Lauren Filer claimed Durham’s first women’s professional five-wicket haul and Hollie Armitage made her second century for the club, but Surrey prevailed by three wickets at the Kia Oval.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge defied Durham heroics as Surrey made it three wins from three in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
The England international hit 96 (83 balls 13 4s and 1 6) as the hosts won by three wickets with 80 balls to spare, this despite a List A best 5-59 from speedster Lauren Filer.
Earlier, Hollie Armitage recorded her sixth List A hundred, making 106 (123 balls, 14 4s) as the visitors posted 256-8, a total which looked likely to be enough until Wyatt-Hodge’s rescue act.
Armitage was soon at the crease after Emma Marlow fell cheaply and she survived an early scare when inside-edging one from Tilly Corteen-Coleman (2-38) past leg stump.
Three fours from one Maitlin Brown over brought momentum, but Wednesday’s centurion Tahlia Wilson departed, undone by extra bounce from Alice Monaghan.
Armitage and Villiers played beautifully, the former racing to 50 in 60 balls with eight fours, while a wristy cut to third got the latter motoring. One over in particular from Monaghan got the treatment as Villiers reached 50 in only four more balls than her skipper and the hundred stand was raised.
Durham looked set for a final push, but Villiers was smartly caught on the mid-on boundary by Alice Capsey for 55, and while Armitage, completed a fine hundred she became becalmed, surviving a missed stumping off Dani Gregory, before tamely driving to Paige Scholfield at cover.
Filer speared the first ball of Surrey’s reply so far down leg-side it missed the cut strip, racing away for four byes However radar was swiftly adjusted to spreadeagle Scholfield’s stumps later in the over.
Filer then struck again, sending Capsey packing courtesy of a stunning grab by wicketkeeper Wilson low to her right and with the bit between her teeth the speedster ripped out Alice Davidson-Richards’ middle stump to claim a third wicket in nine balls.
Skipper Chathli, no form behind her, took the attack to Filer, cracking three boundaries in the quick’s fourth over, but Villiers’ fine match continued when she trapped Monaghan in front.
Ahead of the rate but four down, Surrey needed a partnership and Wyatt-Hodge joined her skipper to help provide it. Wyatt-Hodge employed the cut and lofted drive to good effect and Chathli cleared the ropes as she moved to 50 at a run a ball.
Chathli was bounced out by Filer, but Wyatt-Hodge moved smoothly to her own half century while Jemima Spence plundered three fours from one Sophia Turner over as another 50-stand came in 31 balls.
Filer returned to complete a five-fer by castling Spence, but Wyatt-Hodge saw her side to the brink of victory before being caught in the deep.