Durham Women started their Vitality County T20 campaign with one win and one defeat following an away weekend to Worcestershire and Devon.
Durham fielders stepped up to take five catches in each game – the most they have taken so far – and restrict the opposition to almost the same total – 82 and 83 respectively.
Against Worcestershire, Durham managed to quickly accumulate the score needed to kick off with a win, but the second innings against Devon proved more of a challenge, which Durham lost on the last ball.
Durham vs Worcestershire
Result: Durham (83/3; Ami Campbell 48*; Louise McCarthey 3-8; Rachael Petherick 3-13) beat Worcestershire (82/7; Clare Boycott 24; Flora Bertwhistle 2 – 14) by 7 wickets.
Louise McCarthey opened the bowling for Durham with a quick dismissal in the first over after Ami Campbell caught Rachel Howells.
The superb fielding form Durham were in was reassured by Rachel Hopkins and Laura Ellison when they caught another two each to force Worcestershire down the order.
Clare Boycott provided a bit more resistance at the crease, but Worcester’s batters never really got going, with McCarthey and Rachel Petherick causing the side all sorts of problems.
McCarthey finished on 3-8 and Petherick contributed 3-13, helping Durham restrict the hosts to 82 – an achievable target for Durham’s aggressive batting approach.
In the second innings, Durham lost three quick wickets but Rachel Hopkins, batting at number 3, paired with Ami Campbell made a match-winning partnership of 71.
Durham wrapped up the game in 13.4, with Campbell ending on 48 not out after four boundaries and another three over the boundary.
Durham vs Devon
Result: Devon (83/8; Georgia Hennessy 26; Emily Edgcombe 2-19) beat Durham (79/6; Becky Glen 25; Ami Campbell 25; Louise McCarthy 2-7)
Durham won the toss and elected to bowl in a reduced 16-over game against Devon. The visitors were quick to make the first breakthrough in only the second over when Antonia Welch pinned Rebecca Halliday lbw for a duck.
The steady procession of wickets continued as Layla Tipton, Rachel Hopkins and Welch all got catches within the next six overs.
Helen Fenby then bowled and caught Claire Varcoe to restrict Devon to 57/5 in 11 overs.
None of Devon’s batters provided much resistance at the crease with Georgia Hennessy top scoring 26 off 24 balls and Olivia Churcher hitting 23 off 24 balls.
Devon ended on 83/8, which, providing the previous game, seemed like a feasible total for Durham.
Devon quickly caused an upset when Emily Edgcombe and Milly Squire dismissed the opening batters within the first five overs but Hopkins was reliable in the middle and partnered with Becky Glen, they added 42 to the board.
Glen was run out by Izzy Bunn and Ami Campbell came in at number five, hoping to make all the difference again.
The partnership, which worked so well against Worcester, was broken when Hopkins was caught by Hennessy for 25.
Durham needed 10 for a draw in the last over and despite losing Helen Fenby on the third ball of the over, the side got 6 and only needed 4 off the last ball.
Campbell had everything to play for and in an attempt to hit big for the win, got caught by Hennessy to end the game there.