Niamh Holland steers Somerset chase against winless Bears
Contents
Niamh Holland Steers Somerset to Victory
Niamh Holland top-scored to guide Vitality Blast frontrunners Somerset to a five-wicket triumph over winless Warwickshire Bears at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
The in-form allrounder posted 42 from 31 balls, struck five boundaries and dominated a third-wicket stand of 54 with Anika Learoyd as the home side chased down a victory target of 124 with 3.4 overs to spare.
Somerset’s Solid Performance
Somerset’s fourth win in five games was underpinned by a solid performance in the field, spinners Liv Barnes and Chloe Skelton claiming 2 for 20 and 2 for 21 respectively as Warwickshire were restricted to 123 for 8.
Meg Austin and Mary Taylor top-scored with 31 apiece for the visitors, who lost wickets at regular intervals and struggled to build partnerships.
Warwickshire’s Struggles
Warwickshire elected to bat and Austin set the tone, twice driving Alex Griffiths for four in an opening over that yielded 14.
Turning to spin, Somerset claimed two wickets in as many overs, Abi Freeborn slicing a delivery from Skelton to point and Georgia Redmayne playing across the line to slow left-armer Barnes and losing off stump with the score 26 for 2.
Austin continued to hold sway, moving confidently to 31 from 26 balls with four boundaries to keep Midland ambition on track.
But the in-form opener succumbed to Erin Vukusic’s slower ball, mistiming a drive to long off.
Somerset further turned the screw, Barnes persuading Charis Paveley to drive loosely to Learoyd at extra cover as Warwickshire lurched to 65 for 5 at halfway.
Amu Surenkumar then fell to Lola Harris’s wristspin, held at backward point by Ruby Davis, and Holland dismissed Alexa Stonehouse in near-identical fashion as Bears further subsided to 72 for 7.
Millie Taylor fell to the returning Skelton, but her sister Mary Taylor remained at large to raise an unbeaten 31 from 32 balls and at least effect a partial recovery.
Somerset’s Reply
Somerset’s reply got off to a flying start, Sophie Luff and Bex Odgers accruing six boundaries between them.
Both fell with the score on 38, Odgers hoisting Stonehouse to deep midwicket and Luff falling lbw to Mary Taylor as the Bears fought back.
Learoyd and Holland maintained a brisk rate in a powerplay that yielded 52 runs and then combined deft placement and quick running to advance the score to 89 for 2 at halfway, the third wicket pair raising 50 from 33 balls to render the outcome a foregone conclusion.
Paveley bowled Learoyd for 20 with the score 92 for 3, Millie Taylor removed Holland, superbly held by Austin at point, and Katie Jones succumbed to Georgia Davis as the Bears kept fighting.
But Griffiths and Skelton then joined forces to help the home side over the finish line with plenty in hand.
Related Articles
