Spirited fightback in vain as Lightning slip to second loss

SOUTHERN Vipers made it two wins from two in the women’s Kia Super League after narrowly prevailing over Loughborough Lightning at the Haslegrave Ground.

Needing just 24 more with six wickets in hand in the 17th over, Vipers contrived to lose four wickets in the space of 16 deliveries as Lightning mounted a determined to deny them.

But wicketkeeper Carla Rudd got them over the line by hitting off-spiner Hayley Matthews for two on the leg side to complete a two-wicket win with just three balls to spare, chasing 136.

England’s Dani Wyatt had earlier hit 40 off 33 balls with seven fours and West Indies star Stefanie Taylor 38 from 29.

Lightning, for whom skipper Georgia Elwiss top scored with 37, gave themselves a chance when England left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon removed Suzie Bates and Tammy Beaumont in her first three deliveries after coming on in the eighth over.

But seven boundaries in the next three overs put Vipers back on track with 57 runs needed off the final nine overs.

Openers Hayley Matthews and Amy Jones had given the Lightning innings a solid platform.

They put on 42 in the powerplay overs before they were parted in the seventh over when Matthews was bowled behind her legs by Australian leg-spinner AmandaJade Wellington for 21.

Thereafter Lightning lost some momentum and the innings did not pick up again until the final six overs, as Mignon du Preez helped Elwiss put on 29 in four overs and some lusty hitting from Jenny Gunn saw the total swelled by 27 off the final 13 deliveries, Gunn pulling Taylor for six.

With a run rate of 6.8, Vipers knew they had no need to force the pace and at 48-0 after seven overs they were firmly on track.

Two wickets in her first three balls by Kirstie Gordon after drawing a blank in the opening match dealt the Vipers a setback.

She broke the Wyatt-Suzie Bates opening partnership via a catch at deep midwicket to remove the New Zealand star and then combined brilliantly with wicketkeeper Amy Jones to have England’s alwaysdangerous Tammy Beaumont out stumped without scoring.

But Wyatt and West Indies all-rounder Stefanie Taylor then added 31 in four overs to keep the scoreboard moving.

Atapattu had Wyatt well caught by Sarah Glenn and deep backward square and Glenn herself trapped Taylor leg before with her leg spin.

Excellent ground fielding by Lucy Higham and Elwiss saw Thea Brookes and Scholfield run out as Vipers made things difficult for themselves towards the end before two more wickets fell in the penultimate over.

But a six by Scholfield over long-on at the start of that over had swung the balance back in Vipers’ favour and Wellington began the final over, with seven needed, by sweeping Matthews for four.