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Last ball agony for Somerset at Blackpool
Alana King hit the last ball of the match for six as Lancashire Thunder and Somerset signed off their Vitality Blast campaigns with a thrilling tie at Blackpool C.C.
Mahika Gaur produced a T20 career-best of three for 15 to spearhead a destructive start by the Thunder that reduced Somerset to 43 for five in a 17-overs-per-side game that started an hour late after some Thunder players became caught up in severe traffic congestion on the north-west motorways. Sophie Luff and Alex Griffiths mounted a rescue act with a 56-run partnership that took the visitors to a more prosperous 114 for seven with Somerset skipper Luff making 36 and Griffiths finishing 29 not out.
Lancashire looked to be in good shape at 57 for one in the tenth over of their reply but Griffiths snared Seren Smale for 27 before two wickets in two balls by Amanda-Jade Wellington in the 13th over pegged back the Thunder to 78 for four. Wellington (3-24) struck a third time to remove Ailsa Lister for 17 at the start of the 16th over and with 13 needed off the last and seven from the final ball Somerset looked set to win a second Blast game of the season. King (11 not out off six ballls) swung the final ball from Mollie Robbins over the backward square leg ropes to produce a most unlikely tie.
Eve Jones and Seren Smale had made a positive start to the Lancashire Thunder run chase taking 34 from 28 balls, Jones twice driving Robbins for four but then skying a catch off Ellie Anderson to wicketkeeper Bex Odgers for 18.
Smale reverse pulled and then swept Wellington for four in the ninth over to break the shackles exerted by some tight bowling, but hit the third ball from Griffiths to Wellington at mid-off for 25 in the next to have Lancashire 57 for two needing 58 more from 43 balls.
Wellington built on that breakthrough with two wickets in two balls having Tilly Kesteven, who earlier had driven the first two balls she faced for four, stumped for 19 and Fi Morris bowled by a ball that spun and kept low.
That left Lancashire needing 37 off 28 balls with 20 runs chipped away by Ellie Threlkeld and Ailsa Lister before the latter edged Wellington to Olivia Barnes at short third for 17.
With 13 runs needed off the last over, Mollie Robbins bowled Threlkeld for 11 with the first ball and had Tara Norris caught by Luff from the second. Two dropped catches followed with King and Darcey Carter scampering six runs to leave seven required from the last ball before King’s astonishing six squared up the game.
After the delayed start to the match, Thunder captain Threlkeld opted to bowl first and the first over proved eventful with Odgers hitting Tara Norris for six over square leg, then dropped at gully off the next ball, but caught by Darcey Carter at extra cover two balls later.
Gaur then struck twice in three balls immediately after the 5.1 over powerplay ended, bowling Niamh Holland for eight with an inswinger while Fran Wilson was caught in spectacular fashion by Eve Jones at cover.
When Ruby Davis chipped Alana King to a diving Ailsa Lister at short extra cover for 12, Somerset were in early difficulties and their situation worsened when Wellington, having driven her first ball for four, tamely chipped the next one from Gaur to Grace Potts at mid-on to leave Somerset 43 for five after eight overs.
Luff and Griffiths stemmed the clatter of wickets with a vital 56-run partnership, although Griffiths was fortunate to escape when dropped on four off Carter.
Luff was the chief instigator, easing Carter for four over extra cover and bringing up the fifty partnership from 39 balls with a fierce drive for four off Grace Potts before she was well caught next ball by Norris diving forward at mid-off having made 36 off 30 balls.
Griffiths struck some late runs to finish unbeaten on a run-a-ball 29 with 11 runs coming from the final over to give Somerset a total of 114-6 that had looked unlikely earlier in the afternoon.
The tied result was an even more unlikely outcome in a thrilling finale.
After a dramatic game, Sophie Luff said: “It’s been a bit of a mad day hasn’t it? A delayed start because of traffic and you’re thinking you might be forfeiting the game and you’re only going to shake hands and get two points. Then to play 17 overs and you come out with that result.
“We probably felt we kind of had that in the bag the last over or two, and felt like we did really well to get ourselves back in the game after probably a disappointing power play for us with the bat.
“We lost early wickets and we kind of had to scrap to get to a total. I thought Alex Griffiths played a great knock, came in, took some pressure off me at the other end and I felt we were in the game with that score.
“Even though we didn’t take early wickets, I felt like the rate was always in control. Then getting up towards the back end as well and taking wickets, I can’t fault our effort today.”
