Bouchier misses out on cup century for Vipers

Maia Bouchier was seven runs away from being only the third player to hit a century in the Charlotte Edwards Cup

Maia Bouchier warmed up for Charlotte Edwards Cup finals day on Saturday as she plundered a career-best 93 in defending champions Southern Vipers' huge 113-run win over South East Stars at Hove.

The 25-year-old opener took just 55 balls to hit the second-highest score in this season’s competition, bettered only by Hollie Armitage's 98 for Northern Diamonds earlier in the week.

That took the Vipers to 179-5 but, in the meeting of two sides who will now meet again in semi-final action at Derby, Stars were then bowled out for just 66, the second-lowest completed total in this season’s competition.

It was only a second defeat for Stars, who finished second in the group behind The Blaze and eight points ahead of Vipers, twice the winners of this competition.

But Vipers' bonus-point win edged them above Central Sparks into third, earning them another date with the Stars - and Sparks an appointment with the on-fire Blaze.

Nine of the wickets fell to spin as Charlie Dean (3-5) led the way, backed by Linsey Smith (3-12) and Charli Knott (2-15).

Bouchier's failure to reach three figures means that just two players have made a hundred in the four years of the competition - Emma Lamb (111 not out for Lancashire Thunder) and Marie Kelly (100 not out for Central Sparks) both in 2021, the inaugural year.

The Blaze made it nine wins in 10 games as they beat Central Sparks by five wickets at Edgbaston in what also turned out to be a rehearsal for Saturday's semi-finals.

Abigail Freeborn top-scored for Sparks with 39, backed by Davina Perrin (37) and Amy Jones (36) as they were restricted to 138-8, with Kirstie Gordon, Josie Groves and Heather Graham all taking two wickets each.

On the ground where she learned her cricket, Kelly then powered Blaze to victory with 89 from 63 balls to reach 139-5.

Thunder rolled by Diamonds

Thunder suffered the lowest score in the competition's history as they lost the battle of the north to Northern Diamonds by five wickets.

Thunder made just 61, after Scotland left-arm seamer Rachel Slater did most of the early damage at Chester-le-Street.

Slater bowled her four overs straight through to take 3-12, while new ball partner Lizzie Scott struck twice to add to the two wickets from Erin Burns' off-spin.

The Diamonds then slipped to 37-4 in reply, but former Thunder player Rebecca Duckworth steered her side home with an unbeaten 21 to win with 38 balls to spare.

In the day's other game between the four out-of-contention teams, England captain Heather Knight got herself into form ahead of the series against New Zealand with 66 as Western Storm beat Sunrisers by 11 runs.

Knight hit her second straight 50 to put behind her a disappointing Pakistan T20 series, sharing a 74-run stand with 20-year-old Emma Corney (46).

In reply to Storm's 142-7, in which Blaze loanee Sophie Munro took 4-23, Sunrisers fell short on 131-9 to end up bottom for the fourth year in a row.