| Women’s Kia Super League 2019 |
|---|
| Dates: 6 August – 1 September |
| Coverage: Commentary on selected games on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra & BBC local radio, plus coverage on the BBC Sport website |
Western Storm maintained their 100% record in the Kia Super League with a big win against Yorkshire Diamonds.
Storm romped to a nine-wicket win at York as opening pair Rachel Priest (72) and Smriti Mandhana (70) put on 133 in their chase of 152.
Southern Vipers and Lancashire Thunder finished in a thrilling tie at Hove as both sides made 132 in their 20 overs.
Elsewhere, Surrey Stars fell to a first defeat as Loughborough Lightning beat them by seven wickets at Guildford.
At the halfway point of the group stage, 2017 champions Western Storm already have a strong chance of finishing top and qualifying automatically for the final at Hove on Sunday 1 September.
Their latest win came with 31 balls to spare as they made light work of Yorkshire’s 151-9 in which Hollie Armitage top-scored with 59 off 56 balls.
New Zealand wicketkeeper Priest registered a second successive half-century while India’s Mandhana made her highest score of the competition this season.
Southern Vipers made Sussex rather than Hampshire their “home” for the night and the visit of winless Lancashire Thunder to Hove.
It looked like being a happy trip to the seaside for Thunder when they reduced Vipers to 24-4 in their defence of 132-7.
But Stafanie Taylor (51) and Maia Bouchier (40) put on 94 for the fourth wicket to bring the equation down to 15 needed off 11 balls.
Taylor fell first to England slow left-armer Sophie Ecclestone before Bouchier was run out by the same player five balls later with Vipers needing 12 off the last over.
Amanda-Jade Wellington then hit Emma Lamb for successive fours off the first two balls before she was stumped with four still needed off three.
Tash Farrant scrambled a couple more but was then bowled by Lamb off the penultimate ball.
That left wicketkeeper Carla Rudd needing to hit two off the last delivery, but she and Fi Morris could only scramble a single and the points were shared.
Vipers sit second after that epic finish, nine points behind the leaders Storm while Lancashire stay bottom.
Surrey lost their grip on second place as they stuttered to 120-7 having been put in by Loughborough. Despite reducing the visitors to 31-3, 121 was never going to be enough of a target to defend.
Mignon du Preez (70 not out) and Georgia Adams (34 not out) put on an unbeaten 92 for the fourth wicket.
Loughborough sit a point behind Surrey in fourth with two wins from their five games.
BBC Sport has launched #ChangeTheGame this summer to showcase female athletes in a way they never have been before. Through more live women’s sport available to watch across the BBC this summer, complemented by our journalism, we are aiming to turn up the volume on women’s sport and alter perceptions. Find out more here.
