South East Stars secure place in Charlotte Edwards Cup final

Stars were missing prodigy Alice Capsey through injury, but her replacement was 19-year-old Chloe Brewer, who pummelled 41 from 33 balls in her first regional match of the season

Birmingham: South East Stars 165-6, Central Sparks 139-6 - South East Stars win by 26 runs

Scorecard

South East Stars racked up their third consecutive score of more than 150 in the Charlotte Edwards Trophy, hitting 165 for 6 in a dominant 26-run win over Central Sparks.

The win means Stars have qualified directly for the final on September 5, while Sparks are out of contention.

Stars were missing prodigy Alice Capsey through injury, but her replacement was 19-year-old Chloe Brewer, who pummelled 41 from 33 balls in her first regional match of the season. Emma Jones - bumped up the order to 6 - then top-scored with an unbeaten 46 (27 balls), as Clare Boycott’s 3 for 22 proved in vain.

Eve Jones led from the front in Spark’s run-chase with 76 from 68 balls, but by the time she was stumped in the 19th over the result was a formality.

Stars had been 26 for 2 after 4 overs, following a dream debut from right-arm seamer Grace Potts which saw her remove both openers - Aylish Cranstone was trapped lbw, then five balls later in-form Bryony Smith pulled straight to midwicket.

Leg-spinner Anisha Patel conceded just 25 runs from her four consecutive overs, but Brewer picked off runs from the other end, driving beautifully down the ground as she shared a 64-run partnership with veteran Kirstie White (29 from 30).

Boycott’s first over, the 12th, reduced Stars from 90 for 2 to 90 for 4 - White lbw trying to ramp, while Alice Davidson-Richards fell for a golden duck, caught at short third.

Brewer eventually became Boycott’s third victim, edging an attempted ramp behind the stumps in the 16th when she looked on course for a half-century.

But five balls later Emma Jones showed her intent, sending the ball flying over Boycott’s head for the first six of the day. A cameo from Kira Chathli (18 from 10), which included a maximum pulled over square leg, helped Stars finish strongly.

In reply, Sparks reached 69 without loss before Danielle Gregory (3 for 16) made the key breakthrough in the 10th over - Marie Kelly (25 from 21) pulling a full toss to deep square leg.

Issy Wong was sent out in the pinch-hitting role as Sparks attempted to secure a bonus-point win to keep their Finals Day hopes alive, but she miscued Gregory to long-on in the leg-spinner’s next over.

Emma Jones had been removed from the attack after sending down two head-high no-balls, but Stars’ other young bowlers - including debutant Ryana Macdonald-Gay - kept it tight, and Sparks fell well short.