The South East Stars faced Sunrisers today at Beckenham, which was the second game of the tournament for both the teams. Both the South East Stars and Sunrisers lost their opening games against Western Storm and Southern Vipers respectively. South East Storm won the toss and elected to bat first with the centrally contracted players, Bryony Smith, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Davidson-Richards, and Freya Davies in the side. Sunrisers had Fran Wilson and Mady Villiers in their side.
South East Stars got off to a rocky start losing 3 quick wickets for 27 runs. However, Sophia Dunkley, with the company of Alice Davidson-Richards, consolidated the innings with a partnership of 123 runs in just over 22 overs and got them back on track. Sophia Dunkley reached her half-century off 58 balls while Alice Davidson-Richards reached her fifty the very next over with a boundary. Alice Davidson-Richards was finally dismissed by Sonali Patel for 61 off 74 balls. The wicket got Susie Rowe in the middle and the pair continued where Alice left off as the South East Stars reached 200 in their 38th over. Sophia Dunkley fell agonizingly short of three figures as she was dismissed for 97 off the bowling of Joanne Gardner. Susie Rowe then had a productive stand with their shipper, Tash Farrant, as they reached 250 in the 45th over after which Rowe fell for 39 making it 255/6, bowled by Sonali Patel. She would pick up 2 more wickets but Tash Farrant played an excellent cameo of 37 off 26 balls to lift her side to 289/8 in their 50 overs. Sonali Patel was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets for 52 runs.
Chasing a stiff target of 290, Sunrisers lost their first wicket in the first over itself but the captain, Amara Carr, forged an important stand of 56 runs with Fran Wilson in just 10 overs to stay in the hunt. Fran Wilson was dismissed by Alice Davidson-Richards for 29, who also held onto 2 catches to put them under pressure at 107/6 by the 23rd over, just after the skipper reached her half-century. Joanne Gardner and Kelly Castle played second fiddle with 25 each as Carr held one end together. But when she was dismissed on 99, stumped off the bowling off Bryony Smith, the match was all but over with Sunrisers at 201/8. Bryony Smith ended up taking the remaining wickets to cut short their innings on 212, South East Stars winning the game by 77 runs. Bryony Smith had picked 3 wickets conceding just 25 runs.
With this win, South East Stars pick up their first points and open their account. They next face Southern Vipers at Hove on 5th September. Sunrisers face Western Storm at Chelmsford the same day.
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Brief Scores
South East Stars – 289/8 in 50 overs (S Dunkley – 97, A Richards – 61, S Patel – 4/52)
Sunrisers – 212 all out in 45.5 overs (A Carr – 99, B Smith – 3/25, S Dunkley – 2/34, H Jones – 2/34)
South East Stars won by 77 runs
