Picture by Somerset Cricket. Ines Blackwell and Lauren Winfield-Hill head to the crease this morning.
Yorkshire came agonisingly close to registering their first Tier 1 win at the first time of asking as they lost by one wicket to Somerset in a thrilling Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash at The Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton.
Defending a modest 179-target – having been bowled out for 178 inside 34 overs – the visitors produced a brilliant bowling performance to reduce the hosts to 115-8 and then 170-9.
However, Somerset skipper Sophie Luff sealed the win with an excellent unbeaten 76, the hosts triumphing with four overs left.
The players were on the field for just six minutes before a quick break for rain, with skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill and 16-year-old Academy all-rounder Ines Blackwell then resuming on 6-0.
And the combination of youth and experience looked to be working as the captain plundered two successive boundaries off the expensive Ellie Anderson.
The opening pair had accumulated 27 when Alex Griffiths struck in the sixth over, bowling Blackwell for nine, leaving Winfield-Hill and debutant Australian Jess Jonassen to negotiate the rest of the powerplay with some ease as they reached 48-1 off 10 overs.
The score had progressed to 64 when the key wicket of Jonassen fell as she chipped off-spinner Chloe Skelton to mid-on for 17, with the dismissal sparking a damaging flurry of middle-order wickets.
First Winfield-Hill was bowled playing across the line to Niamh Holland for 36 before Sterre Kalis (4) misjudged a Skelton turner which clipped off-stump.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Captain Lauren Winfield-Hill top-scored with 36 today.
Suddenly, Yorkshire were 74-4 having lost a wicket in three successive overs – and, while Maddie Ward and Ami Campbell stabilised things briefly, Ward’s departure for 19 – lbw sweeping to give leg-spinner Lola Harris her maiden wicket – hastened more trouble.
Campbell handed Skelton another wicket when she missed a straight one.
The off-spinner picked up another victim when Beth Langston was trapped in front for three to leave the visitors 122-7 and staring down the barrel.
Lower order runs were needed desperately, and Erin Thomas and Rachel Slater obliged by putting on 31 for the eighth wicket before Thomas was caught by Harris off Griffiths for 24 – 153-8 in the 30th.
Claudie Cooper and Slater combined to add 25 more valuable runs until Cooper and Jess Woolston were dismissed by successive Griffiths deliveries to leave her with an impressive 4-22 from her 8.5 overs.
Yorkshire needed early wickets, and left-arm swing bowler Slater followed her crucial 26 not out with the all-important breakthrough when she enticed Holland to chase a wide one and edge to Campbell at slip for two off just the ninth ball of the reply.
When former England captain Heather Knight departed in identical fashion for just five, leaving the hosts 23-2, it was clear that Yorkshire were right in the contest.
Despite an enterprising partnership of 39 between Rebecca Odgers and Luff for the third wicket, the pressure never let up with boundaries at a premium.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Claudie Cooper struck three times today and almost got Yorkshire over the line.
A key breakthrough came when Odgers was run out for 31 ambling back for a second to deep cover to leave the home side 62-3 before the dangerous Dani Gibson departed after skying one to Kalis at long-off for six. It was left-arm spinner Jonassen’s first White Rose wicket.
Another run out occurred in more fortuitous fashion when Luff drove a Slater delivery straight back to the bowler, only for a fingertip to deflect it on to the stumps and dismiss the unlucky non-striker Jess Hazell for 18.
When both Griffiths and Skelton were dismissed by Cooper in quick succession, Somerset had lost three wickets for four runs, and Yorkshire were firmly in charge with only the stubborn Luff standing in their way.
Jonassen picked up her second trapping Anderson in front for seven, leaving Somerset still requiring 64 runs with just two wickets in hand.
But, with Luff still at the crease, the hosts had a chance – and the skipper reached her fifty off 74 balls with solid support from Lola Harris.
Luff was dropped soon after, and seized her opportunity to get Somerset over the line, even when Harris was caught and bowled by Cooper (3-28) with nine still required.
With the scores level, there was further drama when Luff was put down again for a tough caught and bowled chance by Ward as the batters scrambled through for the winning run.
It was heartbreak for Yorkshire, but equally they can take confidence from many aspects of their performance ahead of the trip to face Surrey at the Kia Oval on Wednesday.
Picture by Chris Hyde/Getty Images. Queenslander Jess Jonassen struck twice and hit 17 with the bat on Yorkshire debut today.
