Sophie Luff 85, Fi Morris five-for seal crushing Western Storm win

Skipper Sophie Luff's elegant half century led Western Storm to a crushing 86-run victory over hosts Sunrisers at Chelmsford.

Luff stroked nine fours in an innings of 85 from 115 balls, sharing stands of 80 - in just 61 deliveries - with Alex Griffiths and 55 with Claire Nicholas as Storm rattled up 265 for 6, despite 10 excellent overs of offspin from Alice Macleod.

Lauren Filer then took wickets with her first two balls of the tournament, before Fi Morris claimed a five-wicket haul as Sunrisers mustered 179 in reply, Jo Gardner top-scoring with 54.

Morris and Lauren Parfitt got Storm off to a solid start with an opening stand of 43 after being asked to bat first. But the former fell to Macleod and helped by a mix-up which saw Georgia Hennessy run out, Sunrisers reduced the visitors to 109 for 4 just beyond halfway.

Instead of grabbing the match by the scruff, Sunrisers' bowlers lost their discipline as Griffiths and Luff unleashed a flurry of boundaries, producing 58 runs in the next five overs.

Griffiths hit the innings' only six before being given a life on 29 when skipper Amara Carr and bowler Emily Thorpe left a simple top edge to one another and the chance was lost.

for @LuffSophie #StormTroopers pic.twitter.com/WwHBWEPIr3

— Western Storm (@WesternStormKSL) September 5, 2020

The Welsh-born allrounder was eventually snared LBW by Sonali Patel for 43, made from just 34 balls, before Luff was stumped off Katie Wolfe. Nevertheless, 265 looked an imposing score and Filer soon made it look a whole lot bigger.

Storm's medium pacer struck a huge blow when having Carr caught at slip for a golden duck and her next ball splayed MacLeod's stumps to leave the hosts 2 for 2. The hat-trick ball proved an anti-climactic wide, one of three in an over of 11 deliveries.

Hard-hitting Cordelia Griffith lost her middle stump playing all round one from Griffiths, before Morris accounted for both Naomi Dattani and Gaya Gole to leave Sunrisers in tatters at 70 for 5.

Gardner smote two big sixes in a gritty half-century, sharing a sixth-wicket of 51 with Grace Scrivens, but she became Morris' fifth victim to leave Sunrisers still winless in the tournament.