony Smith and Kira Chathli as Linsey Smith continued her fine game.

Jemima Spence and Cranstone built the foundations of the chase with a 58-run stand before the former pulled to deep square.

Former Viper Paige Scholfield and Kalea Moore fell to the increasingly impressive teenager Lee, while on loan from Vipers Chloe Hill was plumb in front to Mary Taylor.

Left-hander Cranstone completed her first half-century of the season in 48 deliveries after an innings filled with stylish off-side stroke play. But Adams bowled her after she had added 45 with Stonehouse, who perished soon after to Linsey Smith's third.

Bethan Miles was leg before to Adams - who took 2 for 41 - and after a 46-run 10th wicket stand, MacDonald-Gay was caught at deep midwicket.