Alice Capsey anchors chase as Stars cruise to six-wicket win

All-rounder Alice Capsey struck an unbeaten 73 as South East Stars strolled to a six-wicket Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy victory against winless Sunrisers at Chelmsford.

Capsey's bustling knock took her just 75 deliveries and included nine fours as she and Aylish Cranstone put together a match-winning partnership of 114 to secure the Stars' second success of the tournament.

Stars skipper Tash Farrant made early inroads after the home side had opted to bat, having opposite number Amara Carr caught at second slip and removing Lissy MacLeod in her next over.

That left Sunrisers struggling at 17 for 2, although their prospects of posting a competitive total were raised by a solid partnership of 55 from 57 balls between Cordelia Griffith and Naomi Dattani.

However, none of the Sunrisers batters were able to convert starts into the significant score that could have anchored their innings, with spin duo Dani Gregory and Capsey stifling them through the middle overs.

Capsey also made a key contribution in the field, with throws from backward square to run out Hayley Brown and Grace Scrivens - the latter having just clubbed her for three consecutive boundaries.

Jo Gardner and Katie Midwood did their best to haul Sunrisers above the 200 mark, but both fell to well-executed stumpings off Hannah Jones before Farrant returned to finish them off in the penultimate over.

Stars made an uncertain start to their run chase, with Kirstie White leg before in the third over to seamer Katie Wolfe, who produced a tight opening spell in tandem with the nagging spin of Scrivens.

Debutant Chloe Brewer lifted the shackles by steering Wolfe through the slips twice for boundaries and, with Cranstone also starting to find the gaps, the visitors began to make steady progress.

The pair added 56 before Brewer fell to Scrivens, caught behind attempting a cut, but new batter Capsey immediately made her intentions clear, pulling her first delivery through midwicket for four.

Capsey flourished against the Sunrisers spinners, outscoring her partner as she reached 50 from 52 balls - and Cranstone missed out on a half-century of her own, cutting Gardner to the point fielder with just 20 more required.

Although the impressive Gardner followed that up with the wicket of Amy Gordon, it made no difference to the outcome, Susie Rowe stroking the winning single with 12.5 overs to spare.