MacDonald-Gay Stars again as Sparks falter

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Seamer has 12 wickets for the season after just three matches

Ryana MacDonald-Gay picked up four wickets  •  Getty Images

South East Stars 268 (Scholfield 65, Farrant 54, Baker 5-45) beat Central Sparks 119 for 6 (Wong 34*, MacDonald-Gay 4-18) by 71 runs (DLS method)

Ryana MacDonald-Gay‘s sensational start to the season continued as she took 4 for 18 to help bowl the South East Stars to a 71-run (D/L) win over Central Sparks in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy match at Beckenham.

The Maidstone-born seamer now has 12 wickets for the season after just three matches and a lethal spell helped finish the Sparks off after Paige Scholfield and Tash Farrant gave the Stars a platform with 65 and 54 respectively.

Sparks’ Hannah Baker claimed five wickets in four balls to finish with career-best figures of 5 for 45 as the hosts faltered from 230 for 3 to 268 all out, but the total proved way beyond Sparks, who never seriously recovered from losing four wickets for two runs, having been on 56 for 2. They eventually closed on 119 for 6 when play was abandoned.

The Stars chose to bat in bitter conditions and the Sparks initially struggled in the field, spilling a succession of chances as the openers put on an opening stand of 103.

Farrant, captaining the side in the absence of Bryony Smith, was put down at cover by Ami Campbell off Wong when on 10 and the next delivery, from Grace Potts didn’t quite carry to slip. She was dropped again, at cover, off Potts when on 29 by Ria Fackrell.

Kalea Moore was dropped by Campbell off Katie George when on 25 and when Campbell did finally grab Moore it was off a free hit.

Farrant drove Fackrell through cover for four to reach her third half-century in as many games this season but the partnership was finally broken when Moore called Farrant for a single and Campbell ran her out from midwicket.

In the next over, the 23rd, Fackrell had Moore caught at cover by Eve Jones for her highest List A score of 42.

Sophia Dunkley was on 18 when Campbell couldn’t cling on to a violent pull shot, but she went for 37, caught behind by Abbey Freeborn off Bethan Ellis.

Scholfield pulled Ellis for four through cow corner to reach 50 but got a life when she skyed the next ball, only for Ellis to stumble as she was about to take the catch.

At that point the Stars looked on course for a total well over 300 but Baker then dragged the Sparks back into the contest.

Phoebe Franklin went for 10, caught by Eve Jones at cover, Scholfield was taken on the long on boundary by Fackrell and Alice Davidson-Richards was caught at cover by Davina Perrin for five.

Baker then conjured some tur to bowl Aylish Cranstone for 16 and with the final ball of her spell she had Ryana MacDonald-Gay caught for a duck.

Potts got the wicket she deserved when Bethan Miles got a thick edge and was caught for a duck by Perrin.

Issy Wong wrapped up the innings with two balls to spare when she bowled Danni Gregory off her pads for 1.

Eve Jones and Chloe Brewer put on 35 for the first wicket for the Sparks, but the Sparks collapsed after the latter went for eight, pulling Farrant to Cranstone at mid-on.

MacDonald-Gay then sent Davina Perrin’s middle stump flying for just three, before bowling a double-wicket-maiden in the 18th over. First she removed Jones for 29, the victim of a brilliant diving catch by Cranstone at point, then she had Campbell caught by Kalea Moore at square-leg.

MacDonald-Gay then snared Abi Freeborn at point for three to give Davidson-Richards a deserved wicket, but she was denied a fifth wicket when Wong was spilled by Franklin at mid-wicket.

Wong and Ellis showed some fight, the former hitting MacDonald-Gay for a six back over her head as they put together a partnership of 61 for the seventh wicket, but with 20 overs remaining the players went off for rain at 5pm. Wong was unbeaten on 34 while Ellis was 18 not out, but with the rain becoming torrential and no realistic prospect off a resumption, play was abandoned.