Sat 2 May, 10:30
Report: Warwickshire v Somerset, One Day Cup
Warwickshire, 336, beat Somerset, 302, by 34 runs.
Charis Pavely’s second century in four days powered Warwickshire Women to a comfortable 34-run Metro Bank One-Day Cup win over Somerset at Edgbaston.
Pavely’s dazzling 127 (103 balls) lifted her side from a moderate 113 for five to a meaty 336 all out after a spectacular eighth-wicket partnership of 93 in 63 balls with Alexa Stonehouse (58 not out, 35). Chloe Skelton took four for 65 and Olivia Barnes three for 47 in a Somerset attack guilty of letting their opponents off the hook.
While Pavely’s unbeaten 128 against Blaze at Trent Bridge last Wednesday came in a losing cause, this time Warwickshire closed out a win as Somerset replied with 302. Niamh Holland made 65 (66) but with captain Sophie Luff unable to bat due to a concussion injury sustained in the field, no-one delivered the major individual contribution required. Pavely continued her productive day with two for 40 to leave the visitors nursing back-to-back defeats after their bright start to the season.
After choosing to bat, Warwickshire moved smoothly to 40 from 40 balls before Skelton struck twice. Both wickets proved how dangerous a full toss can be if carelessly handled. Amu Surenkumar biffed one to mid-wicket. Meg Austin missed a sweep at another and was lbw.
Alex Griffiths followed up with two wickets in four balls. Katie George pulled straight to mid-wicket and Davina Perrin, having struck nine fours in a fluent 45 (40), nicked a wideish ball to wicketkeeper Katie Jones.
When Skelton ousted Chloe Brewer, who edged a lovely ball to Jones, Warwickshire were an uneasy 113 for five, but Pavely underpinned a bold three-part recovery. Stands of 44 in eight overs with Nat Wraith and 58 in nine with Mary Taylor (30, 35) were nourishing starters. Then came the main course, the crashing partnership with Stonehouse against an attack that wilted in the West Midlands sunshine. Pavely smote 16 fours and two sixes before a smart leg-side stumping from Jones provided Skelton’s fourth wicket.
Somerset’s reply never truly took flight. Both openers fell in the first seven overs, concussion sub Ruby Davies caught at mid-wicket off Stonehouse and Bex Odgers bowled, playing across the line, by Taylor. Home skipper Georgia Davis then struck with her fourth ball when Anika Learoyd was lured down the track and stumped.
Holland and Jess Hazell (45, 63) rebuilt with a sedate stand of 78 in 16 overs before Pavely continued her happy day by removing both lbw in the space of 13 balls. Jones pulled Stonehouse for six but slogged to mid-on two balls later and Somerset’s lower order had to find 98 from the last ten overs – a mission well beyond them.
Captain Georgia Davis said: “It was a fantastic win. Last Wednesday, we showed really good character against Blaze, with the bat especially, and couldn’t quite get over the line. We won 90 per cent of that game – but today we finished the job and that is very pleasing.
“We lost some early wickets but at no point did we panic and Pav came in and played probably one of the best innings I’ve seen. The fact that she did it on Wednesday and has come back here and done it again – I couldn’t be prouder of her. She has worked really hard to get where she is and is really shining and she deserves to,.
“Then with the ball we controlled the game all the way through. Our focus was to keep that required run-rate increasing all the way through and we did that, Now let’s take this momentum into Wednesday’s game. I think we have always had momentum with the bat – we have scored more than 300 runs in almost every game this season which is huge – and a win like this is only going to set us up in great stead for Wednesday’s game.”
