Durham Women lost their first Division 2 home fixture to Middlesex Women last weekend.
Result: Middlesex (173-4) win against Durham (171-6) by 6 wickets.
Despite a significantly improved performance, Durham are yet to pick up a win in the Division, with three defeats so far.
An early batting collapse and six dropped catches paved the way to a disappointing end for the home side at Willington Cricket Club last Sunday.
Sophia Dunkley was remarkable with the ball to consequently dismiss four of Durham’s top-order batters before Laura Ellison and captain Helen Fenby formed a century partnership, which Middlesex didn’t manage to breakthrough until the very last over.
Opening batters Laura Hockaday and Layla Tipton hit two boundaries each, before Iqraa Hussain caught Tipton out off Dunkley’s ball then stumped Hockaday.
Rachel Hopkins only hit 8 before Dunkley’s ball interfered again and Becky Glen was out to a duck.
Ellison and Henby formed a partnership, which contributed 108 to the highest total Durham had posted in their campaign yet.
Katie Wolfe managed to get another two wickets for the visitors, taking Ellison out just two runs short of half-century.
In the second innings, Louise McCarthey impressed in her debut for Durham when she took two early wickets to dismiss opening pair Naomi Dattani and Cordelia Griffith.
Dunkley was efficient with the bat to reach half-century in just 66 balls before getting stumped by Hockaday off Bailey Wanless’s ball in the 21 over.
Middlesex needed another 81 from the remaining 29 overs and Natasha Miles and Beth Morgan made a difficult pair for Durham’s bowlers to face.
Miles faced 74 balls before Hannah Knowles caught her out off Fenby’s ball.
With the score already at 135 and after a few dropped catches for Durham, Middlesex reached the target in 44.3 overs.