Heather Knight scored a half-century for Somerset in her first innings since being sacked as England captain as the top tier of the Women’s One-Day Cup got under way with some thrilling matches.
Knight – whose nine-year spell as England skipper came to an end after the 16-0 Ashes thrashing over the winter – made 65 from 54 deliveries, hitting nine fours and a six, as Somerset beat Surrey by seven wickets on DLS off the final ball of the game at Beckenham having needed 32 with two overs remaining and 15 off the last.
England have not yet appointed a successor to Knight, although Nat Sciver-Brunt and Charlie Dean have been linked with the role of captain under new head coach Charlotte Edwards.
Somerset edge Surrey in nerve shredder
Off-spinning all-rounder Dean also played for Somerset on Wednesday, picking up two wickets and then scoring 41 runs off 35 balls from the No 4 spot before Australia’s Amanda-Jade Wellington slammed six fours in seven balls in a dramatic finish.
Wellington’s pyrotechnics helped reduce the requirement to two runs from two balls and after she pinched a single, Fran Wilson hit the game-clinching four as the away side reached a rain-reduced target of 328 in 33 overs, having appeared out of the game at one stage.
England stars Danni Wyatt-Hodge (33), Alice Capsey (26) and Sophia Dunkley (22) played for Surrey but did not press on with the bat in the hosts’ total of 243-7 from their 33 overs.
No Sciver-Brunt as Lamb sends reminder to England
Nat Sciver-Brunt did not play in The Blaze’s opening One-Day Cup fixture
Sciver-Brunt sat out The Blaze’s One-Day Cup opener – an eight-wicket defeat to an Emma Lamb-inspired Lancashire at Trent Bridge.
Lamb backed up a three-wicket haul with the ball by scoring an unbeaten 130 from 140 deliveries with the bat as she gave Edwards a reminder of her talents ahead of England’s summer assignments, which begin against West Indies from May 21.
Lamb has played 14 one-day internationals, two Test matches and a solitary T20 international for England, but has not featured for her country since the Ireland tour in September of last year.
Warwickshire, Hampshire tie Edgbaston cracker
Warwickshire and Hampshire played out a tie at Edgbaston with the hosts bowled out for 208 in precisely 50 overs as Georgia Davis (13) was run out last ball chasing the winning run.
Davis put on 19 with Hannah Baker (11no) for the final wicket after adding 24 with Charis Pavely (17) from 165-8.
Warwickshire had lost regular wickets from 134-3 with England left-arm spinner Linsey Smith recording figures of 4-39 and seamer Lauren Bell 2-44.
Elsewhere, New Zealand great Suzie Bates hit an unbeaten 93 and Hollie Armitage 64 not out after young seamer Phoebe Turner bagged 4-33 as Durham trounced Essex by nine wickets.
The eight Tier 1 teams will also compete in the Women’s Vitality Blast this season, with that competition beginning on May 30.
