Sat 13 September, 10:30
Report: Somerset vs Warwickshire, Metro Bank One Day Cup
Dani Gibson’s no-nonsense innings of 50 from 30 balls propelled Somerset to a bonus point four-wicket victory over Warwickshire in a one-sided Metro Bank One Day Cup contest at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.
Back to her scintillating best after injury, the Bristolian smashed 6 fours and 2 sixes and dominated a match-winning stand of 78 from 57 balls with Fran Wilson as the West Country side chased down a victory target of 176 with 22.5 overs to spare. Wilson contributed a brisk 47 not out from 45 balls, while Niamh Holland and Bex Odgers weighed in with 38 and 35 respectively, staging an opening stand of 64 as Somerset won their final group game with something to spare. The pick of the Warwickshire bowlers, Hannah Baker returned figures of 3-44 in a losing cause.
Struggling to find fluency with the bat, Warwickshire had earlier been dismissed for 175 in 41 overs after being put in on a green-tinged pitch, only Nat Wraith (39), Georgia Davis (36) and Amu Surenkumar (34) offering meaningful resistance. Seamer Ellie Anderson and spinners Olivia Barnes, Chloe Skelton and Amanda-Jade Wellington claimed two wickets apiece as Somerset produced a disciplined performance in the field.
Somerset’s prospects of progressing to the last four depended upon them mustering a bonus point victory over Warwickshire and Durham defeating Surrey at Chester-le-Street without earning an additional point.
Fulfilling their part in the equation, Somerset won the toss, put Warwickshire in and reduced them to 31-3 inside seven overs, new ball bowlers Anderson and Mollie Robbins inflicting the early damage. Anderson took a return catch off her own bowling to send back Bethan Ellis and then had Sophie Beech caught behind in an impressive seven-over spell of 2-21, while Meg Austin, having flirted with danger in raising 21 from 25 balls, holed out to Anderson at mid-on in the act of driving Robbins as the home side assumed control.
Dropped by Alex Griffiths at slip off the bowling of Olivia Barnes on 10, Surenkumar made good her escape to stage a recovery in partnership with the experienced Abbey Freeborn, these two adding 48 from 65 balls for the fourth wicket.
Somerset skipper Sophie Luff called upon her spinners and Skelton and Barnes combined forces to put the skids under Warwickshire, claiming three wickets in five balls with the score on 79. Skelton terminated the fourth wicket alliance, having Freeborn stumped by Odgers for 11, while Barnes bowled Surenkumar for a 39-ball 34 and then removed Issy Wong without scoring, held by Robbins at short fine leg as the home side reasserted their authority.
Coming together with the score 79-6 in the 19th, Wraith and Davis acquitted themselves well under pressure, playing sensibly to reach 105 at halfway and then accelerating to establish a 50 partnership via 66 balls as a topsy-turvy contest see-sawed once more. Wraith had advanced to 39 from 47 balls and was looking to move up through the gears when she succumbed to temptation, attempting to drive Skelton and falling to a fine catch-on-the run by Robbins at mid-on with the score 157-7.
Midlands resistance wilted thereafter, Luff running out the obdurate Davis for 36 and leg spinner Wellington accounting for Hannah Hardwick and Hannah Baker in quick succession as the last three wickets fell in the space of 12 balls.
Required to overhaul Warwickshire’s total inside 40 overs in order to secure the crucial bonus point, Somerset’s chase was afforded a solid start by Odgers and Holland, who posted 50 in just 7.2 overs against some wayward Bears bowling. Seizing the initiative from the outset, these two mustered 12 boundaries between them in a productive powerplay that yielded 59 and forced the visitors onto the back foot.
The aggressor-in-chief, Holland’s fluent innings was characterised by some handsome cover drives, the former England Under-19 international accruing 7 fours and contributing a 29-ball 38 to an opening stand of 64. But the introduction of Baker induced a mini-collapse, Somerset losing three wickets in 13 balls as they slipped to 78-3. Baker bowled Holland and removed Luff lbw without scoring, while Odgers, having raised 35 from 44 balls with a six and 5 fours, was caught at the wicket off the bowling of Phoebe Brett as Warwickshire threatened a fightback.
Gibson and Wilson soon calmed any nerves in a forthright partnership that served to put the chase well and truly back on track as rain showers closed in on Taunton. Gibson proved keen to get the job done in quick time, the England international bludgeoning her way to a 29-ball half century before offering a catch to fine leg off the bowling of Davis. But there was no moving Wilson, the former World Cup winner bringing her considerable experience to bear on the situation to see Somerset home.
Warwickshire captain Georgia Davis said: “It was an important toss to win and we found it tough batting first. It’s always going to be an uphill task when you lose early wickets and that’s how it turned out. Amu (Surenkumar) and Nat (Wraith) did well to build partnerships and get things back on track, but we kept losing wickets in clusters. Defending 175 was going to be tough and it wasn’t enough for our bowlers to defend. Hannah (Baker) and Phoebe (Brett) caused them some problems and it looked for a while like we might be back in it, but Dani Gibson and Fran Wilson played well and took the game away from us. We fielded a young group today and they’ll definitely learn from this.”
