Sophie Devine takes Loughborough Lightning to the top

Devine made easy work of the chase, after England veteran Jenny Gunn and Scotland’s Kirstie Gordon took three wickets each to bowl Surrey Stars out for 95 on Thursday, 2 August, despite Nat Sciver's best efforts. The nine-wicket win came in a 10 -over chase.

“These days it just comes off, doesn’t it,” said Devine, shrugging off her achievement and insisting that if it hadn’t been her, someone else in the team would have stood up.

“[As a team] we’re naturally aggressive anyway, so we don’t need to put extra pressure on trying to get the bonus point. With me and Rachael (Haynes, her opening partner), we’re going to go after a score, no matter if it’s 90 or 190, we’re going to play the same way.”

Giving credit to the bowlers, she added, “The way we bowled, Jenny Gunn and our spinners again were fantastic, to rattle them for under 100. I think it has been a strength for us to take wickets in the Powerplay.”

Elsewhere, England internationals Lauren Winfield and Katherine Brunt combined to not only give Yorkshire Diamonds their first win, but also propel them to the second-highest total in WCSL history.

Winfield, the opener, slammed 64 off 38, before Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu (43 off 32) and Brunt (21 off 13) chipped in for the Diamonds’ 175/5.

Brunt then returned to scalp 5/26, only the third five-for in the history of the tournament, as the Southern Vipers were kept to 163/9.