Paige Scholfield continued her rich vein of form as South East Stars cantered to a 6-wicket win over hosts Sunrisers at Lord’s to remain unbeaten in this season’s Charlotte Edwards Cup.
The South African-born all-rounder – currently only able to bat because of an ongoing niggle – and who had made two half-centuries already in the campaign, made her third in finishing 50 not out, reaching the landmark with the winning hit, her eighth four.
In truth, the chase for 117 was not an arduous one, Sunrisers having earlier been restricted to 116-8, Emma Jones (2-13) and Alexa Stonehouse (2-17) the principal wicket takers, while teenage Tilly Corteen-Coleman got a wicket with her first ball of the game for the second time in the tournament. Flo Miller produced the only resistance with 39 from 45 balls.
Sunrisers were soon in trouble. Shortly after steering the first boundary of the innings through third, skipper Grace Scrivens slashed one from Stonehouse straight to point.
Corteen Coleman bowled Alice Macleod and Sunrisers’ leading scorer in the tournament Jo Gardner then spooned Stonehouse to Sophia Dunkley at cover to depart for only one.
Mady Villiers sparkled briefly with two fours and a five from an overthrow in her 14, but when she chipped Jones to Phoebe Franklin at mid-wicket the hosts were in disarray at 27-4.
That they mustered any sort of score was largely down to Miller, who played an innings of substance, despatching a full toss from Franklin to the fence before later pulling a short one from Jones down to the Tavern boundary.
Others came and went. Jodi Grewcock contributed to her own downfall as she was brilliantly run out by Corteen-Coleman’s direct hit, while Jones picked up a second wicket with a caught and bowled to see the back of Eva Gray.
Dunkley (24) was quickly into stride, caressing one through the covers in the opening over of the Stars’ reply before dancing down the pitch to strike the spin of Villiers back over the top.
Skipper Smith caught the mood twice depositing short balls from Gray to the mid-wicket boundary.
However, both departed in the same over from Grewcock (2-18), Dunkley stumped by Amara Carr as she again ventured down the wicket, while Smith nicked one through to the keeper.
Jones, promoted to four should have departed in the next over, only for two fielders to collide meaning a simple catch at mid-on was grassed, although she holed out in the deep soon afterwards.
Stars though were ahead of the rate and simply needed a steady hand on the tiller and not for the first time in the campaign that proved to be Schofield, who swept and pulled with authority in another sparkling knock.
And while Phoebe Franklin departed before the end, Stars sauntered home.
