Aylish Cranstone fires again before Central Sparks short-circuit in the rain

South East Stars put an end to Central Sparks' 100% record in the Charlotte Edwards Cup with a ten-run (DLS) win on a damp evening under the floodlights at Edgbaston.

Chasing a revised target of 102 in 12 overs, after rain interrupted their initial pursuit of 148 at 33 for 2 after 3.3, Sparks mustered only 91 for 7.

After Stars chose to bat, they made 148 for 6, thanks mainly to opener Aylish Cranstone who batted through the innings for an unbeaten 59 . Sarah Glenn bowled with her customary skill for 4-0-17-3 while 18-year-old legspinner Hannah Baker imposed high pressure with 4-0-17-1.

Sparks then lost wickets too regularly for the chase to properly take flight. Danielle Gregory headed up a tight collective bowling effort by Stars with 2-0-6-2.

The Stars innings was given its backbone by Cranstone's steady innings, though support for her was sporadic with no other batter reaching 15. Glenn worked her way through the middle order as she had Phoebe Franklin stumped by Amy Jones and then hit the stumps of both Alice Davidson-Richards and Emma Jones.

Amy Jones swooped with another stumping to send back Kira Chathli off Baker and at118 for 6 the Stars appeared to be coming in well under par. A busy cameo from Kalea Moore, who hit 14 not out from ten balls, in which she cleared the ropes over long-on in an unbroken stand of 30 in 21 balls with Cranstone, supplied late impetus.

"It was a used wicket and we went into the game knowing it was going to be slow," Cranstone said. "The spinners were getting some turn and it was holding up for the seamers so it wasn't easy to bat on. I was just glad to score some runs to support the team and the other batters did really well to support me. It was difficult to hit boundaries once we were out of the powerplay so we had to be clever where we hit the ball and try to get as many twos as possible which wasn't easy with quite a small boundary."

In reply, the Sparks soon lost Issy Wong who sent up a skier off Emma Jones. Amy Jones then started at a gallop, hitting her first two balls for four, but didn't get to face a third after being run out backing up after bowler Freya Davies deflected a drive from Eve Jones on to the stumps.

The Sparks were 33 for 2 from 3.3 overs when rain sent the players off and took a big hit straight after the resumption when Eve Jones lifted Gregory to long-on for 25. Three balls later, Abi Freeborn sliced Alice Capsey to backward point and after Gwenan Davies and Ami Campbell fell in the space of three balls, the Sparks were 49 for 6 after eight and needing heroics from the lower order.

Glenn and Emily Arlott landed a few defiant blows but 19 from the last over proved well beyond them.

"We bowled well but were not at our best in the field tonight. We dropped a few catches and that is always going to hurt you," Eve Jones said. "We were right in the game at the halfway point but then the rain break just after we started batting affected us a little bit and we lost wickets too regularly."