[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

As a septem horribilis for the men saw two key players leave and Worcestershire blow the big quarter-final, it was a relief to see Central Sparks back in 50-over action after their own T20 campaign fizzled out in June.  On Sunday 2nd, while England went full Justice For Jonny at Lord's, Sparks were taking on the Thunder at New Road with both Ami Campbell and Abbey Freeborn supplying half-centuries during a crucial recovery; another wobble in the middle overs took the hosts to 166-6, but Worcestershire's Charis Pavely (who shone on debut for the regional side in the Charlotte Edwards a month earlier) made a promising 33 to help set a target of 234.  Thunder made a good start in response, progressing at around four an over with the loss of just four wickets in the first thirty, but a double breakthrough from Katie George - including the huge scalp of Seren Smale for 94 -  tore the heart out of the chase, and the England seamer was the one to wrap things up with the visitors 30 runs short.  Guildford then beckoned on Friday, and another shaky start with the bat - 121-6 the troubling score after thirty - was salvaged by a first senior half-century for Pavely and a fifty from the returning Issy Wong in a hugely entertaining partnership, setting a target of 247.  Wong and Georgia Davis then made early inroads with the ball, and at 95-5 after twenty-two it looked a simple task.  But a battling 48 from Alice Davidson-Richards, followed by a truly admirable lower-order 77 from Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones, took the match deep into a tense teatime; barely a couple of dozen runs were required from as many balls when Erin Burns had Blinkhorn-Jones caught, before George took the final wicket.  Back-to-back wins, and Sparks second in the table with Western Storm to face at Moseley on Tuesday.

The return of the West Midlands Regional Cup, organised by Sparks, offered Worcestershire another opportunity to get some cricket in after the rain demolished their scheduled T20 campaign in April and May.  In Sunday's tournament opener versus Wales, a century opening partnership from Clare Boycott and Gabby Basketter, each making precisely fifty before departing, proved crucial to an innings that soon subsided to 166 all out.  A tight chase was then dominated by four wickets from Phoebe Brett and three in a single over from Basketter - doing serious damage against her former club - to complete a welcome 15-run victory.