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Lancashire come out on top at Taunton
Eve Jones and Emma Lamb helped to ensure that Lancashire continued their 100% start to the season by beating Somerset in this Metro Bank One Day Cup clash at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
Both sides came into the game off the back of victories in the opening round of fixtures but it was the visitors who came out on top today by seven wickets.
After winning the toss, Lancashire skipper, Ellie Threlkeld invited the hosts to have a bat.
Somerset’s victory over Surrey earlier this week was built on the foundation of a century opening stand between Emma Corney and Heather Knight, and the bumper crowd at Taunton were hoping for more of the same under blue skies.
Unfortunately for the Somerset faithful, Kate Cross enticed Knight (6) to play forward in the fourth over and found the former England skipper’s outside edge. The diving Threlkeld did the rest.
Corney was joined in the middle by Sophie Luff, but 10 for one soon became 24 for two when Cross forced the Somerset captain to edge behind.
Fran Wilson was one of Somerset’s heroes against Surrey, scoring the winning runs at Beckenham, but there were contrasting fortunes for the World Cup winner today when she was bowled around her legs by Tara Norris for five at 36 for three in the 13th over.
Charlie Dean announced her arrival at the crease by dispatching Norris over the square leg boundary to get off the mark with a maximum, and the home side’s 50 arrived in the 17th over.
What a shot from Charlie Dean! 🤩
Watch the live stream 🔗 https://t.co/2fkyYLoo1x#SOMvLAN#WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/h7rfYWwZO6
— Somerset Women (@SomersetWomen) April 27, 2025
However, the England all rounder fell for 10 at 55 for four, Hannah Jones finding the top of off stump to put the visitors firmly in the ascendancy. Jones then also accounted for her namesake, trapping England Under 19 ‘keeper/batter Katie lbw for six at 65 for five.
As wickets fell, the only constant for Somerset was Corney, who batted calmly and in determined fashion before she was run out attempting a quick single courtesy of a direct hit from debutant Grace Potts as the hosts slipped to 89 for six in the 32nd over. The Somerset opener’s 35 coming from 79 deliveries.
 Amanda Jade Wellington gave vital impetus to Somerset’s innings against Surrey on Wednesday and she picked up where she left off. After taking a few deliveries to bed herself in, she dispatched Norris for consecutive maximums into the Priory Bridge Road carpark. Not to be outdone, Alex Griffiths crashed the final two balls of the same over to the boundary for four as Somerset took 22 runs from that set of six.
The pair continued in similar fashion, bringing up the 50 partnership for the seventh wicket from 43 balls, bringing the CACG to its feet and more importantly taking the Somerset total to 145. Unfortunately for the hosts, the Australian attempted one big shot too many and slog swept Emma Lamb to Seren Smale on the square leg boundary to depart for an entertaining 26 from 20 balls.
Griffiths continued to play positively and the Somerset 150 arrived with 10 overs to go. She reached 46 by flicking Collins off her legs for big six, but she was bowled by the next delivery at 159 for eight.
Ellie Anderson was trapped lbw for six by Lamb but Chloe Skelton (24 not out) and Laura Jackson (13 not out) added 30 for the 10th wicket to ensure that Somerset finished on 205 for nine.
Lancashire openers Lamb and Eve Jones began the run chase solidly and brought up their 50 partnership from 73 balls.
Lamb was given a life on 31 when when she top edged Wellington high into the Taunton sky but a diving Katie Jones was unable to hold on to the chance.
Eve Jones went to 50 from 73 balls and the 100 partnership arrived in the 21st over. Lamb then reached her half century from 63 deliveries and at the end of 28th over the scoreboard was showing 151 without loss.
Wellington had looked the most likely to make the breakthrough and so it came to pass when she trapped Lamb lbw for 52 with the first ball of the 29th over.
151 for one became 164 for two when Jones, who was just three runs short of her century, reached for one from Ellie Anderson and picked out Wellington at short third, and when Katie Jones brilliantly stumped Katie Mack (2) off Charlie Dean the score was 170 for three.
However, Seren Smale (23*) and Fi Morris (18*) weathered this mini revival from Somerset and saw their side over the line to claim the victory.
