Middlesex Women returned to the top of the Vitality Blast Tier Two South table yesterday, with a 15-run win over Sussex Sharks at The 1st Central County Ground – a result that secures qualification for Finals Day.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, Middlesex posted a strong 167/5, with Saskia Horley leading the way with a composed 42 from just 29 deliveries. Sussex produced a spirited chase in response, but a flurry of late wickets saw Middlesex hold them to 152/7 in a tight finish.
Issy Routledge and Finty Trussler opened the batting, and while the start was measured, just four runs coming from the first two overs, the pair quickly found their rhythm, accelerating to 59/0 by the end of the powerplay.
They looked to have picked up where they left off in their record-breaking stand against Gloucestershire, until Ava Lee broke the partnership in the seventh over, dismissing Trussler for 25, caught by Daisy Mullan.
With Gaya Gole joining her in the middle, Routledge kept the momentum going, regularly finding the boundary and pushing the total along. By the halfway mark of the innings, Middlesex were well placed at 86/1.
With the first ball of the 11th over, however, Routledge was bowled by Eve O’Neill for a crucial 35, bringing captain, Horley, to the crease.
The pair in the middle built an effective partnership, rotating strike well and steadily pushing the total upwards. Horley, in particular, scored freely, including the sole six of the match.
Gole also played a key part before being dismissed for a valuable 30, caught by Talitha Stanley off Lee’s bowling, leaving Middlesex on 151/3 with 15 balls remaining.
Pippa Sproul was next in and wasted no time, scoring quickly alongside the skipper.
Horley narrowly missed out on what would have been her third half-century of the season, bowled by O’Neill in the penultimate over for a classy 42 off just 29 balls.
With six more runs added in the final over, and Georgia Irving run out, Middlesex closed on 167/5.
In defence of the total, the first breakthrough came in the second over – Mullan run out for 7 thanks to some sharp fielding from Irving, Sproul and Routledge.
From there, Middlesex had to be patient. With Phoebe Wilkinson and Nancy Harman at the crease, Sussex stayed in the game, going at a steady rate. They reached 44/1 by the end of the powerplay and 79/1 after ten overs – just seven runs behind Middlesex at the same point, with the same number of wickets lost.
Lauren Turner eventually broke the partnership in the 12th, as Wilkinson was caught by Anaya Patel for 38. But with Harman still there, Sussex had hope, as she raced to her half-century in just 35 balls.
Horley then struck in the 16th over, bowling Mollie Adams for 8, and followed up with a second in the 18th, Lee out lbw for 4, leaving Sussex 138/5, needing 30 from the final 16 balls.
Harman still proved unshakable, but with the required rate climbing, the target began to slip from Sussex’s reach. Routledge added to the pressure at the start of the penultimate over, as Stanley was stumped by Sproul for 2.
With 22 required off the final over, Hannah Davis took the ball. She conceded just six runs and took the wicket of O’Neill, who was caught by Horley for 5, to see Sussex finish on 152/7.
The 15-run victory made it two from two against Sussex this season, lifted Middlesex back to the top of the Tier Two South table, ahead of Glamorgan’s match today, and confirmed Finals Day qualification in Northamptonshire on 26 July.
Sussex Sharks Women
Middlesex Women
