South East Stars Triumph Over Sunrisers with 44-Run Victory

South East Stars 258 (Smith 84, Davidson-Richards 70, Grewcock 3-34) defeated Sunrisers 214 (Gregory 3-47) by 44 runs.

The South East Stars achieved a comfortable 44-run win against the Sunrisers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham on Sunday.

The Stars posted a total of 258, powered by a record-breaking 148-run partnership between Bryony Smith, who scored 84, and Alice Davidson-Richards, who contributed 70. Jodi Grewcock took 3 for 43, with Mady Villiers, Grace Scrivens, and Eva Gray each claiming two wickets.

Initially, the Sunrisers were in a strong position at 88 for 1, but after Jo Gardner was dismissed for 39, they collapsed to 214 all out. Dani Gregory took 3 for 47, while Smith chipped in with 2 for 31. Alice Macleod was the top scorer for the Sunrisers with 44.

Electing to bat under overcast skies, the Stars faced early setbacks as de Villiers took two wickets in three balls. Phoebe Franklin was caught for five at deep mid-wicket by Florence Miller, and Paige Scholfield was lbw for a second-ball duck.

The Stars then responded with their highest-ever List A third-wicket stand, a steady partnership between the experienced Smith and Davidson-Richards. Smith, dropped on 13 and 73, played a cautious innings, reaching her fifty by hitting de Villiers for six. Davidson-Richards also reached her fifty, smashing a full toss from Gray over cow corner before being caught by Gardner at long-on off Grewcock. 

The same bowler-fielder combination dismissed Emma Jones for 2, and Smith was stumped off Grewcock by Amara Carr. Aylish Cranstone was run out by Miller for 21, but Ryana MacDonald-Gay accelerated the innings with a quick 37, including 20 runs from a single over before Scrivens had her caught by Grewcock. Eva Gray then took two wickets in three balls, yorking Kalea Moore for 4 and trapping Dani Gregory lbw for a second-ball duck. Chloe Hill remained unbeaten on 21 when Tilly Corteen-Coleman was caught by Villiers off Scrivens with one ball left in the innings.

In reply, the Sunrisers lost Scrivens early, caught by Jones for 11 off Franklin. A 75-run partnership between Macleod and Gardner kept them in the hunt until Gregory bowled Macleod with a ball that spun back to hit the middle stump. The visitors then lost momentum as wickets fell in clusters, making it difficult to keep up with the required run rate.

Jones struck in the first over after the drinks break, with Grewcock pulling her to Scholfield at midwicket. Moore bowled de Villiers for 1, and Smith trapped Gardner lbw for 39 before dismissing Amu Surenkumar for 11, also lbw. Gregory then took two wickets in successive overs, catching Miller trying to sweep for 11, and Carr lofting to Cranstone for 20.

Excellent fielding by Moore saw Sophie Munro run out for 12. Although the Stars missed out on a bonus point, the win was secured when the last-wicket pair of Gray and Kate Coppack took the score past 206, with MacDonald-Gay cleaning up Coppack for five.

This victory moves the Stars above their opponents in the standings as the competition pauses for the Hundred.