KIA Super League Preview: Southern Vipers v Western Storm
THE MATCH
Western Storm will continue the defence of the KIA Super League title against the team they beat in last years final when they travel to take on Southern Vipers Arundel tomorrow (Tuesday).
Play is due to get underway at 2:30pm
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In addition to this a report on the day’s play along with quotes will be posted after the close.
HEAD TO HEAD
The two teams have met on four occasions with both teams having won two matches each.
The last time they clashed was in last years final when Western Storm came out on top.
An explosive innings from Rachel Priest set up a seven-wicket victory in front of a 3,500 crowd at Hove.
Priest became the tournament’s leading run scorer with 72 off 36 balls as Storm comfortably reached a target of 146 with 12 balls to spare in a repeat of last year’s final.
The New Zealander unleashed some powerful shots around the wicket with ten fours and three sixes, including a brutal assault on Linsey Smith in the final over of the powerplay. Priest hit four boundaries and a six in an over that cost 25 runs.
Priest overtook Vipers’ Suzie Bates as leading run-scorer when she reached 71 and although she was well caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Danni Wyatt in the tenth over, Storm only needed 52 and Stafanie Taylor, man of the match in their semi-final win over Surrey Stars, and Sophie Luff had little trouble in knocking off the runs, although Taylor had to bat with a runner after suffering a hamstring strain earlier in her innings. They shared an unbroken stand of 57 with Taylor clearing the long-on rope to win the game with a six.
Vipers appeared to have set a challenging total on a good pitch when they posted 145 for 5 after they were put in.
Openers Suzie Bates and Hayley Matthews put on 47 in eight overs although both were dropped, with Bates reprieved on six and Matthews off the ball before she was athletically caught and bowled by West Indies team-mate Taylor, having struck six fours in her 31.
Bates came down the pitch to hit Jodie Dibble for a straight six and had moved ominously to 21 when Taylor trapped her leg before working across the line.
Georgia Adams went cheaply but Vipers pushed on through England all-rounder Wyatt and Mignon du Preez, who added 37 in five overs.
Wyatt (21) was superbly caught by Georgia Hennessy running in from long on and Dibble held a good catch at mid-off in the 18th over to end du Preez’ run-a-ball 31, but captain Charlotte Edwards rolled back the years at the end with a cameo of 20 from eight balls including boundaries off last three balls.
TEAM NEWS
Head Coach, Trevor Griffin will pick the starting XI from the following squad:
Heather Knight, Anya Shrubsole, Fran Wilson, Stafanie Taylor, Smriti Mandhana, Rachel Priest, Sophie Luff, Freya Davies, Claire Nicholas, Lauren Parfitt, Danielle Gibson, Lissy McLeod, Amara Carr, Naomi Dattani and Rebecca Silk.
VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the math Head Coach, Trevor Griffin said: “KSL is into it’s third year now and every team is that much stronger. There are no easy games anymore.
“Vipers are going to want to get their own back for losing the final last year, so we can expect a tough game. Of course, we talk about the opposition, but our focus is very much on what we do and our own plans.”
“It was important to win the Loughborough game, because it puts us back in credit after losing to Surrey Stars at Cheltenham. We’ve shown we can chase or defend a total equally well and the girls are feeling confident right now. It’s still early days, but we are well-placed in the group at the start of what is sure to be a big week for us all.”
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
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