Durham, led by skipper Hollie Armitage, were up against Somerset, led by skipper Sophie Luff, in the 33rd match of the Women’s T20 Blast. Both teams are in desperate need of a victory as they were languishing towards the bottom half of the points table. The Blaze, led by skipper Kirstie Gordon, were up against Hampshire, led by skipper Georgia Adams, in the 34th game of the ongoing season.
Contributions from the Durham top-order give them a respectable total
The Durham openers Emma Marlow and Suzie Bates got their side off to a flying start with a 50-run opening partnership after skipper Sophie Luff won the toss and inserted them to bat first at Chester-le-Street. Chloe Skelton broke the stand, by sending Emma Marlow (18 off 11 balls) back to the pavilion in the final over of the powerplay to provide the first breakthrough for Somerset.
Skipper Hollie Armitage joined Suzie Bates at the crease, and the duo stitched another crucial 36-run partnership for the 2nd wicket. Alex Griffiths picked up the wicket of Suzie Bates (48 off 37 balls) to provide the crucial 2nd breakthrough for her side in the 11th over of the innings. She fell just two runs short of her half-century.
Maddy Villiers joined skipper Hollie Armitage at the crease, and the duo stitched another crucial 49-run partnership for the 3rd wicket to take them closer to the 140-run mark. A run-out ended skipper Hollie Armitage’s stay (41 off 37 balls) at the crease in the 18th over of the innings to provide the much-needed 3rd breakthrough for Somerset. Durham eventually ended up with a decent total of 154/4 in their quota of 20 overs. Mady Villiers (39* off 27 balls) chipped in with a handy cameo with the bat, providing the finishing touches for her side.
Chloe Skelton (4-0-26-1) and Alex Griffiths (3-0-28-1) picked up a wicket each with the ball for Somerset. Amanda-Jade Wellington (4-0-23-0) and Erin Vukusic (4-0-29-0) were impressive with the ball for their side.
Sophia Turner and Maddy Villiers bowl Durham to victory
Chasing a target of 155, Somerset were restricted to 148/7 in their quota of 20 overs, despite a promising 37-run opening stand between Niamh Holland and Rebecca Odgers, followed by another vital 53-run partnership for the for the 4th wicket between the wicket-keeper batter Jess Hazell (38 off 38 balls) and Rebecca Odgers (54 off 37 balls). The Durham bowlers eventually managed to hold their nerve to seal a crucial victory by 6 runs.
Maddy Villiers (4-0-24-2), Sophia Turner (4-0-24-2), and Phoebe Turner (4-0-15-1) were the top performers with the ball for Druham, while Katie Levick (4-0-26-1) played her part with the ball for her side.
Fifties from Heather Graham and Ella Claridge power The Blaze to 188/6
The Blaze Opener, Marie Kelly, led the charge alongside Georgia Elwiss as they got off to a flying start, scoring over 10 runs an over, after the skipper, Georgia Adams, won the toss and inserted them to bat first at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield. Freya Davies cleaned up Marie Kelly (16 off 7 balls) to provide the much-needed first breakthrough for Hampshire in the 2nd over of the innings.
The Blaze suffered a mini collapse as they were reduced to 49/4 in the powerplay, losing their next three wickets for just 29 runs. Ella Claridge joined Heather Graham at the crease, and the duo stitched a massive and much-needed 76-run partnership for the 5th wicket to take them past the 120-run mark. Ellyse Perry picked up the big wicket of Heather Graham (73 off 47 balls) to provide the much-needed 5th breakthrough for Hampshire in the 15th over of the innings. She completed a quick-fire half-century before getting dismissed.
The Blaze eventually ended up with a massive total of 188/6 in their quota of 20 overs. Ella Claridge (51* off 36 balls) stayed unbeaten on a brisk half-century, providing a power-packed finish. Ellyse Perry (3-0-23-2) and Freya Davies (4-0-49-2) picked up a couple of wickets each, while Bex Tyson (4-0-31-1) and skipper Georgia Adams (4-0-35-1) played their part with the ball for Hampshire.
Kathryn Bryce’s 4-wicket haul leads The Blaze to seal a convincing victory
Chasing a target of 189, Hampshire were bundled out for 151, with 11 balls to spare. As a result, they fell 37 runs short of the target. The 54-run partnership for the 4th wicket between Abi Norgrove (19 off 12 balls) and opening batter Rhianna Southby (64 off 42 balls) was the highest partnership of the run chase for Hampshire. Mary Taylor (20 off 15 balls) chipped in with a vital contribution with the bat for her side.
Kathryn Bryce (3.1-0-13-4) and Kirstie Gordon (4-0-20-1) were the top performers with the ball for the Blaze. Sarah Glenn (4-0-35-1) and Heather Graham (3-0-35-1) played their part with the ball for their side.
