Central Sparks don't fly as South East Stars ease to thumping victory

The South East Stars thrashed the Central Sparks by 59 runs in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham, limiting them to 159 for nine from 50 overs.

Chloe Brewer and Alice Davidson-Richards were the top scorers with 57 and 50 as the Stars posted 254 for nine.

Liz Russell took three for 44, but it was a total the visitors never looked like getting anywhere near after they lost their top six for 43 runs, despite a late stand between Georgia Davis and Grace Potts who made 52 not out and 30 respectively. Eva Gray had the Stars' best bowling figures with 3 for 28.

The Sparks won the toss and chose to field on a damp Beckenham wicket, but they were frustrated until the 16th over, when Russell struck twice.

Jemima Spence was caught behind for 26, before Kira Chathli was out lbw to the third ball she faced.

Brewer passed 50 when she nudged Hannah Baker to mid off for a single, but she was subsequently stumped by Abbey Freeborn after being lured down the wicket by Davis.

Phoebe Franklin made 37 before she was caught at backward point by Milly Home, trying to cut Emily Arlott and Kirstie White was caught behind for two off Baker, with Freeborn standing up to the stumps.

Davis claimed her second wicket when Rhianna Southby chipped her to Russell at mid-off for nine and Davidson-Richards' hopes of batting through the death overs ended when she was caught by Russell off Grace Potts.

Alexa Stonehouse holed out to Potts and was caught by Ami Campbell for six, before Arlott was then taken out of the attack after bowling a second full toss over waist height. Russell had Eva Gray caught at backward square by Baker for five, but Ryana MacDonald-Gay batted through to 50 overs to finish on 37 not out, alongside Danielle Gregory, who was unbeaten on six.

Franklin struck first in the chase, bowling Gabby Basketeer off an inside-edge for 14, then pinging out Davina Perrin's off stump for two.

Gray then took two wickets in as many overs, getting Campbell to drive to midwicket, where she was caught by Franklin for six, before Sparks captain Eve Jones played at a leg-side delivery and was caught behind. She was denied a third when Stonehouse put down a top edge from Arlott two balls later, but it was a fleeting stay of execution as Arlott's middle stump was bowled by MacDonald-Gay at the start of the next over.

Gray then bowled Home in equally emphatic fashion, sending her middle stump flying for one to reduce the Sparks to 54 for six, but Freeborn lingered for 19 and was unlucky to be given lbw to Davidson-Richards.

Davis and Potts then put on 66 for the eighth wicket, but the rate rose from around six at the start of their partnership to over ten by the time the latter swiped Davidson-Richards to Gray. Russell then joined Davis and made an entertaining 23 before she hit Stonehouse to MacDonald-Gay at cover point.

That left Davis with the impossible task of hitting 67 from the final over, though she at least managed to get her half-century with two off MacDonald-Gay and then survived when the next delivery hit her stumps without dislodging the bails.