Lizelle Lee stars Stars win to keep hopes alive

When the players arrived at the ground at Guildford, it didn’t look as if any play was going to be possible. But Cricketers are optimistic people and as they waited for the rain to subside they kept themselves entertained. In the end, their optimism was rewarded as a 13 overs per side was the order of the day. It was Surrey Stars who came out on top with a 7 wicket win against Loughborough Lightning. It was their first win against their midland based opposition in the three years of the Kia Super League and was a well-deserved win.

Having won the toss, Nat Sciver decided to bowl first. After her first over and the second of the match, Sciver might have thought she had made the wrong decision. After two overs the score was 20 for 0. Rachael Haynes and Sophie Devine had both scored two fours from the over.

Marizanne Kapp always the competitor in the next over bowled Haynes to give Surrey Stars the breakthrough. Two overs later Grace Gibbs had Jones caught by captain Sciver for 10. It was an innings of 7 balls and had the England player survived longer then Loughborough Lightning would have been in control.

Gibbs game wasn’t to last much longer as she collapsed in the follow through with an injury to her leg. An ambulance was driven onto the outfield and the game was delayed while she received treatment.

While the delay would have been an easy excuse for the Loughborough Lightning batters to lose some of the momentum, they still managed to score ten from the next over. In the following six overs there were only two more boundaries scored. A score of 120 slipped for the Loughborough grip.

Only three runs came from the last over from Kapp and Loughborough Lightning could only scramble to 100 for 7. Georgia Elwiss top scored with 26 before being run out going for a second run from the penultimate ball of the innings.

It was never enough to contain an all-star top order from the Surrey team. Bryony Smith rode her luck being dropped twice. If Haynes had hung onto her effort it would have been the catch of the season as she dived behind her body and the ball briefly nestled in her hand before gravity seemed to pull her down to the ground faster than the ball.

At the other end, Lizelle Lee was at her clean hitting best as her innings of 48 from 28 balls included 6 fours and two sixes. Elwiss had Lee lbw two runs short of another 50. Next ball Sarah Taylor top-edged Elwiss to give Haynes a comfortable catch but by then the game was essentially won.

It was Sciver who ensured her side won with a huge six. Surrey Stars won with 10 balls to spare. It is their second win this week which will give them hope that they can secure a finals day spot.