Brief Scores:
Loughborough Lightning – 135/5 in 20 overs (G Elwiss – 37)
Southern Vipers – 136/8 in 19.3 overs (D Wyatt – 40, S Taylor – 38, S Glenn – 2/22, K Gordon – 2/24)
Key Performers:
- Georgia Elwiss (Loughborough Lightning) top-scored for her side by making 37 runs off 31 balls hitting 4 boundaries.
- Danielle Wyatt (Southern Vipers) scored a breezy 40 of only 33 balls hitting 7 boundaries to give her side a strong start.
- Stefanie Taylor (Southern Vipers) made 38 runs off 29 balls hitting 5 boundaries and also took a wicket in her 4 overs.
- Sarah Glenn and Kirstie Gordon (both Loughborough Lightning) were the most successful bowlers claiming 2 wickets each
Southern Vipers came into this match after winning their opening fixture against Lancashire Thunder. Loughborough Lightning lost their match against Western Storm but, with this match being played at Loughborough itself, hoped to use their home advantage to take down Southern Vipers.
Loughborough Lightning had won the toss and chosen to bat first.
Loughborough openers Hayley Matthews and Amy Jones took their team to a bright start taking them to 48 runs in just their seventh over. However, on the last ball of that over Hayley Matthews was bowled by Amanda-Jade Wellington for 21 runs. She had faced 23 deliveries and scored 4 boundaries. Amy Jones fell soon after, bowled by Paige Scholfied, scoring 24 off 27 balls hitting 2 boundaries and a six. The hosts were 54/2 at that stage.
Georgia Elwiss entered the fray as she held one end together to keep the score ticking over. Chamari Atapattu was struggling at the other end and was finally dismissed by Stefanie Taylor lbw for 9. Elwiss then had a brief stand of 29 runs with Mignon du Preez but even the latter was dismissed by Lauren Bell for 13 runs. Jenny Gunn joined Elwiss with the score on 108/4 in the 18th over with Loughborough looking to finish well and give them a fighting chance. Gunn played a very important cameo for her side. She scored a boundary in the very first ball she faced off Lauren Bell. In the penultimate over, both picked up a boundary each to make it 11 off the over. In the last over, bowled by Stefanie Taylor, Gunn hit a six in the second ball. Elwiss was run out in the final ball trying to steal another run off the final ball. She scored 37 off 31 deliveries hitting 2 boundaries as Loughborough reached 135/5 in their 20 overs. Jenny Gunn remained unbeaten scoring 17 runs in only 7 balls hitting 2 fours and a six.
Among the bowlers, Lauren Bell, Stefanie Taylor, Amanda-Jade Wellington, and Paige Scholfield picked up a wicket each.
With 136 required for victors, Southern Vipers got off to a fluent start with both their openers Danielle Wyatt and Suzie Bates looking in good nick. They reached 49 runs at the end of the seventh over. However, in the very next ball, Suzie Bates was dismissed by Kirstie Gordon for 22. She claimed Tammy Beaumont’s wicket at the same over as she was stumped by Amy Jones for a duck.
Stefanie Taylor combined with Danni Wyatt to keep the scoreboard ticking over. However, in the 12th over, Danni Wyatt was out caught by Sarah Glenn off the bowling of Chamari Atapattu for a well-made 40 runs off only 33 balls scoring 7 boundaries. Thea Brookes was run out soon after with the score 91/4 in only the 14th over. Stefanie Taylor threatened to take the game away from Loughborough as she kept the scoreboard moving but soon fell lbw off the bowling of Sarah Glenn with the score on 112/5. At that stage, they were well under the control of the required rate as they needed 24 runs off 22 balls.
However, Glenn and Atapattu put the brakes on the scoring as they strung together a series of dots and singles to put Vipers under pressure. This eventually led to the wicket of Maia Bouchier who was run out. With 19 required off 12 balls, the chase started to look tricky for Vipers. Paige Scholfield got lucky in the next over as she was gifted 4 byes by Glenn. She struck a six the very next ball to bring down the equation to 8 runs needed from 9 balls. But then, Scholfield was run out the next ball and Tash Farrant was caught behind by Amy Jones to bring the match back in balance.
With 7 required off the final over, Amanda-Jade Wellington calmly struck a boundary in the first ball bowled by Hayley Matthews to bring down the equation to 3 required off 5 balls and finished the game off the next 2 balls to get Vipers home. Southern Vipers won the game with a narrow margin of 2 wickets to maintain their unbeaten run this season, while Loughborough Lightning lost their second game.
Among the bowlers, Sarah Glenn and Kirstie Gordon bowled economically while claiming 2 wickets each. Stafanie Taylor was declared as Player of the Match for her all-round performance of taking a wicket to add to her 38 runs scored in 29 balls with the help of five boundaries.
Loughborough Lightning next play Yorkshire Diamonds while Southern Vipers play Western Storm. Both matches are to be played on Sunday. Tune in to FemaleCricket for all the action of the Kia Super League.