Knight And Gibson Steer Somerset To Win At Lancs

Half-centuries from Heather Knight and Dani Gibson helped Somerset hit Lancashire by 4 wickets astatine Southport.

Lancashire had group a competitory target acknowledgment to half-centuries of their ain from skipper Ellie Threlkeld (71) and Fi Morris (52) but contempt 3 wickets from England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, nan visitors reached nan winning full pinch 13 balls remaining.

Lancashire, who were put into bat, mislaid opener Emma Lamb to wounded precocious connected and her replacement, Alice Clarke, became nan first batter retired erstwhile she was dismissed for six successful nan 3rd over, caught down disconnected Alex Griffiths.

Eve Jones and Seren Smale were progressing nicely until Smale fell unfortunate to a superb portion of wicketkeeping from Jess Hazell and was retired stumped disconnected Charlie Dean for 18.

Jones (38) was adjacent to spell caught astatine long-on disconnected a afloat flip from Lola Harris and pinch Lancashire 90-3 a business was needed.

Threlkeld and Morris obliged, pinch nan skipper particularly fluent arsenic she targeted nan spinners and moved to her half-century arsenic nan brace put connected 88 for nan 4th wicket.

Threlkeld yet fell for 71, bowled by Harris but Morris kept going and brought up her ain half-century only to get retired nan very adjacent shot caught by Gibson disconnected Griffiths.

The hosts had a level to accelerate and Ailsa Lister (20) and Kate Cross (21) supplied speedy runs earlier Griffiths took nan past 2 wickets to autumn arsenic she vanished pinch 3-51.

Somerset group astir nan target successful serene manner and it took a superb drawback from Morris astatine mid-wicket to disregard opener Bex Odgers for 17 disconnected Mahika Gaur.

Ecclestone entered nan fray early to vessel against her erstwhile England skipper Knight but it was Niamh Holland who became her first unfortunate erstwhile she was bowled for 25.

When Somerset skipper Sophie Luff fell for 10, good caught by a tumbling Cross disconnected Darcey Carter, Lancashire looked to beryllium edging nan title pinch nan visitors 132-4.

But that did not relationship for Knight, who together pinch Gibson, began to compile nan business that sealed nan match.

The duo had put connected 53 erstwhile Knight was trapped successful beforehand by Ecclestone for 63 but Gibson took complete arsenic she tackled nan tally complaint pinch easiness acknowledgment to immoderate powerful hitting, including 2 sixes and 8 fours successful her innings of 60.

Ecclestone yet accounted for Gibson, bowled attempting a sweep, but nan harm was done and Dean (21 not out) and Hazell (21 not out) saw Somerset location successful nan 48th over.