A record-sixth wicket partnership between Kira Chathli and Ryana MacDonald-Gay steered the South East Stars to a five-wicket win over the Western Storm in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham.

The duo came together when the hosts were struggling on 164 for five, Chathli hitting 86 not out and England newcomer MacDonald-Gay an unbeaten 51 as the Stars finished on 283 for five, to win with 2.4 overs to spare. Their stand of 119 is a new Stars’ record for the sixth wicket and their eighth-highest ever partnership and both batters recorded their highest List A scores.

Earlier Fran Wilson hit 81 as the Storm posted 282 for eight from 50 overs, Natasha Wraith hitting 68 and Sophie Luff 58. Stars skipper Bryony Smith had the hosts’ best figures with two for 43, while Kalea Moore took two for 60.

This was the Stars’ final scheduled game at the County Ground and the end-of-era feeling was deepened by the autumnal conditions at the start of play.

The Storm won and chose to bat but they lost Emma Corney for a three-ball duck in the first over, caught by Phoebe Franklin off Tilly Corteen-Coleman.

Sophia Smale was then run out by Paige Scholfield for three, chasing an optimistic second, but from eight for two they recovered with a partnership of 135 between Wilson and Luff that transformed the mood in the ground, with both cashing in as the bowlers struggled to cope with a violent wind.

Luff finally went when she was bowled by MacDonald-Gay, but Wraith joined Wilson and they added 54 for the fourth wicket. However, with a century there for the taking Wilson holed out to Kalea Moore and was caught on the long-on boundary by Scholfield.

Niamh Holland then went for 11, miscuing Bryony Smith to the sub fielder Emma Jones but Wraith continued to blitz the bowlers until she slogged Moore to MacDonald-Gay at cow corner.

In the next over Katie Jones wen pulling Smith to Franklin, also for 11 and although Chloe Hill then dropped Amanda Jade-Wellington off Franklin at square leg, tipping her over the boundary for six, Jade-Wellington played an almost identical shot to the next delivery and this time Hill took the catch.

Although the death overs were relatively inexpensive it looked a steep target and Smale bowled Stars’ skipper Smith for nine in the fourth over of the chase.

Hill looked well set until Alex Griffiths bowled her for 31 with one that nipped back and Scholfield looked completely in control on her way to 49, only to play on to Chloe Skelton, coincidentally ending a partnership of 49 with Alice Davidson-Richards.

Davidson-Richards was left punching her bat in frustration when she missed a straight one from Holland and was bowled for 19 but Chathli and Franklin revived the hosts with a stand of 51 that ended when the latter chased a wide slow one from Ellie Anderson and hit it straight to Luff at mid-on.

At that point it looked a fifty-fifty contest but MacDonald-Gay, still only 20, played without a hint of nerves and brought up her first List A 50 when she hit the winning runs by smashing Holland back over her head for six.