Storm fall short in opening Charlotte Edwards Cup game

AMY Jones and Abigail Freeborn registered impressive half-centuries as Central Sparks made a winning start to their Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign, beating Western Storm by 20 runs in a Group B fixture at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens.

Both scored 52 and staged a third-wicket stand of 91, while Ami Campbell smashed an unbeaten 30 from 17 balls as Sparks posted 156-4 from their 20 overs after being put into bat on a used pitch.

Storm looked to be in with a chance while Sophie Luff and Georgia Hennessy held sway in a second-wicket alliance of 57, but England pace bowler Issy Wong crucially removed the former for 43 and claimed 2-28 from four overs to swing the contest in favour of the visitors.

Former England batter Fran Wilson finished on 22 not out, only for Storm to come up some way short on 136-6.

Storm took early control on the game as their opponents were restricted to 35-2 in the powerplay.

Storm then allowed an opportunity to further tighten their grip when Fran Wilson dropped Freeborn on 10 at point off Hennessy. Sensing an invitation to escape the shackles imposed hitherto, Freeborn and Jones played with increasing freedom, finding gaps in the field to score both sides of the wicket. Permitted width, Jones in particular thrived, cutting and pulling to good effect, while Freeborn proved adept at rotating the strike in a partnership which realised 50 in seven overs.

Storm skipper Sophie Luff deployed six different bowlers in a bid to break the stand, but there was no stopping Jones, who harvested six fours on her way to a 42-ball half century. Freeborn later reached 50 from 46 balls,