Tahlia Wilson’s career best of 152 led Durham to their first win of the season in their Metro Bank One Day Cup women’s competition clash with Essex.
Durham motored with the bat after winning the toss, with Wilson and Emma Marlow (53) combining for a partnership of 137, a record opening stand for the county. Captain Hollie Armitage (81) then joined Wilson and they helped their side reach a total of 311 for three.
Essex started their chase comfortably, with Cordelia Griffith (50) and Grace Scrivens (47) negotiating the opening period expertly. However, a clutter of wickets put Durham in control and they restricted Essex to 288 for five giving them a 23-run win despite a resilient knock from Jodi Grewcock (77).
Durham won the toss and elected to bat first and openers Marlow and Wilson got off to a good start, racing to fifty without loss inside the powerplay.
Australian Wilson then played a glorious shot through the covers as she dominated the strike in the early proceedings, playing the aggressor in her partnership with Marlow.
Sophia Smale dropped Marlow on 33 as she couldn’t cling on to a return catch. Wilson then passed fifty for the first time in a Durham shirt and Marlow joined her in reaching the milestone, her first half-century for the county.
Essex then dropped Wilson on 68 as the diving Scrivens couldn’t cling on to a catch, but moments later they picked up their first wicket as Marlow chipped a Grewcock ball to long-off.
The drop of Wilson was proving costly for Essex, with her forming a new partnership with skipper Armitage who opted to attack the Essex bowlers and they took Durham’s tally past 200.
Wilson then passed three figures for the eighth time in her List A career, while Armitage notched up yet another fifty at over a run a ball.
The pair continued to punish Essex, but Armitage then fell for a proactive 81 at the hands of Esmae MacGregor and Wilson was bowled by Eva Gray for 152. Despite that, the damage had been done as Durham’s total stood at 311 for three.
Essex began their chase of 312, with openers Scrivens and Griffith starting in a solid manner, negating the powerplay without loss of a wicket.
The pair continued to chip away at Durham’s total and rotated the strike well, while a pair of Scrivens boundaries straight down the ground started to build a bit of momentum for Essex.
Durham were in desperate need of a wicket and that came as Scrivens was stumped off the bowling of Villiers.
Griffith reached fifty, but Grace Thompson got her LBW straight after and Sophia Turner struck as well, bowling Lissy Macleod.
Katherine Fraser then bowled Jo Gardner, but Grewcock and Florence Miller managed to briefly halt Durham’s victory pursuit, with Grewcock scoring a second consecutive half-century.
However, Grewcock departed at the hands of Katie Levick and Essex ultimately fell short of the total.