By Alex Smith
Result: South East Stars 212 lost to Sunrisers 121/3 by 27 runs (DLS method)
SOUTH East Stars were beaten by Sunrisers who completed their turnaround from perennial wooden spoon winners to become the last-ever Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy winners at Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester last weekend.
Sunrisers failed to win a match in the first three editions of the competition – first held in 2020 – but Kate Coppack’s 4-27 and Cordelia Griffith’s half-century set up a 27-run DLS victory.
Coppack’s career-best ripped out the Stars top order to leave them 53-4, but Alice Davidson-Richards formed half-century partnerships with Aylish Cranstone and Phoebe Franklin on her way to 93.
Stars eventually reached 212, which Griffith attacked with her fourth 50 in her last five innings – and by the time the rain came they were on 121-3 and comfortably ahead of the 94 DLS par score.
It meant Sunrisers are effectively eternal Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy with counties replacing the regions and the Metro Bank One Day Cup becoming the women’s 50-over competition in 2025.
Sunrisers stuck Stars in and proceeded to dismantle their top order – specifically through the uber-accurate Coppack – who returned her Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy best of four for 27.
Coppack is one of women’s cricket’s most interesting characters. She’s a full-time lawyer, has played international cricket for Peru and her parents own an alpaca farm. But first and foremost she is a deadly new ball bowler.
The ball to bowl Alexa Stonehouse was seam bowling perfection, as it kissed the top stump, even if the big hooping in-swinger to castle a swinging Paige Scholfield was more aesthetically pleasing.
She hit the stumps again, this time to run out Bryony Smith after a mix-up with Davidson-Richards, before pinning Kira Chathli in front an over after the powerplay had ended.
Coppack’s exit from the attack after an opening spell of three for 17, saw Davidson-Richards flourish into a partnership with Aylish Cranstone.
The stand, eventually worth 70, was built on Davidson-Richards’ ability of knowing when to use her power and when to push the runs on a large expansive outfield.
She reached a four successive fifty with the former tactic, a picked up ping through midwicket, in 61 balls. But at the other end, Cranstone was stumped – injuring herself in the process of sprawling backwards and requiring assistance to return to the dressing room.
Phoebe Franklin followed in Cranstone’s footsteps to provide the company for Davidson-Richards to thrive.
But Coppack’s return saw the back of Franklin – bowled after a well-made 33 – and began the collapse which saw the last five wickets fall for 39 runs, as Davidson-Richards ran out of partners.
Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Tilly Corteen-Coleman were carelessly run out, Kalea Moore was lbw and eventually Davidson-Richards ran out of steam seven runs shy of a second Stars century when Mady Villiers dismissed her leg before.
Sunrisers’ response started abysmally as Jo Gardner was lbw to teenager Corteen-Coleman for a golden duck.
But from there the in form Griffith saw the ball like a pumpkin with a series of increasingly middled shots to the boundary.
Her 54-ball fifty saw caressed cover drives, pumped pulls and sweeps to the boundary, as Grace Scrivens largely just passed over the strike in their 79-run stand.
Griffith, a Sunrisers since the beginning, departed when she chased a wide Moore delivery to cover before the spinner got one to stick in the pitch to have Jodi Grewcock caught and bowled.
About a quarter of an hour later, and 25 overs into the innings, and lighting in the area took the players off, before torrential rain turned the outfield into a lake. At 16:20 BST it was called off and Sunrisers had completed their zero to hero arch.
“It is gutting,” South East Stars director of cricket Emma Calvert said. “It is the end of an era and a sad way to end that era. We wanted to go out there, put on a performance and win the trophy but we have no control over the weather.
“DLS is a funny thing. I backed us to take those wickets and see it through to the end. But what happened happened and congratulations to Sunrisers. I have seen how much effort has gone in to building that program and it is an incredible end to that journey.
“Alice Davidson-Richards is an incredible player, we all know that. She is disappointed more than anyone because although she put on that performance her team didn’t win and that is what means the most to her.
“We are incredibly excited to become Surrey but in this moment it feels quite hard. The girls are so excited to start the journey with the three feathers on our chest.
“We have been on a journey and to get to two finals this year is an incredible end. November 1 is the official day we go live as Surrey, but before then we’ll have words tonight and have our awards and really celebrate what we have achieved.
“Although we haven’t lifted a trophy today, we have achieved a lot and I think it is worth celebrating that.”
