The Cricketer reviews the best action from the final round of the 50-over competition in 2024

Chelmsford: Northern Diamonds 188-9Sunrisers 189-7 – Sunrisers win by 3 wickets

Mady Villiers equalled her personal career best with the ball as the Sunrisers beat high-flying Northern Diamonds by three wickets in Chelmsford to move into third place in the table.

Villiers, who turned 26 today, produced a masterful performance of spin to score 4/36. Sophie Munro provided valuable support with 3/25 to restrict the Diamonds to 188/9.

Grace Scrivens led the chase with 56, sharing half-century stands with Cordelia Griffith and Jody Grewcock (40) as the hosts raced home with a 12-over lead despite a late stumble.

Diamonds, for whom Sterre Kalis scored 36 and Katherine Fraser 34, had to regret the missed catches in the field but remained second and on course for the semi-finals.

^{Eve Jones scored 130 points, Central Sparks’ highest RHFT total ever (Getty Images)}

Taunton: Central Sparks 297-3, Western Storm 152 – Central Sparks wins by 145 runs

Eve Jones scored a brilliant 130 points to give Central Sparks their highest ever Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy total, comfortably defeating Western Storm by 145 points in Taunton.

In superb form, the 32-year-old opener bagged 18 fours and a six in an innings of 163 balls as the visitors posted an impressive 297 for 3 in 50 overs, narrowly beating their previous competition record of 296 set against Loughborough Lightning in 2021.

Jones dominated a huge stand of 189 in 31 overs for the third wicket with Abi Freeborn, who scored a thrilling unbeaten 89 off 94 balls after Sparks was sent in to bat.

It was a day to forget for a disunited Storm team, which conceded an additional 40 goals and returned to the bottom of the table after its eighth defeat in eleven games.

Arundel: The Blaze 208Southern Vipers 188 – The Blaze win by 20 runs

A stunning bowling performance saw the Blaze keep alive their chances of a place in the knockout stages of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, while the Southern Vipers squandered their first chance of progressing.

Marie Kelly’s 40 was the culmination of a tough batting performance that saw her score 208 on a difficult pitch to force runs, while spinner Ava Lee made a career-best 4/51 on her 19th birthday.

Fast bowlers Orla Prendergast took 3 for 38 and Kathryn Bryce 2 for 18, but it was Kirstie Gordon (2 for 26) and her fellow spinners who prevented the Vipers from getting away – despite Emily Windsor’s 41.

The Blaze remain fifth but have closed the gap to the South East Stars to five points, while the Vipers remain top and are in a good position to reach the semi-finals.

^{England’s Kate Cross bowled Thunder to victory against South East Stars (Getty Images)}

Beckenham – Statistics & current form thunder 250-8, Southeast Stars 130 – Lancashire Thunder wins by 120 runs

England’s Kate Cross took her best List A score of 6/40 as Lancashire Thunder defeated South East Stars by 120 runs in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham.

The Thunder were first to bat and managed 250 for 8 in their 50 overs, with Seren Smale’s 76 and Fi Morris’s 54 scoring the most.

Ryana MacDonald-Gay was the Stars’ top bowler with 3 for 42 and also managed a run out, while Kalea Moore took 2 for 49.

However, Cross did some damage by taking the crucial wickets of Bryony Smith and Alice Davidson-Richards in two consecutive balls. Despite a batting score of 54 from Kira Chathli, the Stars never looked likely to reach their target and were bowled out for 130 after 36.4 overs.

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