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

Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition - Somerset 281/6 lost to Hampshire 282/5 by five wickets

By Alex Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Maia Bouchier howitzered a personal best 143 to trump Bex Odgers’ exquisite 133 as Hampshire beat Somerset by five wickets in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition.

Odgers’ first professional ton tied with an unbroken 150 run partnership with Chole Skelton – the highest seventh wicket partnership in this country and the third largest of all-time – had given Hampshire a tricky 282 to chase.

But Bouchier and international team-mate Freya Kemp hammered the bowling in a captivating 149-run partnership in front of England head coach Charlotte Edwards, as Hampshire strode to a fourth win in six.

Odgers batted the entire Somerset innings, having been stuck in, amassing runs at her pace throughout, regardless of what was going on at the other end.

Sometimes that was a stutter, like when opening partner Ruby Davis was bowled by a Naomi Dattani nip backer, or when five wickets fell inside 10 overs as Hampshire blazed through the middle order.

Much of that work had been done by the tight spinners, with Amanda-Jade Wellington picking up two for 31, although mistimed reverses and scoops were also to blame for the collapse, in which Somerset went from 102 for one to 131 for six.

Either side of that, Odgers was at the centre of two sizeable partnerships.

The first was an 86-run alliance with Australian Anika Learoyd, which tootled along to build a firm platform.

But after that foundation was decimated, Skelton joined Odgers to fire Somerset to a score above and beyond what they would have expected.

No Sophie Luff, due to concussion protocols, added more demand on the batters, but Odgers stood up and took control with her quick wrists and well-placed shots.

Skelton’s arrival gave impetus to the innings – with 104 runs coming off the final 10 overs – as the pair put on the record stand.

The 282 that was set for Hampshire was certainly higher than looked likely at halfway, but it still didn’t account for Bouchier.

Hampshire had Bouchier and Kemp for one last match before they joined up with England, ahead of their series with New Zealand on Thursday.

The international duo were thrust together after Ella McCaughan and Abi Norgrove had both been dismissed, and did the bulk of the scoring.

Bouchier had carved the first delivery she faced to the cover boundary and barely stopped for 111 balls as she punished good and bad bowling alike in a breathtaking innings.

Having been left smarting after she was left out of the T20 World Cup squad, and only placed in the New Zealand series squad after Nat Sciver-Brunt pulled out, this was a reminder to Edwards of her masterful talents.

Kemp, who had largely struck with Bouchier’s ferocious pace, was caught behind with 86 runs still required, but that didn’t hinder the hosts.

Bouchier only fell when captain for the day, Niamh Holland pulled off a great catch at long on, but it didn’t stop Rhianna Southby, Naomi Dattani and Megan Sturge from ticking off the remaining 26 runs with more than nine overs to spare.