Half-centuries from Mary Kelly and Gwenan Davis helped Central Sparks to a six-wicket win over Sunrisers in the Rachel Hayhoe Flint Trophy.

Mary Kelly scored 58 and Davis scored 50:

Mary Kelly scored 58 and Davis scored 50. The duo made light work of chasing down the target of 205 runs off about one run. Which was reduced to 42 overs by the morning rain.

Earlier Cordelia Griffith was the mainstay of Sunrisers with 69 of 204-7. Rhea Fakrell scored 3-30 for the visitors.

Sunrisers openers Griffith and Grace Scrivens survived a test powerplay. The former was given life on 11 when Sparks wicketkeeper Chloe Hill failed to climb the outside edge of furious Easy Wong. Scrivens was also dropped at 18. Hill took a second chance when he stood in for Claire Boycott. The second drop did not prove to be expensive. Anisha Patel lbw Scrivens for 26 with a score of 67.

However, Griffith made the most of his life, mixing powerful drives with clever touches to reach 50 in 76 balls. and Alice McLeod provided valuable support. The pair added 77 runs for the second wicket.

She however, played an innings of 50 runs:

Mary Kelly, however, scored 50 runs. While debutant Davina Perrin announced herself with a brilliant straight drive for four just two days earlier.

Sunrisers looked ready for a big score after scoring 144 for 1 wicket. But when Eve Jones removed Griffith, the cover was caught. speed turned to sparks way
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Fran Wilson and Naomi Dattani went on the cheap. Bowled by an impressive Fackrell, who would later push past Kelly Castle’s off stump. And Macleod’s run-a-ball 46 was needed to take the hosts past 200.

Chasing 205, Jones and Kelly were leading the way. The latter especially driving and powerfully as 50 came in the 10th over.

Jones also looked into the groove and it was a surprise when at 31 he went loosely on Scrivens and was caught at cover.

Sunrisers added to their struggle by dismissing Mary Kelly twice in successive overs, dismissing Castle and Kate Kopac to unlucky bowlers:

Coppack bowled the opener soon after. When she missed a scoop and a brilliant catch by McLeod at mid-off. Perrin’s promising innings of 20 runs ended with 70 runs.

Davis, however, stabilized any nerves with a mature and increasingly fluent knock. Six and seven fours took him to 50 in 57 balls. She got out with a need. But Sparks rocked the house with more than four overs to spare.

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