Surrey keep up pressure on Kent; while Somerset leapfrog Devon into 2nd - WCC Week 5 Review

As you can see from the results below only one game survived the weather in Division 1, but it was a significant game as second-placed Surrey squeezed past Notts by just 7 runs. Surrey owed a huge debt of gratitude to Nat Sciver for their score of 242/9 - she scored 154 of their runs - as they recovered from 65/5 at one stage to post a very decent score. Sonia Odedra (4/43) and Megan Schutt (3/26) were the chief wicket-takers for Notts. In reply Notts got within a gnat's breath of pulling off the win with Jane Smit (77) and Danni Wyatt (43) leading the charge. Sarah Clake's great season with the ball continued as she took 4/47, bringing Surrey home. Surrey play Kent next Sunday at home in a top of the table clash, which should decide who finishes top of the division this year.

Div 1 Results
Essex v Middlesex abandoned
Kent v Berks cancelled
Surrey 242/9 beat Notts 235/9 by 7 runs
Warwickshire v Yorkshire cancelled

Div 2 Results
Somerset 111/4 beat Cheshire 110/10 by 6 wickets
Ireland 152/3 beat Devon 150/9 by 7 wickets
Staffs 214/7 beat Wales 160/10 by 54 runs
Durham 215/2 beat Worcestershire 104/10 by 111 runs

[Click here for up-to-date league tables]

With Lancs looking unassailable at the top and having a week off, the focus was on who will finish second in Div 2 and who will finish in the bottom two.

Ireland did their chances of finishing in the top two no harm at all with a comprehensive seven wicket win over rivals Devon. Having elected to bat Devon were soon in trouble at 30/3 with Laura Delany (5/30) doing the main damage, but Rosalie Fairbairn (65) and Vicky Bowden (26) took Devon to 124 before Bowden went. After that batsmen came and went with alarming regularity with Fairbairn the 9th to fall. Devon scraped to 150 and three batting points off the final ball of their 50 overs. But with Cecilia Joyce (53) and Delany (39) untroubled by the Devon attack Ireland cruised home with wickets and overs to spare.

Somerset took advantage of the defeat of their close neighbours Devon, and leapt into second in the league, with a comfortable five wicket win over Cheshire. Anya Shrubsole bowled her full compliment of overs for Somerset for just 14 runs and one wicket and the chief beneficiary of the pressure that she and fellow opener Cassie Coomes (seven overs for nine runs) applied was Jenny Withers who took 5/20, as only Jennifer Dunn (48) put up any serious resistance. Somerset raced to victory in the 26th over, but did manage to lose five wickets in the process, having been 48/3 at one stage. But the victory was never really in much doubt and next week's game between Somerset and Ireland assumes huge proportions.

At the bottom of the league Durham almost certainly consigned Worcestershire to Div 3 cricket next year when they defeated them by 111 runs to leave them at the foot of the table with only a potentially-reorganized cancelled game against Lancashire to save them. Durham posted 215/2 in their 50 overs with an undefeated 104 from Laura Hockaday the highlight. After openers Naomi Heywood (59*) and Charlotte North (29) Worcs had no answer to the bowling of Carloine Jamieson (4/18) and Elysa Hubbard (3/30) as they were blown away for 104 in the 38th over.

And finally in Div 2 Staffs clocked up their fourth win of their 2014 campaign by defeating Wales by 54 runs. Staffs posted 214/7 thanks to a patient 90 from skipper and opener Evelyn Jones and 40 from her fellow-opener Charlotte Whyle. Marsha Davies and Gwenan Davies each claimed two wickets for Wales. It was not a daunting target, but it was too much for Wales, who, having got off to a decent start through Gwenan Davies (43) and Megan Burton (40), subsided to 160 all out, with only one other batsmen making double figures. Kate Broadmore claimed 3/23 and Cheryl Allcock and Steph Butler each picked up a couple of wickets.

MD
21/VII/14