On a sweltering day in Taunton, Hampshire, the pairing of Maia Bouchier and Charli Knott formed a formidable opening partnership, racking up 80 runs. Bouchier dazzled with a swift 43 runs off just 26 balls, featuring eight elegant boundaries before being dismissed by Chloe Skelton, who executed a brilliant catch over her shoulder at mid-on.
In her last appearance before heading back to Australia, Knott followed suit, scoring 43 from 34 balls but was caught by her international teammate Wellington while trying to clear the boundary at long-on.
The innings took a downturn when Georgia Adams and Rhianna Southby fell in consecutive balls, both victims of Charlie Dean’s remarkable bowling performance (3-25). Abi Norgrove then experienced a run-out in the following over, adding to the pressure.
However, Kemp stepped up, smashing seven fours and two sixes during her impactful innings of 38 balls, helping the visitors reach a total of 169-6.
In a desperate bid for their first victory of the tournament in their seventh match, Somerset struggled early, sinking to 19-2 in just four overs. Nevertheless, Holland (60 runs off 53 balls) found support in a 52-run partnership with Sophie Luff (23 runs) and later a 63-run stand with Wellington, setting the stage for a thrilling finish. Wellington contributed 44 runs from 25 balls but ultimately fell in the final over, leaving the home team narrowly short at 164-6.