Durham Women head to Taunton tomorrow to take on Somerset in the Metro Bank Women’s One Day Cup as the business end of the competition heats up.
Dani Hazell has named a squad of 13 as Durham look to go back-to-back in the 50 over format following a 89-run win over Lancashire at Banks Homes Riverside.
Durham picked up their fourth win of the tournament last time out in Chester le Street and remain in the hunt for a top four spot ahead of match number ten on Wednesday.
Hazell’s side sit fifth in the table with four wins and five defeats with 19 points and face a Somerset side who are just one place behind Durham on net run rate.
Durham will go up against Somerset for the fifth time this summer, having enjoyed two wins in the Vitality Blast and victory in the County Cup, along with a close encounter in the One Day Cup at Banks Homes Riverside.
Hollie Armitage leads the way for Durham with 477 runs, with Phoebe Turner top of the wicket taking tally with 18 poles.
Tomorrow’s game will be the last match for five weeks as the Hundred competition gets underway in early August with women’s domestic cricket taking a break throughout the next month.
Words from Hollie Armitage
After finishing the T20, we knew we had two really important games and we’ve been extremely clinical [over Lancashire]. We’ve read the conditions really well and I’m extremely proud of the performance the girls produced.
We spoke prior about how we want to attack that innings and luckily for me it came off.
(On Emily Windsor) It was a brilliant partnership of 100, especially with your middle-order players and I think the way she manipulated the bowling made my job a lot easier, so credit to her she was fantastic.
I think when we set out we were looking for 250, but as the game progressed with a batter in and a 100 partnership in the middle, we did want more and I did think we were under par to start with, but being able to tie them down, picking up key wickets in the powerplay really helped us.
That win over Lancashire has set us up really nice for the trip to Taunton and then going into the games after the Hundred. We have to keep taking performances game by game and hopefully the Lancashire win will set us up nicely for the remaining games.
Squad v Somerset (30 July)
Hollie Armitage*, Suzie Bates, Katherine Fraser, Bess Heath, Katie Levick, Emma Marlow, Mia Rogers, Lizzie Scott, Grace Thompson, Phoebe Turner, Sophia Turner, Mady Villiers, Emily Windsor
Opposition Corner
Coach: Trevor Griffin
Captain: Sophie Luff
The big questions: It remains to be seen how Somerset cope without the outgoing Sophia Smale, Lauren Filer and Nat Wraith, while the availability of England players Heather Knight, Charlie Dean and Dani Gibson could prove the difference between success and failure. Can new signings Laura Jackson and Ellie Anderson successfully plug the gaps?
Player to watch: Amanda-Jade Wellington. The Australian leg spinner is back and determined to improve upon last year’s standout debut season in England. Capable of turning it both ways, she is difficult to score against and has a habit of taking crucial wickets. An adept finisher, she can also be a matchwinner with the bat.
Young gun: Katie Jones. Long considered a precocious talent, the teenage wicketkeeper-batter is ready to realise her potential and establish herself as a regular in the senior side. Capable of scoring valuable mid-order runs, she helped England reach the ICC Under-19 T20 World Cup semi-finals in Malaysia last winter.
Final thought: Littered with international quality, a full-strength Somerset line-up would prove a match for all comers. That said, England call-ups will sap that strength and attaining the consistency of performance required to challenge will be dependent upon less experienced squad members stepping up to the plate. Youthful talent undoubtedly excites, but a lack of depth may hinder West Country prospects.
Match Centre
The Club’s match centre will be in operation for the fixture with live scorecards, statistics & video highlights as they happen. You can watch the game live via Durham’s match centre and Somerset’s YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.