North East Warriors suffer defeat to league leaders Lancashire Women at Croston

North East Warriors suffer defeat to league leaders Lancashire Women at Croston

North East Warriors suffer a 114-run defeat to league leaders Lancashire in the Women’s County 50 over group stage.

Grace Johnson won the toss for at Lancashire women Croston Cricket Club. The hosts put on 222 for nine with half centuries from Alice Clarke and Olivia Brinsden who finished unbeaten.

Lancashire started positively with an opening stand of 51 before Layla Tipton made the opening breakthrough. The Warriors then began to take wickets at regular intervals as Lancashire struggled to build another substantial partnership.

Freya Rook and Lucy Hughes took a wicket apiece to back up Emily Whiting’s three as Lancashire slumped from 75 for one to 140 for six. Whiting was the Warrior’s bright point with figures of 3-21 from seven overs.

Karin Dixon then had Clarke out bowled for 62, she scored five fours in her innings. The run out of Emilia Lamb followed shortly after with Lancashire struggling on 156 for eight.

Brinsden finished on 51* with three fours and two sixes as she shared a final stand worth 66 with Olivia Bell to help Lancashire finish on 222 for nine, with Bell ran out on the final ball.

In reply, Tipton fell early to Johnson before Harriet Robson- who top scored with 27, and Olivia Miller combined for a 25-run partnership.

The Warriors then lost three wickets for ten runs as they fell to 42 for four with Johnson and Brinsden claiming a pair of wickets each.

Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals with the warriors being reduced to 65 for seven. Laura Trotter and Jessica Wetherspoon then provided some respite with a partnership of 41.

Both were then dismissed by Bell in the 31st over, who took figures of 4-19 from ten overs with three maidens. The Warriors’ innings was wrapped up quickly with Lucy Hughes out stumped off Venus Weerappuli’s bowling in the 35th over.