George and Freeborn star in Central Sparks victory
Charlotte Edwards Cup, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Central Sparks 168-6 (20 overs): Freeborn 68, Jones 38; Skelton 2-31
Western Storm 147 (18.3 overs): Gibson 40; George 4-36, Potts 3-35
Central Sparks won by 21 runs
Katie George and Abbey Freeborn inspired Central Sparks to a 21-run victory over Western Storm at Taunton in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Sparks recovered from the loss of Ami Campbell in the first over to post 168-6 in their 20 overs, with fellow opener Freeborn top-scoring with 68 off 40 balls.
George (4-36) and Grace Potts (3-35) then did the damage with the ball as Storm were bowled out for 147 with nine balls of their innings remaining.
Danielle Gibson, back with Storm after representing England in their T20 series win against Pakistan, top-scored for the hosts with 40.
However, once she fell caught behind attempting to sweep left-arm seamer George, the visitors' bowling attack seized control to maintain Sparks' 100% start to the competition.
Despite some late defiance from Australian Amanda-Jade Wellington, who hit 31 not out off 16 balls, Storm fell to a second successive defeat.
The hosts elected to field after winning the toss and Gibson, handed the new ball by captain Sophie Luff, struck with her sixth ball to bowl Campbell for four.
But Freeborn put on 63 with Davina Perrin (26) and 57 with Sparks skipper Eve Jones (38), hitting nine fours and a six before chipping a catch off Chloe Skelton to Luff at cover.
Gibson then led Storm's reply with the bat, her 21-ball innings containing seven fours, but her departure sparked a collapse that left Storm 111-8 in the 15th over.
The hosts added 36 for the final two wickets, Wellington the chief scorer in those partnerships, but they eventually fell short of their target.
