Morris’ super show keeps Lancashire Women's One-Day Cup hopes alive
Lancashire won the battle between the bottom two teams in the Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup table, comfortably defeating Essex by 153 runs at Stanley Park.
The win just about keeps Lancashire in touch with the teams challenging for third place, while Essex suffered their eighth loss of the 50-over campaign. The visitors lost early wickets in their pursuit of 273 following excellent opening spells from Kate Cross and Tara Norris to be 26-3.
When Anneke Bosch fell for 32 to become the first of six victims for Fi Morris who returned a career-best 6-27, the Essex challenge fell away from 61-3 as further wickets tumbled before they were all out for 119.
Morris, said: “I think cricket's all about momentum and sometimes you get on a bit of a roll. That's three in a row for us now.
“I kind of got a little bit lucky with the last two (wickets) but I love bowling at Blackpool. It always spins a little bit, which is obviously really nice being a spinner.”
Eve Jones made 54, becoming the first to reach 500 runs in this season’s competition, and her 67-run partnership with Emma Lamb (35) was their 13th 50-plus opening stand in 25 innings for Lancashire.
That start was backed up by some consistent batting down the order with 32 from Tilly Kesteven and 38 by Seren Smale as the hosts finished on 272-9 from their 50 overs with Esmae MacGregor taking 3-44.
Norris trapped Lissy Macleod lbw with the fourth ball of the Essex run chase while Cross bowled Bryony Gillgrass and had Ariana Dowse lbw to have the visitors in early difficulties on 26-3 after eight overs.
Bosch cracked five fours to bring some relief until she pulled the first ball from Morris to Smale at deep mid-wicket to depart for 32 and Morris soon two more when both Jo Gardner (10) and Libby Heap (12) lofted catches to Cross at mid-on to leave the score on 82-6.
Eva Gray holed out to Smale and Esmae MacGregor to Jones, before Morris grabbed the sixth with her final ball with Essex well short of their target.
At the start of the day Lamb and Jones put on 67 in 13 overs to get the Lancashire off to a good start before Lamb fell to a smart stumping by Dowse off MacGregor. Katie Mack was then run out for 15 from a direct hit by Gray.
Jones, having hit consecutive fours off Clara Thacker in the sixth over anchored the innings through the first 33 overs, reaching her 50 off 72 balls and sharing 55 for the third wicket with Kesteven, who made a hard-hitting 32 off 33 before being brilliantly caught and bowled one-handed by Gillgrass.
That left Lancashire 152-3 in the 30th over but two wickets in seven balls by Bosch stalled the home side’s progress, Jones chipping the South African to mid-on for 54 and Ellie Threlkeld offering a return catch on 21.
Smale and Morris (23) fought back with 55 off 53 balls before Morris fell to a superb catch by Bosch off MacGregor at extra cover for 23. Cross with 24 steered the hosts through the closing overs to reach 272-9.