AGENCY
NEW DELHI, Apr 23
A four-wicket haul for fledgling seamer Phoebe Turner was followed by a brilliant a unbeaten 93 for New Zealander Suzie Bates as dominant Durham brushed aside Essex by nine wickets at the Banks Homes Riverside in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition opener.
Turner, 21, was the standout bowler with 4 for 33 from eight overs as Essex, inserted, were bowled out for 177 inside 48 overs. Fellow seamer Grace Thompson also impressed with two wickets on her professional debut, while experienced leg-spinner Katie Levick struck three times. Essex recovered from 65 for 5 in the 20th over, with Jodie Grewcock contributing 31 and Sophia Smale 40. They shared a sixth-wicket 53, but it wasn’t enough in front of a 600-strong crowd at the start of the professional era of women’s cricket in the North East. Opener Bates is Durham’s first ever professional women’s overseas signing, and she led a composed chase with 14 fours in 103 balls. She shared a superb unbroken 173 with second-wicket partner and captain Hollie Armitage, who scored 64 off 87 balls. A five-point victory was sealed in the 33rd over.
Turner was the leading wicket-taker in last season’s 50-over regional competition, striking 23 times for Northern Diamonds. She and Thompson – a tall 17-year-old rookie – set the tone as the Eagles slipped into early trouble. Thompson struck with the new ball when she trapped Jo Gardner lbw before Turner angled one across visiting captain Grace Scrivens and had the left-hander caught behind for 19, making it 46 for 2 in the 12th over. Turner then had Cordelia Griffith caught behind by England squad wicketkeeper Bess Heath, who claimed two catches and two stumpings. The same bowler had Lissy Macleod caught and bowled off a skied top-edge. In between, Abi Glen took a superb catch diving to her left at first slip to help Thompson remove Flo Miller as Essex slipped to five down.
The half-century stand between Grewcock and Smale, under the Riverside floodlights, was accumulative.
Levick removed both Grewcock and Smale stumped, leaving the Eagles 145 for 7 in the 42nd over.
Levick then ousted Amara Carr for 21 and, courtesy of a catch at short third, helped Turner get Eva Gray as the tail was mopped up with 2.3 overs remaining.
Levick and Thompson finished with 3 for 28 and 2 for 34 from their respective 10-over spells.
Run-scoring on this pitch wasn’t completely trouble-free, and Kate Coppack’s seam trapped Emma Marlow lbw in the second over of Durham’s chase.
But in 37-year-old Bates, a veteran of 348 all-format international appearances, and Armitage, Durham had the perfect combination to steer their ship.
They calmed any early nerves early in their near 31-over alliance before becoming more expansive to extinguish Essex’s hopes. Durham reached 100 for 1 after 22 overs, by which stage a home victory was almost certain.
Bates was strong on both sides of the wicket and reached her fifty off 68 balls moments later.
Armitage then followed her to the
same milestone off 75 to cap off the bonus-point success.
