Emily stars as Vipers carry on winning

Portsmouth-born Emily Windsor struck the winning runs as Southern Vipers completed a 100 per cent Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy qualifying programme.

Windsor, below, who turned 23 earlier this month, hit an unbeaten 47 - her highest score of the campaign - as Vipers defeated South East Stars by four wickets at The Kia Oval.

It was Vipers’ sixth successive South group win and they now face North group table-toppers Northern Diamonds in the final at Edgbaston this weekend.

After Stars had slipped from 145-3 to 227 all out, Vipers were 141-5 when wicket-keeper Carla Rudd joined Windsor, batting at No 6, in the middle.

They put on 72 for the sixth wicket partnership and, after Rudd (35) departed, Windsor struck the winning runs with 16 balls of the 50 overs to spare.

Lauren Bell had earlier made a successful return to Vipers from the England training bubble, taking 4-36.

Vipers are captained by Georgia Adams, the tournament’s top runscorer in the group stages with 420 runs including a stunning unbeaten 154 against Western Storm at The Ageas Bowl.

Adams, the daughter of former Sussex skipper Chris, struck 20 fours in a team total of 288-1 off 50 overs.

Vipers’ second top scorer in qualifying was Havant’s Charlie Dean with 178 runs at 59.33.

Dean also bagged eight wickets at 29.25 as part of a potent bowling attack also featuring Tash Norris - the team’s leading wicket-taker with 12 - and nine-wicket pair Charlotte Taylor and Paige Scholfield.

Dean was one of eight players to appear in all six qualifying group matches.

There were six centuries scored in qualifying and one of them was compiled by Diamonds’ Natalie

Sciver. One of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year of

2018, she struck 104 against Lightning in one of her two innings in the competition.

England colleague Kath Brunt also played twice in qualifying, taking 5-20 against Central Sparks - the best bowling figures in the tournament.

Neither Sciver or Brunt will be playing in the final, though, as they are part of the England T20 squad for the series against the West Indies which began this week.

Danni Wyatt - who played two group games for Vipers is also in the England set-up.