Summary

  • Western Storm beat Southern Vipers by seven wickets to win KSL

  • Ex-England captain Charlotte Edwards retires after Vipers' defeat

  • Southern Vipers post 145-5 after being put into bat

  • Rachel Priest hits 72 off 36 balls to lead Storm run chase

  • Storm beat Surrey Stars by three wickets to reach final

  1. Postpublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    Stafanie Taylor is, rather unsurprisingly, the player of the match. She's been given a big bottle of champers as a reward. Bit early for that just yet?

    Here's the moment she secured victory for the Storm.

  2. 'We gave it a good go'published at 17:08 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    Surrey Stars captain Natalie Sciver speaking to Sky Sports: "The pitch was a little slow but I just think we didn't pick the right options. We could have played it better.

    "Marizanne did brilliantly again. We knew Stafanie could hold it together and we needed to create pressure and get her out but she wouldn't give us the chance.

    "I've been pleased with the way everyone's enjoyed themselves. I'm really proud of the way we've turned up and improved from last year. We gave it a good go but they were the better team today."

  3. KSL audiences keep on growingpublished at 17:07 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    This is the second year of the Super League competition, and it has ridden the wave of England's World Cup success nicely.

    According to figures released by the ECB, over 20,000 fans have watched this year's action - an increase by a third from last year - with an average of 1,379 attending each game.

    "The players have delivered some exciting and spirited performances, batsmen have hit more sixes than in 2016 and the fans have turned up in their thousands," director of cricket Clare Connor said.

    "It's been especially great to see so many mums and their daughters at our games - hopefully they've been inspired by what they've seen."

    .Image source, Getty Images
  4. 'I said I had to go down fighting'published at 17:04 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    Stafanie Taylor told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra: "For the past few games I don't feel I have given the team what I know I can do. I said to myself that I had to go down fighting.

    "I was running out of partners at the end but everyone chipped in after what was a good bowling effort for the team.

    "It is a good batting wicket and if you get yourself in you can play your shots.

    "The Vipers will have fresh legs and we have just played before but we have the momentum and we have to take into the final."

  5. Postpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    Surrey might have been culpable in letting Storm get too many easy singles in the final few overs, there. Still, it was a polished bowling performance from Storm. They'll face reigning champs Southern Vipers at 18:00 BST.

  6. champagne moment

    STORM WIN BY THREE WICKETSpublished at 18.5 overs
    Breaking

    Storm 101-7

    Stafanie Taylor lofts the ball into the air, Rene Farrell leaps... and she drops it! Taylor and Dibble charge through for the second run, and they have secured their place in the final!

  7. Storm 99-7published at 18.4 overs

    Need 2 from 8 balls

    Alex Hartley is back to bowl the penultimate over, and Taylor flicks her up and over long-on for a single. There's a long conflab between captain and bowler before Hartley spears a leggy delivery in and Dibble hustles it off her pads for another single. In fact, they're dealing exclusively in singles...

  8. Postpublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    Anya Shrubsole may have fallen, but these two boundaries may prove decisive.

  9. Postpublished at 16:54 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    That's Nat Sciver's work done for the day: she's got figures of 4-0-18-2 to her name.

  10. Storm 95-7published at 18 overs

    Need 6 from 12 balls

    Stafanie Taylor works a single to bring Jodie Dibble on strike. Sciver keeps her there for one delivery before Dibble, rather edgily, gets a single down to mid-off. Taylor observes the field, tapping her bat before she chases a leggy full toss from Sciver that adds another single to the total. Sciver was lucky to get away with that.

  11. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 17.2 overs

    Shrubsole c Smith b Sciver 23 (Storm 91-7)

    Ooh, hello! Nat Sciver serves up a low full toss - and Anya Shrubsole cracks it right into the mitts of the fielder on the boundary!

    Western Storm still need 10 runs from 16 balls...

  12. Postpublished at 16:50 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    Kate Cross
    England bowler on BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra

    You think it's only wickets that are going to save Surrey now but they probably knew they needed to take 10 wickets before they started.

    You could feel the buzz they had in that first six overs and T20 cricket is never over until it's over.

  13. Storm 91-6published at 17 overs

    Need 10 from 18 balls

    Stafanie Taylor cracks a welcome four as Rene Farrell continues charging in. Seven runs from the over.

  14. Postpublished at 16:45 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    Alison Mitchell
    BBC Test Match Special

    That one blow from Anya Shrubsole feels like it's changed the momentum of this semi-final in Storm's direction.

  15. 6 runs

    Storm 83-6published at 16 overs

    Need 18 from 24 balls

    Inside edge from Taylor as Alex Hartley is brought back into the attack, and she edges it just past her stumps! That was close, and it adds another couple to the Storm total. A single brings Shrubsole on strike. And, calm as you like, she plants a foot down the wicket and lofts the first six of the day! That was straight back down the ground, over the head of the fielder. What a shot!

  16. Postpublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    How much does the fate of this match now rest on Stafanie Taylor? Here's the moment her partner Georgia Hennessy was bowled by Laura Marsh.

  17. Storm 72-6published at 15 overs

    Need 29 from 30 balls

    Anya Shrubsole is here to partner Stafanie Taylor and try and see Storm over the line. She cracks a drive straight to Marizanne Kapp in the covers, before tapping a fuller delivery into her pads. And what a way to get off the mark - taking a step back and cracking Farrell away to the third man boundary! That's a glorious shot!

  18. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 14.1 overs

    Macleod c Marsh b Farrell 2 (Storm 67-6)

    Rene Farrell strides in as she comes back into the attack - and gets a wicket straight away! That was a decent delivery and Alice Macleod chipped it tamely up into the air. In came Laura Marsh and she held on to a steepling delivery. That's a poor shot, all told.

  19. Storm 67-5published at 13 overs

    Natalie Sciver brings herself back on and thwacks a full delivery into Macleod's toes, but the umpire shakes his head. Going down leg side, maybe? Another few singles keep the over ticking along.

  20. Postpublished at 16:35 British Summer Time 1 September 2017

    Dan Norcross
    BBC Test Match Special

    You sense this is bubbling up. If Stefanie Taylor is there at the end you would think that Western Storm will win.