Kate Cross Stars with 6 Wickets Haul as Thunder Crush South East Stars
Kate Cross delivered her best List A figures, claiming 6 for 40, to lead Thunder to a convincing 120-run victory over South East Stars in the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy at Beckenham.
As they batted first, Thunder amassed 250 for 8 in their 50 overs, with Fi Morris getting 54 and Seren Smale top-scoring with 76. The most effective bowler for the Stars was Ryana MacDonald-Gay, who finished with three for 42 and a run out, while Kalea Moore finished with two for 49.
Key Performances and Match Results
South East Stars 130 (Chathli 54, Cross 6-40) lost to Thunder 250 for 8 (Smale 76, Morris 54) by 120 runs.
But it was Cross who inflicted the most damage, taking crucial wickets in consecutive deliveries from Bryony Smith and Alice Davidson-Richards. Even though Kira Chathli scored 54 runs at bat, the Stars failed to appear serious about reaching the goal as they were all out for 130 in 36.4 overs.
up a sluggish Beckenham surface, Thunder won the toss and elected to bat first. They put up 53 for the first wicket until Moore bowled Alice Clark for 23 in the fifteenth over.
Emma Lamb was dismissed for 24 by MacDonald-Gay in the next over, but Smale and Morris turned the tide with a 96-run partnership that was only ended when the latter chipped a full toss from Moore to Paige Scholfield at cover.
In the subsequent over, MacDonald-Gay almost had Smale for 43, but Chathli was unable to maintain an inside edge and Ellie Threlkeld joined her, making 33 before MacDonald-Gay wiped her out. With seven overs remaining, the Thunder were at 205 for 4, but they were losing wickets too regularly to have any chance of making a significant impact in the final overs.
After bowling Naomi Dattani for 14, MacDonald-Gay ran out Danielle Collins for 1 when she was chasing an imaginary single. Phoebe Franklin then cleverly outwitted Smale while she was looking for a second.
At midway, it was hard to determine who was the favorite, but when Scholfield got injured and couldn’t bat in her typical position, the odds shifted even more in favor of the visitors when Cross came into play.
Stars captain Smith was dismissed for just 12, caught by Clark at extra cover. Cross then bowled Davidson-Richards off the inside edge for a golden duck with his next delivery. The following over saw Chathli survive a hat-trick ball, but when she was on two, Dattani dropped her off the sixth ball.
Before Sophie Morris caught her, Chloe Hill, the temporary opener, amassed a good eighteen runs in a partnership of forty-five for the third wicket. Dattani bowled Moore for six, and Stars’ hopes were slim when Aylish Cranstone was leg before wicket to Fi Morris for nine.
When the bowler returned to the City End and got Franklin caught for 2 at cover by Fi Morris, they appeared even more emaciated. Cross also got Chathli caught at long-on by Morris.
In the subsequent over, Cross got MacDonald-Gay caught in the deep by Fi Morris for 13. Scholfield, who had come in at No. 10, looked clearly uncomfortable while batting and got out after only two balls, chipping Cross to Dattani for 1. Dani Gregory was bowled for a duck by Cross to cap an overwhelming victory.
