Blaze beat leaders Vipers in Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

Last year's runners-up The Blaze are fifth in this year's Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

Leaders Southern Vipers lost by 20 runs to The Blaze as action resumed in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

The Blaze produced a determined bowling display to defend their total of 208, bowling out the Vipers for 188.

Second-placed Northern Diamonds also lost as they went down by three wickets to Sunrisers in the 50-over competition.

England bowler Kate Cross took 6-40 as Lancashire Thunder hammered South East Stars by 120 runs.

While captain Eve Jones hit 130 with the bat and Georgia Davis grabbed 6-23 with the ball as Central Sparks thrashed Western Storm by 145 runs.

The Vipers had won seven of their first 10 games in this year's competition and in a repeat of last year's final, the defending champions opted to bowl at Arundel.

Marie Kelly top scored with 40, but The Blaze could not put together a significant partnership as they were eventually all out off the penultimate ball, with Ava Lee taking 4-51.

But chasing 209, the Vipers faced similar problems as they slipped to 88-4.

Emily Windsor (41) and Abi Norgrove (32) put on 58 for the fifth wicket but when Windsor was bowled by Orla Prendergast, Norgrove struggled for support from the lower order.

And two wickets in the 44th over from Kathryn Bryce completed a 20-run victory as The Blaze remain fifth.

Grace Scrivens hit 56 as Sunrisers chased down 189 to beat Northern Diamonds

The Diamonds could have leapfrogged the Vipers if they had won their match at Chelmsford, but they struggled after deciding to bat first.

Netherlands batter Sterre Kalis scored 36, but Mady Villiers with 4-36 and Sophie Munro (3-25) did an excellent job to restrict the visiting batting line up to 188-9 off their 50 overs.

Captain Grace Scrivens played the anchor role with 56 off 74 balls while number four Jodi Grewcock hit a run-a-ball 40.

The Sunrisers were always ahead of the required run-rate and despite the loss of a couple of wickets late in the chase, they still got home by three wickets with 12 overs in hand, as victory moves them up to third.

Cross demolishes Stars

That is because the Stars, who began the day in third, were swept away by the Thunder in the match at Beckenham.

Thunder opted to bat first and a third-wicket partnership of 96 between Seren Smale, who made 76 and Fi Morris (54) was the bedrock of their 250-8.

Then it was all about Cross. She took two wickets in two balls to reduce the Stars to 13-2 and then returned to devastating effect later in the innings.

Cross removed top scorer Kira Chathli for 54 and then cleaned up the tail as the Stars fell from 113-6 to be all out for 130 in the 37th over.

In the meeting of the bottom two at Taunton, it was one-way traffic as the visiting Sparks completely dominated their hosts.

Captain Jones was at the crease for all bar 11 deliveries of the innings, hitting 18 fours and one six in her 163-ball knock.

She also had excellent support from Abi Freeborn, who finished on 89 not out as they put on 189 for the third wicket in the total of 297-3.

Opener Sophia Smale hit 53 off 47 balls in reply but when she was out in the 18th over, there was little resistance.

Off-spinner Davis had a field day, picking up her wickets in a full 10-over spell as the Storm were bowled out with 17 overs to spare, as they fell below their opponents to the bottom of the table.