2024 CEC: Vipers come out on top

Australian Charli Knott was the standout performer as Southern Vipers got back to winning ways against Western Storm in the Charlotte Edwards Cup at Utilita Bowl.

Off-spinner Knott claimed her best T20 figures of four for 23, with a helping hand from some sharp wicket-keeping from Rhianna Southby.

Georgia Adams had struck 48 in the Vipers’ 173 for five with Georgia Elwiss (45) and Freya Kemp (34) also contributing. Storm  managed 145 for seven in response to give the hosts a 28-run victory.

Storm chose to field first which saw England quick Issy Wong finally get her first bowl since arriving on loan from Central Sparks – which began with two tidy overs.

Knott and Elwiss got motoring in the fourth over as the latter carved back-to-back boundaries off Ellie Anderson – with the pair adding 46, after stands of 47 and 73 in their previous two opening partnerships together.

Knott fell in the seventh over as she took on the ultra-long Utilita Bowl boundaries, the wind and fellow Aussie Amanda-Jade Wellington to offer long on a simple catch. That just began another productive partnership has Adams joined her namesake to add another 40.

Elwiss fell five short of a second fifty of the competition when she was strangled on the sweep, but that only began an innings-defining alliance between Adams and Freya Kemp.

Kemp was scratchy for large periods but every so often found the middle of her bat to crunch four fours and the inning’s only six, but it was Adams who was the main attraction.

The 2023 MVP found gaps and pushed extra runs to score 48.

Vipers’ middle-order had cost them two matches, but here they scrambled runs while losing wickets, as they reached 173 but lost Adams and Kemp to Wellington – who returned three for 20 – with Nancy Harman giving Sophia Smale a second wicket.

Storm’s reply struggled to keep with the required rate, which started at just over eights and quickly ballooned over tens and higher.

After Nat Wraith had dragged to midwicket, Emma Corney was given a life on five, which she took with consecutive fours off Mary Taylor. But when she was given another on 24 this time she quickly perished due to the rapid hands of a stumping Rhianna Southby.

Sophie Luff and Niamh Holland stuck around without making a dent in the chase, their 24 together coming in 23 balls before Southby stumped Holland off Knott.

Knott got Wong out clubbing to cover next ball, and even though her hat-trick ball was a wide, she bounced back to toss one out wide to Alex Griffiths and hand Southby another stumping.

Wellington and Luff put on 46, including two big maximums for Storm’s overseas, but the game was out of reach when Wellington was run out for 31 from 15 balls. Mollie Robbins holed out to the last delivery as Vipers completed the win.

At the close of play, Storm skipper, Sophie Luff said: “They probably got a few too many and we were a little behind the eight ball after the powerplay, and then we were always chasing the game. When you are chasing 170 you need to get ahead of the game in the chase.

“I thought Sophia Smale and Wello bowled really well on that wicket. We are really stoked to have Issy Wong with us and she brings a lot of skills and values. We are really excited to see what she can do over the rest of the campaign with us.

“I thought they bowled really well. They stuck to their guns and executed their plans. We didn’t get ahead of the game which made it really hard for the new batters coming in.

“We go again tomorrow so it is a quick turnaround. We will have to park this quickly before playing Sunrisers at Taunton. Hopefully in front of a home crowd we can turn up.”