Beaumont hits 98 as Kent beat Warwickshire
Skipper Tammy Beaumont hit her 20th half-century for her county as Kent beat Warwickshire at the Edgbaston Foundation Ground.
Grace Gibbs (3/12) and Laura Marsh (2/41 and a run-out) took crucial wickets as the seven-time champions won by 18 runs.
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Vice-captain Davidson-Richards (40 & 1/29) contributed with bat and ball as the visitors dismissed Warwickshire for 184.
Earlier, Beaumont hit 13 fours and a six in a superb 98 off 85 balls to propel Kent to 202-5 after the contest was reduced to 30 overs per side after heavy overnight rain in the Midlands.
Warwickshire skipper Marie Kelly won the toss and elected to field first to make the most of any moisture in the pitch.
Teenage opener Chelsey Rowson fell earlier to the experienced New Zealand seamer Sophie Devine (3/33) before Beaumont rebuilt alongside vice-captain Alice Davidson-Richards as the pair shared a stand of 76 for the second wicket.
Former England left-arm spinner Rebecca Grundy removed Davidson-Richards for 40 before leg-spinner Anisha Patel bowled Marsh.
Beaumont managed to find the gaps supported by excellent cameos from Izzy Cloke (15* off 14 balls) and Gibbs (9 off 4).
After a blistering start by England bat Amy Jones, Marsh remove opener Gwenan Davies and overseas signing Devine in quick succession before Gibbs got the prized scalp of Jones, clean bowled for 49.
Skipper Marie Kelly was the next to go, enticed out of her crease by Megan Belt and superbly stumped by Lauren Griffiths for 22.
Davidson-Richards removed Amelia Kite before the hosts counter-attacked as the run-rate crept up as Thea Brookes struck six boundaries before being ran out by Marsh for a superb 41.
With ten runs an over required, Laura Brookes attacked at the other end before Grace Gibbs returned to the attack to bowl her and trap Georgia Davis LBW in successive balls to calm Kentish nerves.
Arlene Kelly ran out Liz Russell before 16-year-old Chelsey Rowson sealed the win by dismissing Anisha Patel.
Other results: Hants (201-3) bt Lancs (199), Notts (167-8) bt Middx (139), Yorkshire (77-0) bt Somerset (76)
Standings: 1) Hants 91pts, 2) Yorkshire 89, 3) Kent 80
Final fixtures (3 June, 11am): Hants v Middlesex, Kent v Somerset, Lancs v Warks, Yorks v Notts.
Kent’s final match of the Royal London County Championship season is against bottom side Somerset at The Spitfire Ground on Sunday (3 June). Entry is included in all Kent Memberships and free for Under 16s and Canterbury Christ Church University staff and students.
World champions England play South Africa at The Spitfire Ground on Friday 15 June in a Royal London Women’s One-Day International.
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