Durham v The Blaze
Durham 200 ao (47.2 ovs) v The Blaze 201/5 (37.2 ovs)
Having been inserted Durham looked to have put themselves into a good position after the early loss of Suzie Bates with Emma Marlow (27), Hollie Armitage (81) and Mady Villiers (45) taking the home team to a healthy 164/2 in the 37th over, but over the next ten overs they conspired to lose eight wickets for the addition of just 36 runs as Sarah Glenn (3/45) and Josie Groves (2/12) ripped apart Durham’s middle-order.
With just 200 to defend Durham needed early wickets, but they could not find them. Tammy Beaumont (22) and Amy Jones (35) fell as the powerplay ended, but the Bryce sisters (Kathryn 54 and Sarah 34) continued the Blaze’s inexorable progress to victory with a third wicket stand of 81, and although they both fell with The Blaze short of their mark there was no stopping their progress to a bonus point victory as they reached 201/5 in the 38th over.
Highlights – Durham v The Blaze
Essex v Warwickshire
Warks 289 ao (50 ovs) v Essex 181 ao (39 ovs)
Put into bat Warwickshire were in all sorts of bother at 22/5 midway through the powerplay with their top order blown away by some accurate bowling from Eva Gray (5/62). But consecutive stands of 101 and 132, built around a maiden first-class century from Warwickshire number 7, Emily Arlott (130), with great support from Chloe Brewer (44) and Charis Pavely (31), put Warwickshire firmly back in control of the game as they finished on an imposing 289, losing their last wicket off the last ball of the innings.
Essex made a measured start to their reply, but when Grace Scrivens (53) was out just before Essex got to three figures, the Essex innings began to subside around Cordelia Griffith (72), who battled on bravely. Katie George (3/38) led the way with the ball for Warwickshire. Having staggered to 176/5 in the 36th over Essex’s chances of victory were admittedly slim, but they contrived to lose their last five wickets for just five runs as Chloe Brewer (3/18) helped mop up the tail in just 19 balls, to hand Warwickshire a bonus point win which looked so far out of sight six overs into the game.
Highlights – Essex v Warwickshire
Hampshire v Surrey
Hants 259/8 v 209 ao (43.2 ovs)
Having decided to bat Hampshire took full advantage of a pacey Utilita Bowl wicket as Ella McCaughan (64) and Maia Bouchier (61) compiled an untroubled opening stand of 116 in under 22 overs. In fact it was a surprise when Bouchier gloved a Davidson-Richards’ bouncer to keeper Chatli to break the stand.
Surrey’s four-pronged spin attack of Smith, Moore, Capsey and Gregory then clamped down in the middle overs as Hampshire struggled to up the run rate, not aided by losing regular wickets, but a late flurry of runs from Abi Norgrove (26) and a 9 ball cameo from Nancy Harman (14) took Hampshire to a respectable, but not unbeatable, 259/8.
After a slightly wayward first couple of overs Hampshire openers Lauren Bell (2/43) and Freya Davies (2/39) found their line and length and by the end of the powerplay Surrey were 38/3 with England-capped Bryony Smith, Dani Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley all back in the dugout. Only Alice Capsey (57 off 96) and Alice Monaghan (40) threatened to take the game away from Hampshire, but when their stand of 64 was broken by the metronomic Linsey Smith (3/28) the outcome looked inevitable, and when Davies came back and removed Capsey, it was just a matter of time. Surrey were eventually bowled out in the 44th over for 209 and remain pointless at the bottom of the league table, which few would have predicted at the start of the season.
Highlights – Hants v Surrey
Somerset v Lancashire
Somerset 205/9 v Lancs 207/3 (36.5 ovs)
Lancashire made it 2/2 and jumped to the top of the MBODC league table, with a commanding win over last week’s smash-and-grab heroes, Somerset.
Having removed Heather Knight early, caught behind off Kate Cross (2/27) Somerset found progress painfully slow, not aided by losing wickets on a regular basis. By the 32nd over Somerset had clawed their way to 89/6 as Emma Corney (35 off 79) departed run out by a Grace Potts direct hit from mid-off. But striding to the crease to join mainstay Alex Griffiths (46) was Amanda Jade Wellington (26). After a measured start – just 2 off her first 10 balls – she and Griffiths took to Tara Norris, hitting 22 runs off the 37th over, including two sweetly-struck Wellington 6s. Ten runs came off the next over, and in the subsequent over Wellington clubbed Emma Lamb for her third 6, but trying to repeat the dose she was caught on the square leg boundary. The pair had added 56 runs in 7 overs. Griffiths fell shortly after and the tail added a useful 46 runs, but 205 still looked well below par. Spinners Hannah Jones (2/23) and Lamb (2/30) joined Cross on two wickets apiece.
And an opening stand of 151 in under 30 overs between new recruit Eve Jones (97) and Lamb (52) put the result beyond doubt, with Lancashire’s only disappointment being that Jones could not find the three runs she needed for her century, as she edged a wide half-volley from Ellie Anderson to backward point.
Highlights – Somerset v Lancs
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Metro Bank One Day Cup Table after Two Rounds
Martin Davies
28/IV/25
