Worcestershire Women’s Rapids all-rounder, Emily Arlott’s fine performance with the ball for Central Sparks, was to no avail as they went down by 28 runs to Thunder in a Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy day-nighter at Old Trafford.
Arlott struck with the new ball and was then a deadly proposition in the closing overs as Thunder totalled 236-9 after being put in to bat.
She finished with excellent figures of 10-0-36-4.
Arlott made the initial breakthrough in her first over and then enjoyed a spell of three wickets in 13 balls.
Sparks were given an excellent start by captain Eve Jones (26) and 15-year-old Davina Perrin, who put on 45.
They were well placed at 70-1 after 17 overs when a downpour led to a revised target of 220 from 43 overs.
The Sparks reached 111-1, but then Perrin (46) and Abigail Freeborn, with a run-a-ball 72, were dismissed in the same over.
Only Arlott (12) of the remaining batters reached double figures, and the Sparks were bowled out for 191 in 41.4 overs.
They are currently lying in sixth spot in the eight-team table with one win and three defeats but still have time to reverse their fortunes.
