Central Sparks stay in Heyhoe Flint Trophy contention with Sunrisers win

Marie Kelly scored 58 and Gwenan Davies 50, both at almost a run a ball, as they made light work of chasing a victory target of 205

Merchant Taylors' School: Sunrisers 204-7, Central Sparks 208-4 - Central Sparks win by six wickets

Scorecard

Half centuries for Marie Kelly and Gwenan Davies saw Central Sparks to a six-wicket win over Sunrisers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

Kelly scored 58 and Davies 50, both at almost a run a ball as they made light work of chasing a victory target of 205 in a game reduced to 42 overs-a-side by early morning rain.

Earlier Cordelia Griffith was the mainstay of Sunrisers' tally of 204 for 7 with 69, Ria Fackrell taking 3 for 30 for the visitors.

Sunrisers' openers Griffith and Grace Scrivens survived a testing powerplay, the former being given a life on 11 when Sparks' wicketkeeper Chloe Hill failed to cling on to an outside edge off the fiery Izzy Wong.

Scrivens too was reprieved on 18, Hill grassing a second chance when standing up to Clare Boycott. The second drop didn't prove costly, Anisha Patel trapping Scrivens lbw for 26 with the score on 67. Griffith however made the most of her life, mixing powerful drives with deft touch to reach 50 in 76 balls and with Alice Macleod lending valuable support the pair added 77 for the second wicket.

At 144 for 1, Sunrisers looked set for a big score, but when Eve Jones removed Griffith caught at cover momentum shifted Sparks' way. Fran Wilson and Naomi Dattani went cheaply bowled by the impressive Fackrell who would later peg back Kelly Castle's off-stump.

And it needed Macleod's run-a-ball 46 to get the hosts beyond 200. Chasing 205, Jones and Marie Kelly were quickly into stride, the latter especially driving and pulling  powerfully as 50 came up in the 10th over.

Jones too looked in the groove and it was something of a surprise when on 31 she drove loosely at Scrivens and was caught at cover. Kelly though motored on to a run-a-ball 50 while debutant Davina Perrin, 15 just two days ago announced herself with a gorgeous straight drive for four.

Sunrisers added to their struggles when dropping Kelly twice in successive overs, Castle and Kate Coppack the unlucky bowlers. Coppack bowled the opener soon afterwards when she missed an attempted scoop and a stunning catch at mid-off by Macleod ended Perrin's promising innings on 20 with 70 still needed.

However, Davies steadied any nerves with a mature and increasingly fluent knock, a six and seven fours carrying her to 50 in 57 balls. She holed out with one needed, but Sparks romped home with more than four overs to spare.