Somerset claim stunning 7-wicket win by at Exmouth
Spinners Lola Harris and Liv Barnes returned career-best List-A figures as Somerset beat Warwickshire by seven wickets in the Metro Bank One Day Cup women’s competition at the Maer Ground, Exmouth.
Put into bat on a dry surface, the visitors raced to 151 for two in 26 overs, thanks in large part to Amu Surenkumar’s eye-catching innings of 58 from 72 balls with nine fours. But Somerset staged a dramatic fightback, leg spinner Harris claiming four for 32 and slow left armer Barnes four for 24 as Warwickshire were shot out for 160 in 33.3 overs, their last eight wickets falling for nine runs in the space of 43 deliveries.
Anika Learoyd top-scored with an unbeaten 58-ball 70 not and struck two sixes and eight fours as Somerset chased down their target with 28.2 overs in hand to claim a bonus point win and end a sequence of six straight defeats in fine style.
Warwickshire made a flying start to their innings, Georgia Redmayne and Surenkumar piling on 65 in 9.1 overs, these two taking full advantage of inconsistent line and length from the Somerset seamers to plunder 10 boundaries in a productive powerplay.
Barnes struck with her first ball, producing bounce and turn to dismiss Redmayne for a run-a-ball 32. Strong off her legs, Surenkumar continued to thrive, going to a well-crafted half century via 53 deliveries with nine fours as the visitors raised 100 inside 18 overs. Meg Austin fell lbw to Niamh Holland’s slower ball and departed for 17 with the score 112 for two, but Katie George timed the ball sweetly in making 31 from 33 deliveries as Warwickshire advanced their score to 146 for two at halfway.
With the ball sticking in the pitch, Somerset’s spinners effected a remarkable transformation thereafter, Surenkumar hitting a delivery from Harris to Ellie Anderson at short square leg to spark a startling collapse. Harris then had new batter Charis Paveley stumped to complete a double wicket maiden, and Barnes bowled George to confirm Somerset dominance.
Abi Freeborn was bowled by Harris, Mary Taylor was run out by Katie Jones and Bears skipper Georgia Davis was brilliantly caught by Alex Griffiths at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Barnes as Warwickshire paid the price for pushing too hard. Alexa Stonehouse then drove Harris to extra cover and Hannah Baker was bowled by Barnes as the spinners wrapped up the innings in double quick-time.
Although Bex Odgers was run out by Paveley, Somerset’s chase was buoyed by a progressive second-wicket alliance of 39 between Sophie Luff and Learoyd. Stonehouse induced Luff to top-edge a pull shot to backward point and depart for 34 and Holland hit to mid-wicket off the bowling of Davis with the score 86-3, but Australia A batter Learoyd remained at large to calm West Country nerves.
Afforded a life on 31 when dropped by Paveley at short mid-wicket, Learoyd made Warwickshire pay, smiting a delivery from Davis for six over long-on as Somerset went to three figures in the fourteenth. She found a willing ally in Jess Hazell, who contributed a quickfire 32 in a stand of 75 to render the outcome a foregone conclusion.
Playing ostensibly off the back foot and demonstrating impressive precision, Learoyd found the gaps with sufficient regularity to go to 50 via 47 deliveries.
After the incredible victory, Lola Harris said: “That was an amazing win and will do so much for our confidence going forward. Warwickshire started so well, it looked as though we might be chasing a really big total at one stage. Amu Surenkumar played really well, but once we got her out, the game changed quickly.
“There was a bit of help in the pitch for Liv and I, and it was great to see the ball spinning. We’ve worked hard on keeping our foot on the gas when on top in games and that paid off for us today. It was an incredible turnaround and to get Warwickshire out that quickly was brilliant. I thought we played positively with the bat and made a great job of chasing.
“Sometimes, it can be awkward chasing those low totals, but Sophie Luff and Anika Learoyd played beautifully. We have so much faith in them in those situations. It was also good to see Jess Hazell come in and play the perfect innings in that situation.”
