Report & Reaction: Durham v Hampshire Women, Metro Bank One Day Cup

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Leaders Hampshire clinched a semi-final berth in the Women’s Metro Bank One Day Cup after a convincing nine-wicket victory with 13.2 overs to spare against Durham at the Banks Homes Riverside.

The defeat leaves Durham in fifth place with two rounds to play, one point behind fourth-placed Surrey with the two sides meeting in the final group match at Chester-le-Street next Saturday.

Initially chasing a target of 225, Hampshire opening pair of Maia Bouchier and Rhianna Southby produced an attacking start that saw 74 runs arrive from the ten over powerplay and they had raced along with some fine strokeplay to reach 144-0 from 19 overs when rain took 13 overs out of the game.

A revised DLS target of 171 in 37 overs made little difference, and despite the loss of Southby for 58, Bouchier (92 not out) and Freya Kemp (9 not out) quickly scored the 27 needed to clinch an impressive victory.

Earlier, a fighting 88 by captain Hollie Armitage had given Durham some hope with the hosts posting 224-9 after a poor start.

Armitage came to the crease in the eighth over and batted through to the last, hitting nine fours, but found partnerships difficult to come by until Grace Thompson finally provided great support for the eighth wicket.

The pair added 72 to rescue Durham from a perilous 144-7 with 18-year-old Thompson contributing a List A career-best 39.

Georgia Adams with 3-41 led an excellent bowling effort by the visitors with Freya Davies impressive with 2-30 along with Bex Tyson (2-40).

Southby and Bouchier made a strong start to the Hampshire run chase, the pair attacking effectively to race to their fifty partnership from just 41 balls in increasingly gloomy overhead conditions that required the use of the floodlights.

Bouchier was the first to reach her half century – her fifth in this season’s competition – from 47 balls hitting 8 fours, with the century partnership arriving moments later from only 86 balls as Durham struggled to exert any control with the ball.

Southby hit the first six of the game on her way to a 45-ball fifty that also included 8 fours as the Hampshire openers raced along at nearly eight runs per over to put the outcome in little doubt.

It was an impressive display, with Bouchier not out on 76 from 67 balls and Southby unbeaten on 56 from 50 balls when rain stopped play at 3.30pm with Hampshire 144-0 after 19 overs.

After an 80 minutes delay with thirteen overs lost, the target was reduced to 171 from 37 overs and Durham finally made a breakthrough when Thompson bowled Southby for 58 to end a fine 152-run partnership.

Bouchier and Kemp then eased their way to 174-1 in the 24th over to clinch the win.

After opting to bat, Durham lost both opening batters for 38 runs, Mia Rogers run out for 6 and Emma Marlow caught at cover for 12 during an impressive five over spell of 1-9 by Davies.

Armitage and Mady Villiers had begun to fashion a recovery with a steady partnership of 30 before Villers on 19 was tempted into a drive off left arm spinner Tyson that ended up in the hands of Mary Taylor at mid-on.

That also proved to be the fate of Emily Windsor when she picked out Maia Bouchier off Adams for 13 who then had Bess Heath caught behind three balls later to leave Durham struggling on 89-5 in the 22nd over.

It left a lot resting on the shoulders Armitage, and she responded with a determined innings, passing fifty off 65-balls for the fifth time while becoming the second batter to pass 500 runs in the competition this season.

But Durham continued to lose wickets at the other end. Having taken 1-14 from her first six over spell, Tyson returned to bowl Phoebe Turner around her legs for 18 while Adams picked up her third wicket when trapping Katherine Fraser lbw sweeping for 4.

An excellent innings by Thompson finally lent Armitage the support needed over the final 15 overs, the pair adding 72 off 86 balls – easily the highest partnership of the innings – with Armitage’s excellent effort ending in the final over as Durham posted a far better total than had looked likely earlier, but one the visitors comfortably hauled in.