High drama at Taunton as Women’s clash ends in a tie
Niamh Holland returned career-best figures of four for 21, including claiming three wickets in 10 balls, as Somerset fought out a thrilling tie with Hampshire in a memorable Vitality Blast contest at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
Chasing 160 to win, Hampshire appeared to be on course when Ella McCaughan posted 69 from 46 balls and staged an opening stand of 87 with Georgia Adams. But the home side staged a spirited fightback with Holland to the fore and the visitors required a frenetic unbroken stand of 20 in eight deliveries from Rhianna Southby and Abi Norgrove to bring the scores level in a dramatic finish.
Anika Learoyd had earlier proved the mainstay of the Somerset innings, raising an unbeaten 61 from 49 deliveries and sharing in a progressive second wicket stand of 90 in 11 overs with Bex Odgers, who posted a career-best Blast score of 57 from 38 balls in a score of 159 for six. An error-strewn Hampshire fielding display was masked by a notable return of three for 24 on the part of Adams, who ensured a degree of control with her off breaks.
Somerset won the toss, elected to bat but lost Sophie Luffwho played on to a full-length delivery from Bex Tyson and departed for five in the second over. But that false start was soon forgotten as Odgers and Learoyd traded almost exclusively in boundaries to advance the score to 44 for one by the end of the powerplay.
Building upon that solid base, the second wicket pair grew in confidence, targeting spinners Tyson, Adams and Amanda-Jade Wellington to carry the home side to a healthy 81 for one at the halfway stage. Odgers proved especially destructive, accruing seven fours and a six in an electrifying 31-ball half century as Somerset assumed the upper hand.
Having surpassed her previous highest T20 score of 54, made against Durham last year, Odgers chanced her arm once too often, cutting Adams to backward point and falling for 57 with the score 101 for two in the twelfth.
Dropped on 26 by Naomi Dattani at mid-off, Learoyd picked up the cudgels thereafter, going to an enterprising 50 from 45 deliveries. She found a willing ally in Holland, who rotated the strike and ran hard between the wickets in a useful alliance of 28 for the third wicket before hoisting Adams high to Dattani at long-on.
Applying the squeeze during the death overs, Adams then had Alex Griffiths held at backward point for 12, while Abi Norgrove ran out Chloe Skelton as Hampshire fought hard. But Learoyd was still there at the end, ensuring Somerset posted a competitive score.
Ultra-positive in their approach, the quick-scoring opening pair of McCaughan and Adams wasted no time in establishing their authority, Hampshire raising an impressive 53 without loss in the powerplay to afford the chase crucial impetus.
Cutting and driving with impunity, the in-form McCaughan put the fielders under pressure in raising an eye-catching 50 from 32 deliveries with seven fours. Adams proved the perfect foil, contributing 30 in a partnership of 87 in 10.1 overs before getting in a tangle and losing off stump to Holland.
Somerset attempted to apply pressure through spin and Harris made the breakthrough they craved, having McCaughan superbly caught at mid-of by Odgers with the score 112 for two in the thirteenth. Holland then bowled Dattani and Francesca Sweet in the space of three balls, at which point the visitors required a further 30 from 21 balls with Wellington and Norgrove at the crease.
Hampshire needed a big over to calm their nerves, but Liv Barnes conceded just three off the seventeenth to heap pressure on the batters, who now needed to score at two a ball. Holland then removed the dangerous Wellington for 14, well held by Luff at point, as Somerset turned the screw.
With Somerset seemingly in control, Southby threatened to turn the game on it’s head, smashing 17 off seven balls to set-up a thrilling finale. Needing three off the final ball, sent down by Skelton, Norgrove ran two to finish on eight not out and enable her side to escape with a share of the spoils.
Once the dust had settle, Niamh said:Â “I was just trying to go through my processes at the end and stop them from hitting straight down the ground. I’ve worked hard on developing a yorker delivery over the winter and that paid off today.
“It looked as though we’d dragged the game back and it was disappointing not to hold on for the win at the death. But we could easily have lost that game and we’ll take the two points and move on.
“We can definitely take confidence from this game and from the result, and there are definitely more positives than negatives. Anika Learoyd and Bex Odgers were a pleasure to watch going about their business. They both played to their strengths and looked to be positive, which bodes well for the rest of the competition.”
