The Blaze are already sure to be there, as are Hampshire now after trampling all over Durham at Chester-le-Street. That leaves just one spot up for grabs and Warwickshire helped their cause with 5 points against hapless Essex. Could Somerset at Headingley and Lancashire, playing mid-table rivals Surrey, do the same? It looked unlikely until Yorkshire lost their last five wickets for four runs, when they only needed 10 to win, and Surrey shot themselves in the foot by losing an unnecessary wicket one ball before they came off for game-ending rain, which put them behind the DLS score they needed. See the full reports below.
All of which means that the table now looks like this.
The games to come for those looking for a top three finish...
Warwickshire - Surrey, Durham
Somerset - The Blaze, Lancashire, Surrey
Lancashire - Durham, Somerset, Yorkshire
Surrey - Essex, Warwickshire, Somerset
Durham - Lancashire, Warwickshire
Warwickshire - Surrey, Durham
Somerset - The Blaze, Lancashire, Surrey
Lancashire - Durham, Somerset, Yorkshire
Surrey - Essex, Warwickshire, Somerset
Durham - Lancashire, Warwickshire
Warwickshire are best placed in third, but even winning their last two games does not guarantee they will make the Finals as all three teams below them have a game in hand over them.
Somerset look to have the toughest run-in, but if they can defeat rivals Lancashire and/or Surrey they could still be in with a shout.
Durham are 8 points behind Warwickshire with only two games to play, so qualification looks extremely unlikely for them, but their games against Lancashire and Warwickshire could be key to who does take the third spot.
The next round of games is on Sunday with Warwickshire taking their turn to sit out. They will be watching on anxiously.
Somerset look to have the toughest run-in, but if they can defeat rivals Lancashire and/or Surrey they could still be in with a shout.
Durham are 8 points behind Warwickshire with only two games to play, so qualification looks extremely unlikely for them, but their games against Lancashire and Warwickshire could be key to who does take the third spot.
The next round of games is on Sunday with Warwickshire taking their turn to sit out. They will be watching on anxiously.
Here is what happened in Round 15....
Durham v Hampshire
Durham 200/9 lost to Hampshire 201/1 by 9 wickets
Durham's innings never really recovered from three quick post-drinks wickets which reduced them to 89/4. In fact they did well to get to 200 thanks in the main to an unbeaten fifty off 36 balls from Aussie Eleanor Larosa. In fact she and Katie Levick (12) added 42 for the last wicket to give Hampshire something to think about.
But they did not have to think too hard as in-form Georgia Adams (106*) and Ella McCaughan (31) cleared nearly half the runs required and then Abi Norgrove (59*) helped her skipper secure the five points that took them into the play-offs.
Durham's play-off chances are all but gone.
Lancashire v Surrey
Lancashire 234/9 beat Surrey 167/6 by 10 runs (DLS method)
In the key game of the day as teams squabble for top three status Lancashire posted a reasonable 234/9 thanks to a patient 85 from youngster Tilly Kesteven (85). After a sticky start she took her team to 227 in the 49th over before she fell to a mistimed ramp shot.
In reply Surrey eschewed their usual batting madness but lost wickets nonetheless. Despite this they were grinding towards victory, after a brief rain delay shortened their innings to 43 overs. At 167/5 they were comfortably ahead of the DLS target as rain once again started to fall. It was at this point that Jemima Spence played an injudicious reverse sweep, which she missed and was lbw. Suddenly Surrey were behind the DLS score. One ball later the teams came off the field, never to return, gifting the victory to a grateful Lancashire.
Warwickshire v Essex
Essex 202 lost to Warwickshire 208/3 by 7 wickets
Warwickshire completed a no-nonsense bonus point win over struggling Essex after bowling them out for just 202 courtesy of seven wickets from spinners Phoebe Brett (4/42) and Hannah Baker (3/26). At 86/3 in reply there may have been a few jitters, but stand-in skipper Katie George (72*) and departing Abbey Freeborn (64*) made full use of the good batting track and Warwickshire romped home in the 37th over.
It was a win that kept Warwickshire in third spot in the table, but with only two games to play they look slightly vulnerable as all three teams just below them have a game in hand, and they only play one of them (Surrey)
Yorkshire v Somerset
Durham v Hampshire
Durham 200/9 lost to Hampshire 201/1 by 9 wickets
Durham's innings never really recovered from three quick post-drinks wickets which reduced them to 89/4. In fact they did well to get to 200 thanks in the main to an unbeaten fifty off 36 balls from Aussie Eleanor Larosa. In fact she and Katie Levick (12) added 42 for the last wicket to give Hampshire something to think about.
But they did not have to think too hard as in-form Georgia Adams (106*) and Ella McCaughan (31) cleared nearly half the runs required and then Abi Norgrove (59*) helped her skipper secure the five points that took them into the play-offs.
Durham's play-off chances are all but gone.
Lancashire v Surrey
Lancashire 234/9 beat Surrey 167/6 by 10 runs (DLS method)
In the key game of the day as teams squabble for top three status Lancashire posted a reasonable 234/9 thanks to a patient 85 from youngster Tilly Kesteven (85). After a sticky start she took her team to 227 in the 49th over before she fell to a mistimed ramp shot.
In reply Surrey eschewed their usual batting madness but lost wickets nonetheless. Despite this they were grinding towards victory, after a brief rain delay shortened their innings to 43 overs. At 167/5 they were comfortably ahead of the DLS target as rain once again started to fall. It was at this point that Jemima Spence played an injudicious reverse sweep, which she missed and was lbw. Suddenly Surrey were behind the DLS score. One ball later the teams came off the field, never to return, gifting the victory to a grateful Lancashire.
Warwickshire v Essex
Essex 202 lost to Warwickshire 208/3 by 7 wickets
Warwickshire completed a no-nonsense bonus point win over struggling Essex after bowling them out for just 202 courtesy of seven wickets from spinners Phoebe Brett (4/42) and Hannah Baker (3/26). At 86/3 in reply there may have been a few jitters, but stand-in skipper Katie George (72*) and departing Abbey Freeborn (64*) made full use of the good batting track and Warwickshire romped home in the 37th over.
It was a win that kept Warwickshire in third spot in the table, but with only two games to play they look slightly vulnerable as all three teams just below them have a game in hand, and they only play one of them (Surrey)
Yorkshire v Somerset
Somerset 130 ao beat Yorkshire 125 ao by 5 runs
In an extraordinary (and I use the word advisedly) game at Headingley Somerset were 9/4 and then 21/5 within the powerplay. Their West Country goose looked cooked, but Jess Hazell (31) and Jasmine Westley (28) briefly removed it from the oven as they added 66 for the sixth wicket. Three quick wickets suggested 100 might be out of reach, but late resistance from Chloe Skelton (20*) and Ellie Anderson (21) took Somerset to the dizzying heights of 130.
Yorkshire initially tried to make a game of it by slipping to 74/4, but Sterre Kalis (23), Erin Thomas (29) and Amy Campbell (35) restored a semblance of calm. When Campbell departed to a senseless run out from the first ball of the 26th over from Skelton Yorkshire needed just 10 to win. Skelton proceeded to bowl the incoming Langston first ball, and then four balls later repeated the feat against Jess Woolston. In the next over Lola Harris bowled Sarah Glenn during a wicket maiden. Hannah Rainey struck her second ball for 4 to reduce the winning margin to 6. Two balls later though Skelton had bowled her too with a peachy off-spinner through the gate.
An unbelievable victory for Somerset.
Martin Davies
04/VIII/2026
In an extraordinary (and I use the word advisedly) game at Headingley Somerset were 9/4 and then 21/5 within the powerplay. Their West Country goose looked cooked, but Jess Hazell (31) and Jasmine Westley (28) briefly removed it from the oven as they added 66 for the sixth wicket. Three quick wickets suggested 100 might be out of reach, but late resistance from Chloe Skelton (20*) and Ellie Anderson (21) took Somerset to the dizzying heights of 130.
Yorkshire initially tried to make a game of it by slipping to 74/4, but Sterre Kalis (23), Erin Thomas (29) and Amy Campbell (35) restored a semblance of calm. When Campbell departed to a senseless run out from the first ball of the 26th over from Skelton Yorkshire needed just 10 to win. Skelton proceeded to bowl the incoming Langston first ball, and then four balls later repeated the feat against Jess Woolston. In the next over Lola Harris bowled Sarah Glenn during a wicket maiden. Hannah Rainey struck her second ball for 4 to reduce the winning margin to 6. Two balls later though Skelton had bowled her too with a peachy off-spinner through the gate.
An unbelievable victory for Somerset.
Martin Davies
04/VIII/2026
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