Surrey Stars 133 for 6 (Sciver 40) beat Lancashire Thunder 100 (Farrell 5-26) by 33 runs
Australian seamer Rene Farrell claimed only the second five-wicket haul in one-and-a-half seasons of Kia Super League cricket as Surrey Stars beat Lancashire to maintain their winning start to the competition.
The Thunder lost four wickets in 13 balls at a crucial stage of their pursuit of 134 as Surrey hit back strongly to win by 33 runs, with Farrell finishing with 5 for 26 from four overs.
On an Emirates Old Trafford surface which gripped, the hosts were on course to hit back from Friday's opening day defeat to Yorkshire at 86 for 3 with debutant Sarah Taylor leading the way. England star Taylor had made 34 but she was the first of the dismissals as the score fell to 91 for 7 in the 16th.
Farrell struck twice in two balls in the 14th, getting Taylor caught at short fine-leg as she tried to ramp and Ellie Threlkeld smartly stumped by Tammy Beaumont off a leg-side wide. From then, the innings subsided to 100 all out in 18 overs.
Pace off the ball was most effective in both innings. Five of Surrey's six wickets fell to spin in their 133 for 6, including two apiece for home captain Danielle Hazell and Aussie Jess Jonassen.
Surrey slipped from 52 for 1 in the seventh over to 79 for 5 in the 15th before sixth-wicket pair Nat Sciver and Sophia Dunkley-Brown reinvigorated the innings. They shared a crucial 54 in the last 5.5 overs, with Sciver finishing 40 not out off 36 balls and Dunkley-Brown added a breezy 24. Earlier, Beaumont gave the Stars a fine start with 36 off 25.
Lancashire lost Emma Lamb early in their chase before Taylor, batting at No. 3, shared partnerships of 33 and 28 for the second and third wickets with Eve Jones and Amy Satterthwaite. Taylor reverse-swept her first boundary and later hit left-arm spinner Alex Hartley for six over long-on.
Farrell's first wicket was that of Satterthwaite, bowled off her pad in the 12th over as the score fell to 75 for 3. She later bowled Kate Cross and had Lea Tahuhu caught and bowled one-handed diving to her right to complete a loss of the last seven wickets in 27 balls.
Surrey, who beat Yorkshire on Sunday, face Southern Vipers at Southampton on Sunday, while Lancashire host Loughborough at Blackpool in a must win game.
