Durham Women topped Division 2 of the Vitality County T20 competition after claiming two wins at Hartlepool Cricket Club last Sunday, 16 June.
The side won against Somerset by 53 runs and carried the momentum over for successive victory over Cheshire by 6 wickets.
Laura Ellison was exceptional in both games to bowl 3-15 against Cheshire and 2-8 against Somerset.
Durham vs Somerset
Durham (126/7; Laura Hockaday 28; Layla Tipton 28; Jenny McDowell 2-6) beat Somerset (44/8 revised target 98 from 14.0 overs; Sophie Luff 21; Niamh Holland 3-28) by 53 runs
Put in, Durham closed on 126, with opening batters Laura Hockaday and Layla Tipton contributing 28 each.
Somerset’s Niamh Holland managed a first breakthrough after Durham had already scored a half-century opening stand. Lorraine Szczepanski caught Hockaday before Lauren Filer did the same to dismiss Tipton off Holland’s ball.
Ami Campbell got out to a duck but Rachel Hopkins offered Durham confidence at the crease, scoring 24 off 20 balls.
Becky Glen and Bethany Walker added 10 each. Somerset’s bowlers got 7 wickets but gave 20 extras away to leave Durham on a competitive total.
Durham’s bowlers then defended exceptionally in a reduced 14-over second innings, during which Jenny McDowell got two wickets in only the second over when she dismissed Nat Wraith and Nicole Richards for two-ball ducks.
Somerset were chasing a revised target of 98 in 14 overs after rain interrupted, but Sophie Luff was the only one of the batters who offered a bit of resistance with 21.
Laura Ellison and Helen Fenby bowled 2-8 each to force Somerset down the order, as behind the stumps, keeper Hockaday held on to two catches and stumped Luff and Holland.
Somerset couldn’t reach the target, only posting 44 in their 14 overs.
Durham vs Cheshire
Durham (90/4 revised Target 90 from 18 overs; Ami Campbell 23; Laura Ellison 3-15) beat Cheshire (86/6; Ellie Mason 28; Roshini Prince-Navaratnam 22; Olivia Thomas 2-20) by six wickets
Cheshire elected to bat after winning the toss and opening batters Ellie Mason and Roshini Prince-Navaratnam top-scored for the team with 28 and 22 respectively, before they got caught by Louise McCarthy.
Laura Ellison took 3-15 from an impressive four-over spell as the visitors posted 86 in reduced-18-over game.
The rest of Cheshire’s batters, apart from Carys White, didn’t hit more than 10, as Durham’s fielders demonstrated top-form with four catches.
Durham comfortably chased down a revised target of 90 to triumph by six wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Ami Campbell scored the most runs for Durham with 23, with Becky Glen and Layla Tipton contributing 18 each.