Sunrisers claimed their first title in the last-ever edition of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, beating South East Stars in a rain-affected game at Grace Road today (September 21).
Sunrisers needed 92 more runs with seven wickets in hand when the rain started to come down in Leicester, exactly halfway through the innings. South East Stars had been bowled out for 212, thanks largely to four wickets from pacer Kate Coppack. She took two wickets in three balls in the second over of the innings, bowling first Alexa Stonehouse and then Paige Scholfield, pegging back the latter's off stump with a hooping in-swinger. Captain Bryony Smith was then run out in the sixth over of the innings, before Coppack picked up her third by pinning Kira Chathli lbw.
At 53-4, Alice Davidson Richards started the rebuilding effort, continuing her dominance with the bat in the competition, hitting 93 off 105 balls before she was trapped lbw by Mady Villiers. Tilly Corteen-Coleman was the last wicket to fall, South East Stars falling 22 balls short of their allocated overs.
While the Stars hampered themselves with two calamitous run outs, it was an immense bowling performance from Sunrisers. Jodi Grewcock produced a ripper of a googly to Aylish Cranstone, drawing her forward to beat her with the turn, leaving Cranstone almost doing the splits as Amara Carr took off the bails.
In response, Sunrisers started badly when Joanne Garner was pinned lbw by Corteen-Coleman in the second over of the innings for a golden duck. Captain Grace Scrivens was then joined by Cordelia Griffith for a 79-run partnership which kept Sunrisers well above the required rate they needed, and ahead of where they needed to be on DLS, with rain forecast to interrupt.
Wickets kept Stars just about in the game, however. Griffith drilled a delivery from Kalea Morre straight into Scholfield's hands at cover, before Grewcock was caught and bowled by Moore four overs later, leaving Sunrisers 121-3. However, five overs after Grewcock's dismissal, the rain came down. The result was called after over and hour of consistent heavy rain.
The seven-wicket win gave Sunrisers their first and only title since the regional system was introduced, having never previously made the final of either the Charlotte Edwards Cup or the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. From next year, counties will retake control of the women's domestic format, with new competitions in the women's T20 Blast and women's MetroBank One-Day Cup.
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