Durham’s impressive start to the Vitality Blast continued with a convincing victory over struggling Yorkshire at Headingley, their fourth win in five games – this by 21 runs defending 156.
Yorkshire lost their fifth successive T20 fixture. Having battled hard with the ball after a fast start for the visitors, they were unable to gain any momentum with the bat and finished on 134 for eight.
Durham’s 155 for six had seen Bess Heath top-score with 36 off 25 balls before leg-spinner Katie Levick impressed with two for 13 from four overs. The seam of Heather Graham and Sophia Turner claimed three and two wickets respectively.
Scotland seamer Hannah Rainey struck twice, while England all-rounder Sarah Glenn took one for 27.
Durham’s cause was advanced by a host of useful contributions on a typically true surface here.
Each one of their top six made at least 17, but only Heath, captain Hollie Armitage with 24 and wicketkeeper Mia Rogers with 29 not out were able to get out of the teens.
Openers Armitage and Mady Villiers took 32 off first three overs. But seam and spin put the brakes on.
Rainey had Villiers caught at deep midwicket pulling and Emily Windsor caught at point, while off-spinner Claudie Cooper struck twice in the 17th over to bowl Heather Graham and get Grace Thompson caught at cover. Heath, miscuing to mid-off, had fallen to Glenn not long before.
When Thompson fell, Durham were 127 for six after 17, only for Rogers to impressively add important late runs.
Yorkshire openers Lauren Winfield-Hill and Erin Thomas both miscued to mid-on against Katie Levick and Trudy Johnson as the chase slipped to 27 for two inside five overs.
Glenn, in at number three, and Jess Jonassen steadied. But when acceleration was needed, they were unable to advance the White Rose cause.
Jonassen was bowled by fellow Australian overseas Graham – 59 for three – and things unraveled quickly from there.
Sterre Kalis holed out to long-on off Sophia Turner before Glenn was bowled playing back at Levick for 19.
That left the score at 67 for five in the 12th over.
Turner later had Maddie Ward caught at long-on.