In a thrilling low-scoring nail-biter at Leeds in the 59th Match of the ECB Women’s One-Day Cup, Somerset Women pulled off a remarkable victory over Yorkshire Women.
Deciding to bat first, Somerset faced immediate catastrophe against Yorkshire’s opening attack. Hannah Rainey drew first blood on the very first ball, removing Bex Odgers for a golden duck. Shortly after, Rainey struck twice in three balls during the third over, bowling Emma Corney for 6 and dismissing Niamh Holland for a second-ball duck. Jess Woolston joined the feast by sending back skipper Sophie Luff for just 2, caught by keeper Lauren Winfield-Hill. When Woolston trapped Katie Jones lbw for 7, Somerset Women were reeling at a dismal 21/5 inside eight overs.
From the depths of despair, Jess Hazell and Jasmine Westley mounted a gutsy recovery for the sixth wicket. The pair absorbed intense pressure to compile a vital 66-run stand, painstakingly moving the score to 87 before Sarah Glenn broke through by dismissing Westley for 28 (56 balls). Glenn struck again three balls later to clean bowl Hazell for a top-scoring 33 off 49 deliveries.
Alex Griffiths was then run out for 2 by Woolston, leaving Somerset in dire straits at 94/8. However, Chloe Skelton stepped up with a crucial unbeaten 20 off 42 balls, orchestrating a 31-run ninth-wicket partnership alongside Ellie Anderson (21 off 37 balls). Glenn eventually claimed her third wicket by removing Lola Harris for 0, wrapping up Somerset’s innings at 130 all out in 38.4 overs. For Yorkshire Women, Hannah Rainey (3/16), Jess Woolston (3/25), and Sarah Glenn (3/24) dominated with three wickets apiece, while Beth Langston (0/6 off 4 overs), Jess Jonassen (0/31), and Lucy Randle-Bissell (0/27) kept the scoring quiet.
Chasing a modest target of 131, Yorkshire Women’s reply got off to an equally disastrous start. Ellie Anderson wreaked early havoc, removing captain Lauren Winfield-Hill for a duck on the second ball, followed by the wickets of Alice Clarke (6) and Jess Jonassen (15) to reduce Yorkshire to 22/3. Sterre Kalis (23 off 48 balls) and Erin Thomas (29 off 42 balls) then steadied the ship with a solid 52-run partnership, pushing the total to 74 before Chloe Skelton bowled Kalis. Ami Campbell briefly injected fireworks into the chase with a blistering 35 off just 17 balls (5 fours, 1 six), forming a rapid 35-run stand with Thomas.
But when Niamh Holland executed a brilliant run-out to dismiss Campbell at 109/5, a spectacular collapse unfolded. Lola Harris turned the game on its head by dismissing Erin Thomas and Sarah Glenn (3) in back-to-back overs, while Skelton ripped through the tail in a devastating spell. Skelton clean-bowled Beth Langston (0) and Jess Woolston (0) in consecutive deliveries at 121, before adding Hannah Rainey (4) as her final victim. Yorkshire’s last six wickets tumbled for just 16 runs, as they were bowled out for 125 in 27.4 overs, leaving Lucy Randle-Bissell stranded on 0*.
Skelton was the star with the ball, taking 4/28 in 6.4 overs, wonderfully supported by Anderson’s 3/31 and Harris’s 2/22. Alex Griffiths (0/21) and Jasmine Westley (0/18) also kept things tight, enabling Somerset Women to seal a dramatic 5-run victory in a match defined by extraordinary bowling dominance.
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