Middlesex Women beat Kent as title race hots up
Monday 31st August 2015
England stars past and present shone for Middlesex as Kent's unbeaten run ended with a 92-run loss at Merchant Taylors' School.
Fran Wilson, 23, a member of England's Test squad top-scored with 90 in a 143-run stand for the fourth wicket with ex-England bat Beth Morgan.
Australian all-rounder Kara Sutherland struck twice in her final appearance of the season either side of a Phoebe Franklin run-out to reduce the hosts to 48-3 before the mammoth stand helped Middlesex to 238 all out.
The wickets were shared out as Tash Farrant returned to claim the key scalp of Fran Wilson on the way to 2-36 off ten overs.
Hannah Jelfs and Phoebe Franklin took two wickets apiece as Middlesex used every ball of the 50 alloted overs.
The reply never got going as Middlesex's slow bowlers kept control with three wickets for Sophia Dunkley and skipper Izzy Westbury.
Kent captain Tammy Beaumont top scored with 32 before she was run-out, trying to accelerate the chase after Aussie seamer Julie Hunter struck twice with the new ball.
Alice Davidson-Richards hit 28 before scoreboard pressure forced Kent's lower-order into extravagant shots as Kent were all out for 146.
Monday's match, Kent's final scheduled fixture against Berkshire at North Maidenhead, was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to a waterlogged pitch.
Kent retain a 16-point lead at the top with 105 points as the match on Monday between second-placed Yorkshire (89) and Sussex (87) was also rained off.
In the final scheduled round of matches on 13 September, Yorkshire host winless bottom side Lancashire and Sussex entertain fourth-placed Berkshire.