Central Sparks 297 for 3 (E Jones 130, Freeborn 89*) beat Western Storm 152 (Smale 53, Davis 6-23) by 145 runs
In scintillating form, the 32-year-old opener plundered 18 fours and a six in an innings spanning 163 balls as the visitors ran-up an imposing 297 for 3 in 50 overs, narrowly surpassing their previous competition best of 296 made against Loughborough Lightning in 2021.
Ami Campbell and Jones capitalised upon some loose bowling to stage a progressive stand of 39 in 6.3 overs, England quick Lauren Filer proving particularly wayward after Storm had won the toss and elected to field. Issy Wong redressed the balance, bowling Campbell via an inside edge for 10, before putting down a sharp return catch and affording the relieved Jones a life on 22.
Eager to mark her 50th appearance with a meaningful contribution, Davina Perrin provided the dominant Jones with assured support in a second wicket partnership of 49 and was beginning to find her rhythm when she miss-judged an Ellie Anderson in-swinger and was bowled for 20 with the score on 88 in the seventeenth.
But there was no stopping Jones, who pulled Anderson to the mid-wicket boundary to bring up a 77-ball half century with her eighth four of an increasingly authoritative innings. New batter Freeborn proved adept at rotating the strike and the third wicket pair appeared untroubled in advancing the score to 126 for 2 at the halfway stage.
Storm skipper Luff deployed five different bowlers in an attempt to break the partnership before recalling Filer, but the ball only travelled to the boundary more quickly as Jones and Freeborn looked to play on the front foot and dominate. The hundred partnership occupied 118 balls and Jones went to three figures soon afterwards, driving Filer down the ground for her 16th four to raise the landmark from 136 deliveries.
Jones knew her luck was in when she top-edged a head-high full toss to third man off a Filer no-ball, the England bowler immediately being removed from the attack with one delivery remaining in the 38th over after being adjudged to have sent down two beamers. In the mood to make Storm suffer, Jones then hoisted Chloe Skelton’s off spin high over long-off to register her first six, while Freeborn clubbed the same bowler through extra cover for her eighth boundary to raise a 60-ball 50 as the third-wicket alliance flourished.
With the exception of slow left armer Smale, whose 10 overs cost 34 runs, it was a painful experience for the Storm bowlers, Jones and Freeborn allowing no let-up as they continued to pile on the pressure. Jones was just six runs short of the career-best 136 not out she made in a winning cause against Thunder at Old Trafford in May when she finally succumbed, toe-ending an Anderson full toss high to extra cover.
Freeborn remained at large until the end, just missing out on a hundred of her own and finishing with 12 fours in a characteristically robust knock.
Grace Potts held a return catch to send back Emma Corney as Storm made an unconvincing start to their reply, but Smale was joined by Luff and these two added 50 in 24 balls to at least bring the required rate down and establish a solid platform. The second wicket partnership was worth 73 when Luff fluffed her lines, sending a leading edge to mid-on to provide Davis with a wicket in her first over as taking the pace off paid dividends for Sparks.
Smale continued to carry the fight to the opposition, going to an impressive 43-ball 50 with her ninth four, chipped through mid-on at the expense of Baker. The young leg spinner exacted a swift revenge however, having Smale caught at mid-off for 53 as Storm slipped to 96-3 in the eighteenth. That soon became 106 for 4 when Fran Wilson was pinned in the crease by Davis, at which point spin was well and truly in the ascendancy.
Slow left armer Pavely made further in-roads, persuading Niamh Holland to chip to mid-off for 16 and then having Alex Griffiths held at cow corner, while Nat Wraith was stumped off the bowling of Davis as the home side subsided to 139 for 7. Davis then made short work of the tail as Storm ran up the white flag.
