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Bates stars as Vipers’ experience wins Super League
- Updated: August 21, 2016
Southern Vipers 143 for 3 (Bates 52) beat Western Storm 140 for 5 (Priest 57) by seven wicketsScorecard
Too old, too slow. It was how Charlotte Edwards’ summer started back in May when moved on from the England captaincy. Still making runs, but not part of the future. Holding aloft the inaugural Kia Super League trophy in the late afternoon Chelmsford sun, her Southern Vipers reminded everyone that this adage has a third part to it as well: too good.
Chasing down Western Storm’s 140 for 5 with seven wickets and seven balls to spare, it was a triumph of big game experience on the big game stage. New Zealand captain Suzie Bates batted with authority to top score in the chase, tallying 52 in 46 balls after putting on 78 with Edwards at the top.
Then when the game was there to be won with five overs to go and still work to do, it was Lydia Greenway – retired from England with Edwards – who took control alongside Sara McGlashan – the 34-year-old New Zealander – their unbeaten stand of 39 seeing the win home.
Arran Brindle, another (in her case, long) retired England veteran wasn’t required to bat at No. 6 but was Vipers’ crucial owler instead; claiming 2 for 15 in a boundary-less middle-overs spell that stalled Western Storm’s innings that shot to 71 without loss by half way.
Let’s pick up the story there. Brindle came into the attack with her medium pace after eight overs with Stafanie Taylor and Rachel Priest building an imposing stand. As Edwards said later, she was told by Brindle, her former England team-mate that she’d be taking the next over. She wanted to own the situation, and did precisely that.
Her second over was successful in provoking Taylor into going over the top, miscuing to Edwards at mid-off, gone for 35. Vipers bowled first at the toss expressly on the basis that they didn’t want …
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