‘Important to get over the line for second win’

TAMMY BEAUMONT was relieved to see Southern Vipers edge Loughborough Lightning on Thursday night.

The vice captain saw the team almost pay for some sloppy fielding.

But they did enough ahead of Sunday’s match next against Western Storm.

Beaumontp, pictured, said: ‘It was great to get over the line in the end.

‘It was not our best performance in the field and I felt we let them get a bit too many at the end there.

‘Danni Wyatt and Stefanie Taylor were exceptional but in the end we made it a bit closer than it should have been but that happens in this kind of cricket.’

Lightning scored 135 for five before Vipers replied with 136 for eight to get the win.

Beaumont added: ‘I thought we could have coasted to an easier win at one stage but Dani Wyatt was out to an exceptional catch when had she had batted for another three or four overs it probably would have been done with.

‘But that’s two wins from two away from home to take some momentum into our home games.

‘I’m really pleased with the start.

‘Winning away to Lancashire and here is never easy and the season is already looking better than the last one.’

The success made it two wins from two in the women’s Kia Super League.

But it wasn’t simple. 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 with Vipers 48 without loss.

But the Vipers managed to rally for the victory.