The 2nd leg of the 2023 edition of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy kicks off on the 2nd of July and the Sunrisers and Southern Vipers are set to go head-to-head for match no. 23. The game will be played at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, and commences at 3:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
During the first leg of the tournament, the Southern Vipers put on solid performances, securing two wins out of their five games, while facing two losses and one match being affected by rain. On the other hand, the Sunrisers had a challenging start, with only one win, one game affected by rain, and three defeats in their five outings.
Squads:
Sunrisers – Kelly Castle, Amara Carr, Kate Coppack, Jo Gardner, Jodi Grewcock, Cordelia Griffith, Saskia Horley, Scarlett Hughes, Lissy Macleod, Abtaha Maqsood, Flo Miller, Jess Olorenshaw, Mia Rogers, Katherine Speed, Dane van Niekerk
Southern Vipers – Georgia Elwiss, Nancy Harman, Chloe Hill, Ella McCaughan, Sophie Mitchelmore, Alice Monaghan, Anya Shrubsole, Rhianna Southby, Charlotte Taylor, Mary Taylor, Finty Trussler, Emily Windsor
Players to watch out:
Dane van Niekerk
The 30-year-old retired South African all-rounder in 86 One-Day International (ODI) outings struck 138 scalps and recorded 2175 runs. Niekerk didn’t play a game during the first leg, however, in the lead-up to the opener of the 2nd leg warmed up with a 116(83).
Abtaha Maqsood
The 24-year-old leg-spinner in 32 ODI outings has struck 35 wickets, including the best of 3/8 at an economy rate of 5.34. Abtaha is the Sunrisers leading wicket-taker this season with 9 wickets to her name in 5 outings.
Georgia Elwiss
The 32-year-old batting all-rounder, in 36 ODIs has scored 388 runs and bagged 26 wickets. Georgia didn’t have the best of seasons with the bat scoring just 86 runs in 4 innings, however, with the ball was effective scalping 4 wickets in 3 bowling outings.
Anya Shrubsole
The 31-year-old retired all-rounder, in 79 T20Is struck 102 wickets and registered the best of 5/11. Anya wasn’t part of the 1st leg of the tournament, however, graced the T20 tournament and looked good producing 13 wickets in 8 outings.
Pitch:
The 22 yards at Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford form a good batting-friendly surface with an average score in the 210s. However, the wicket also has enough in it for bowlers, especially pacers, who can expect good bounce and swing of the track.
Weather:
With moderate winds, humidity at 51%, and the temperature forecasted to hover around 20°C, the conditions are pleasant to be at the cricket. The overhead is expected to be partly cloudy, however, the chances of rain are minimal.
Fantasy playing XI:
Amara Carr, Rhianna Southby, Jodi Grewcock, Cordelia Griffith, Dane van Niekerk, Georgia Elwiss, Jo Gardner, Abtaha Maqsood, Anya Shrubsole, Kelly Castle, Kate Coppack
Match details:
Date – July 2, 2023
Time – 3:00 PM IST
Venue – The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
Broadcast – A YouTube live-stream link will be made available for the game.