The Southern Vipers and Western Storm played their second game of the tournament facing each other at Bristol. Both the teams had won their respective games before this match – Vipers had beaten Sunrisers whereas Western Storm had defeated South East Stars. Western Storm had won the toss and chose to field first and retained Heather Knight in their side while Danni Wyatt and Paige Scholfield played for the Vipers.
Batting first, Vipers got off to a great start with a century stand by the opening pair. Danni Wyatt got to a half-century in just 55 balls while Georgia Adams played a supporting role. Wyatt was bowled by Fi Morris for 53. Maia Bouchier was the next to be dismissed, by Heather Knight for just 16 while Georgia Adams, unfortunately, was run out soon after her half-century (55) with the score at 149/3 in the 28th over. With the next few wickets falling at regular intervals, Charlotte Dean looked to play till the end and anchor the innings. No one could really stay with her for a long period of time to enable the Vipers to reach 300. They ended up with 261/7 with Charlotte Dean remaining unbeaten on 60 off 70 balls. Among the bowlers, Heather Knight took 2 wickets while Fi Morris, Georgia Hennessey, Claire Nicholas, and Katie George picked up a wicket each.
Set 262 for victory, Western Storm lost opener Fi Morris early. However, Heather Knight was joined by the captain Sophie Luff as they started building a platform for their side. Heather Knight continued where she left off and scored another fifty off 64 deliveries. Sophie Luff also got to her fifty in the 24th over. Sophie Luff got out soon after for 60 runs. Tara Norris got into action, picking up the next 4 wickets, including that of their Knight, and took them to 180/8 from 143/2. That passage of play also brought her the wicket of Heather Knight, bowled for 67 runs. Lauren Parfitt and Claire Nicholas resisted briefly but Western Storm was eventually dismissed for 239 in the 48th over. Tara Norris picked up 4 wickets for 45 runs while Georgia Adams picked up 3 wickets for 23 runs, with the side winning by 22 runs.
With this victory, Southern Vipers top the South group with 2 wins out of 2. They next face South East Stars at Hove. Western Storm faces Sunrisers at Chelmsford the same day.
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Brief Scores
Southern Vipers – 261/7 in 50 overs (C Dean – 60, G Adams – 55, D Wyatt – 53, H Knight – 2/36)
Western Storm – 239 all out in 47.5 overs (H Knight – 67, S Luff – 60, T Norris – 4/45, G Adams – 3/23)
Southern Vipers win by 22 runs