South East Stars achieved qualification to the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint semi finals with a 20 run win over Central Sparks. Key batting contributions from Alice Davidson-Richards (70 from 68 balls) and Kira Chathli (80 from 78 balls) helped Stars post a total of 270, which ultimately proved too many for their opponents.
The venue for the final ever meeting of these soon-to-be-disbanded teams was Moseley Cricket Club in Solihull. This game was notable for being the first for Sparks following the very abrupt and slightly mysterious departure of their captain, founding member, leading appearance maker and leading run getter Eve Jones to join Lancashire Thunder on loan in the aftermath of their victory over Southern Vipers at Worcester last week, in a move which seemed to parallel the abrupt departure of their coach and assistant coach earlier in the season. It is fair to say that this has been a difficult season for the Sparks, and the opportunity to re-emerge as Warwickshire next season is a timely one for them.
Sparks won the toss and, as is customary for 10.30 starts in September, invited the Stars to bat, hoping to give Katie George and Grace Potts the chance to exploit any early movement off the pitch or in the air on a cloudy, chilly and slightly damp morning. The early wicket of Chloe Hill, bowled by Katie George in the second over, seemed to justify this decision. However, the next hour of play was notable for some cautious batting from Alexa Stonehouse, the teenage bowling all-rounder clearly taking her top order batting responsibilities seriously, and occasional expansive shots from the more experienced Phoebe Franklin, fresh from her successful stint with Welsh Fire in the Hundred.
Between them these two batters saw off the opening bowlers and were even untroubled by Emily Arlott, who in Sparks’ last outing had wiped out Southern Vipers’ top order with a devastating spell, but who today was unable to make any breakthrough.
Abbey Freeborn, Sparks’ new “full time” captain for the remaining two games, took decisive action with a double bowling change, bringing on Bethan Ellis to bowl her loopy medium pace and Charis Pavely, newly called up by England for their tour of Ireland next week, to bowl her left arm spin. The impact was immediate, with both Franklin and Stonehouse departing in consecutive overs from the new bowlers, bringing two new batters to the crease.
It was at this point that the game drifted away from Sparks. Having kept the scoring rate down to under five an over and having dismissed Stars’ top three, it was actually South East Stars who took control at this point. Davidson-Richards and Chathli combined to add 127 untroubled runs over the next 20 overs, Fackrell and Ellis were very much on the receiving end as 16 boundaries helped to push the score above 200. Davidson-Richards is a player who just looks like she belongs at the crease and the only discomfort she showed throughout her innings was her genuine concern for Bethan Ellis after she smote a straight drive at the bowler’s shin and the sickening sound of the impact echoed around the grey skies of Solihull. She was eventually dismissed for 70 when her lofted drive failed to clear Chloe Brewer at mid-off.
Chathli, captain in the absence of Bryony Smith, continued her remarkable comeback from injury. Having missed the entire season until 26th August, she has now accumulated 220 runs in just three innings, including 86 not out against Western Storm on Saturday. Her 80 runs today, scored at more than a run a ball, seemed destined to become a century before she was also caught in the ring when trying to loft the ball for her 10th boundary.
So at 203 for 3 in the 37th over, Stars seemed destined for a score close to 300. But the loss of Davidson-Richards and then Chathli, combined with some miserly bowling from Katie George and Charis Pavely meant that suddenly, Stars were all out in the final over for just 270. This seemed significant, as Sparks have never in their history scored more than the 297 runs they scored at Taunton last week to beat Western Storm, so Stars’ failure to finish well became an opportunity for Sparks to win the game.
Within 20 minutes of the restart, it seemed that Sparks’ hopes of a victory were almost extinguished. Ami Campbell, who scored her third 50 in three seasons last week at Worcester, lofted Tilly Corteen-Coleman to midwicket to be out for 6. Opening with Campbell was 20-year-old debutante Meg Austin. Far from seeming like the junior partner, Austin exuded confidence and class as she square cut Stonehouse through the offside ring and drove Corteen-Coleman to the long-off boundary. Indeed, she can count herself very unlucky to be given out caught from what appeared to be an over waist high no-ball from Corteen-Coleman, who was suitably embarrassed enough not to celebrate too hard.
With Sparks two wickets down for 24 runs after six overs, it was time to rebuild. Davina Perrin, the ‘veteran’ 17-year-old playing her 51st game for Sparks since her début exactly three years ago neatly compiled a run-a-ball 50 whilst Freeborn and George lost their wickets cheaply. When Perrin was caught by Franklin from the bowling of Dani Gregory at the start of the 20th over, Sparks were 104 for 5 and the writing was on the wall for them. Those of us who have watched Sparks over the years could foresee the tail failing to wag and one or two over-ambitious shots later, Stars would have their bonus point win inside 30 overs.
The fact that the match did not pan out like that was due to two unlikely heroes stepping up when their team needed them the most. There is nothing flashy about Chloe Brewer or Bethan Ellis. Neither has been first name on the team sheet this season. Both were picked up in the Hundred, but neither got any game time. Yet over the course of the next 23 overs they gave South East Stars a real scare. Adding 103 runs, most of which they ran in ones and twos, they took the game deep and set up a grandstand finish. As the run rate increased and risks had to be taken, both were out, but still, with 32 needed from the last 3 overs and with only 6 wickets down, Sparks could have done it, something which seemed unthinkable at the half way point.
In the end, it was not to be for Sparks. Stars were worthy winners and have qualified for the semi-finals with a game to spare. Sparks’ season of turmoil will end at Chesterfield on Friday, where a win could deny The Blaze a place in the semis.
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