Lancs and Somerset make Div 2 showdown

The final weekend of games in Division Two of the Women's County Championship produced some great individual performances, but no real surprises. Wins for Lancashire and Somerset have seen them into the Div 2 Play-Off match. The winner will then play the loser of the Div 1 relegation play-off game and the winner of that match will start 2014 in Div 1. Defeats for Durham and Devon leave them at the foot of the division.

Lancashire beat Durham by 161 runs
Lancashire won the toss and decided to bat and posted a magnificent 320/2 in their 50 overs with openers Emma Lamb (113*) and Laura Marshall (88) sharing an opening stand of 164. !5 year old Lamb has had a magnificent season for the Red Roses scoring over 300 runs at an average of over 100. She sells her wicket very dearly. Durham made a decent effort in reply reaching 159/8 with Sarah King (49) and Jane Riddell (36*) their main scorers, but they were never going to get close. Jennifer Laycock (3/18) and Nalisha Patel (3/31) were the chief wicket-takers.
Lancashire have just beaten Ireland in their last fixture of the season by 91 runs to maintain their 100% record.

Somerset beat Devon by 125 runs
Sophie Le Marchand, who has been in great form with the bat for Bath, transferred it seamlessly to county cricket for the second week running scoring exactly 100. With the aid of 63 from Sophie Luff Somerset set a struggling Devon 259/6. Only Aylish Cranstone (52) got into double figures for Devon in response and they were all out in the 43rd over for just 134, 37 of which came in extras. Lorraine Szczepanski took 3/15 and Anya Shrubsole 3/26. As things stand Devon will take on Durham in the relegation play-off if none of the cancelled games get replayed.

Staffordshire beat Ireland by 1 wicketStaffs and Ireland played out a cracker at Swynnerton Park. Ireland batted first and thanks to 71 from Eimear Richardson and 43no from Una Raymond Hoey they posted 220/7 in their 50 overs. Shanel Daley took 3/15 off 10 overs. Things were not looking too promising in reply as Satffs slumped to 38/2 and then 85/3, but Francesca James (61) and Steph Butler (49) took the total to 152/4. Butler and Elysse Lally (21) then took the total beyond 200 and victory seemed certain, but Anna Kerrison (3/17) and Robyn Lewis (3/29) produced a flurry of late wickets and it was left to Staffs' numbers 9 and 11 to squeeze them home with three balls and just one wicket to spare.

Worcestershire beat Wales by 5 wickets Wales' top order all batted well with Gwenan Davies (50) and Claire Thomas (47) the main run-scorers and they would have been reasonably satisfied with their total of 218 all out. Thea Brookes (3/34) and Melissa Norup (3/34) were the pick of the bowlers. Brookes then strapped her pads on and did not take them off again until the game was won by Worcestershire. She made an unbeaten 110 and with help from Charlotte Holtom (44) saw Worcester home in the penultimate over.

MD
15/VII/13