Stars and The Blaze maintain unbeaten starts

Paige Scholfield (right) celebrates reaching her half-century against Southern Vipers with Sophia Dunkley

The Blaze and South East Stars maintained their unbeaten starts to this season's Charlotte Edwards Cup with victories on Sunday.

Sophia Dunkley and Paige Scholfield both hit half-centuries against holders Southern Vipers as Stars claimed their fourth win of this summer's competition.

The victory briefly took Stars top of the table, but The Blaze ended the day back at the summit as they eased to a seven-wicket win at Lancashire Thunder.

Elsewhere, Sunrisers captain Grace Scrivens hit an unbeaten 64 not out to guide her side to a final-ball victory over the winless Northern Diamonds.

Blaze make it five from five

The Blaze dominated Thunder at Emirates Old Trafford, limiting the hosts to 111-9 in their 20 overs after they had opted to bat first.

Thunder started slowly and were unable to recover as they lost wickets at regular intervals, with slow left-armer Kirstie Gordon taking 5-12 and off-spinner Lucy Higham 3-24, while wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce claimed four stumpings.

Danni Collins (30) top-scored for the hosts but their total never looked enough as Tammy Beaumont (34 not out) and Teresa Graves put on 50 for the first wicket in 6.3 overs.

Kathryn Bryce maintained the momentum with 21 off 17 balls before Nadine de Klerk hit the winning boundary off Kate Cross with 26 balls to spare.

Stars inflict third defeat on Vipers

Southern Vipers have struggled for consistency so far this season and only an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 69 between Alice Monaghan and Rhianna Southby got them to a competitive-looking total of 142-6.

Leg-spinner Dani Gregory took 3-23 for the Stars as the Vipers limped to 73-6 in the 12th over when Nancy Harman was trapped leg before to become her third victim.

And the Stars never looked in any trouble in pursuit of their target as Dunkley and Bryony Smith put on 47 for the first wicket in six overs.

A further partnership of 87 between Scholfield (50 off 34 balls) and Dunkley (53 off 42 balls), followed to put their side on the brink of victory.

Dunkley, whose form has put her back into the conversation for an England recall, was dismissed trying to hit the winning runs, leaving Phoebe Franklin to hit the first ball of the 19th over for four to complete a comfortable win by six wickets.

Defeat was the Vipers' third in five group games, leaving them fifth in the standings.

Scrivens steers Sunrisers to second win

At Northampton, Sunrisers were set 124 to beat Diamonds on a slow surface but fell behind the run-rate and were left needing to score 11 off the final over, bowled by Erin Burns.

But Scrivens hit a reverse sweep for four and heaved another boundary through backward square leg off the first five deliveries.

It left Sunrisers needing two off the final ball to win, with Scrivens smashing the ball down the ground for four to see her side home by four wickets and pick up their second victory of the competition.

Earlier, Diamonds captain Hollie Armitage hit 39 to give her team a platform in a second-wicket stand of 39 in 5.2 overs with former England opener Lauren Winfield-Hill.

However, the visitors found it difficult to accelerate and, from 89-2, lost six wickets for 34 runs in the final 5.2 overs to finish on 123-8.

Next fixtures

Thursday (start times BST)

Lord's: Sunrisers v South East Stars (14:15)

Friday

Leicester: The Blaze v Western Storm (13:00)

Emirates Old Trafford: Lancashire Thunder v Southern Vipers (14:30)