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Paige Scholfield shines again as Stars cruise to victory

Paige Scholfield on her way to fifty Getty Images

South East Stars 118 for 4 (Scholfield 50*, Grewcock 2-18) beat Sunrisers 116 for 8 (Miller 39*, Jones 2-13, Stonehouse 2-17) by six wickets

Paige Scholfield continued her rich vein of form as South East Stars cantered to a six-wicket win over hosts Sunrisers at Lord's to remain unbeaten in this season's Charlotte Edwards Cup.

The South African-born allrounder - currently only able to bat because of an ongoing niggle - and who had made two half-centuries already in the campaign, made her third in finishing 50 not out, reaching the landmark with the winning hit, her eighth four.

In truth, the chase for 117 was not an arduous one, Sunrisers having earlier been restricted to 116 for 8, Emma Jones with 2 for 13 and Alexa Stonehouse with 2 for 17 the principal wicket takers, while teenage starlet Tilly Corteen-Coleman got a wicket with her first ball of the game for the second time in the tournament. Flo Miller produced the only resistance with 39 not out from 45 balls.

Sunrisers were soon in trouble. Shortly after steering the first boundary of the innings through third, skipper Grace Scrivens slashed one from Stonehouse straight to point.

Corteen-Coleman bowled Alice Macleod and Sunrisers' leading scorer in the tournament Jo Gardner then spooned Stonehouse to Sophia Dunkley at cover to depart for only 1.

Mady Villiers sparkled briefly with two fours and a five from an overthrow in her 14, but when she chipped Jones to Phoebe Franklin at midwicket the hosts were in disarray at 27 for 4.

That they mustered any sort of score was largely down to Miller, who played the only of innings of substance, sending a full toss from Franklin to the fence before later pulling a short one from Jones down to the Tavern boundary.

Others came and went. Jodi Grewcock contributing to her own downfall with a sloppy piece of running which saw her run out by Corteen-Coleman's direct hit, while Jones picked up a second wicket with a caught-and-bowled to see the back of Eva Gray.

Dunkley (24) was quickly into stride, caressing one through the covers in the opening over of the Stars' reply before dancing down the pitch to strike the spin of Villiers back over the top.

Skipper Smith, scratchy at first, caught the mood, twice depositing short balls from Gray to the midwicket boundary. However, both departed in the same over from Grewcock, Dunkley stumped by Amara Carr as she again ventured down the wicket, while Smith nicked one through to the keeper.

Jones, promoted to four, should have departed in the next over, only for two fielders to collide meaning a simple catch at mid-on was grassed. The Cambridge University student of veterinary surgery failed to profit from the life, holing out in the deep soon afterwards.

Stars, though, were ahead of the rate and simply needed a steady hand on the tiller and not for the first time in the campaign that proved to be Schofield, who swept and pulled with authority in another sparkling knock. And while Phoebe Franklin departed before the end, Stars sauntered home.

SE Stars 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st38BF SmithSIR Dunkley
2nd3PJ ScholfieldBF Smith
3rd26PJ ScholfieldEWS Jones
4th36PJ ScholfieldPA Franklin
5th15PJ ScholfieldCAE Hill