One-Day Cup: Georgia Elwiss steers Blaze to victory over Somerset

Odgers and opening partner Emma Corney earlier put on 88 for the first wicket as Somerset’s innings got off to a flying start.

They were not parted until the the 17th over, when Odgers was unlucky to be run out after Corney changed her mind over a single.

It was the 22-year-old Cornish-born batter’s second fifty in two innings in Somerset colours, making a good impression again after her 60 against Durham earlier in the month.

Leg-spinner Josie Groves was expensive but picked up an important wicket when Corney was stumped and Elwiss was rewarded for an excellent spell by having Fran Wilson (28) caught at mid-off from a slower ball prior to suffering her injury.

Grace Ballinger castled Katie Jones for eight but skipper Luff was the fulcrum for Somerset, the 69 added with Alex Griffiths (28) in 11 overs for the fifth wicket giving Somerset a platform to attack.

Griffiths was bowled when she missed a slog-sweep and Luff was caught at short fine leg, having hit seven fours and a six. But then came a flurry of hitting by Wellington, seven of whose nine boundaries before she was run out off the final ball came in Ballinger’s last three overs, which cost 37 runs.

The Blaze struggled for early momentum in response, with Georgie Boyce running herself out looking for a single that Green understandably declined.

But once Green and Kathryn Bryce found their range in the last three overs of the powerplay, turning 19-1 from seven into 50-1 from 10, Somerset suffered until Olivia Barnes, the former Kent left-arm spinner, claimed her maiden wicket for her new county as Bryce was bowled attempting to sweep.

The partnership had added 125 in 18.4 overs, Bryce’s fourth half-century of the competition having come off 47 balls with eight fours, Green’s first for The Blaze also containing eight fours off 51.

Now the momentum shifted back to Somerset. A tidy spell from seamer Alex Griffiths was rewarded when Sarah Bryce, whom she had dropped on two in her follow-through, was bowled behind her legs.

And though Green and Elwiss, at times in obvious pain from her injury, added another 47 for the fourth wicket, Somerset achieved the breakthrough they had been looking for when the former – in touching distance of a fifth List A hundred in this calendar year – was bowled by the returning Ellie Anderson.

The loss in the next over of Ella Claridge, whose top-edged sweep gave 18-year-old Barnes a second wicket, left The Blaze 203-5 in the 36th, still 102 short of their target, Wellington striking a further blow when the leg-spinner removed Michaela Kirk leg before.

But despite her discomfort, Elwiss took the responsibility for seeing her side over the line, a superbly judged innings giving her a third half-century for the Blaze as she and Gordon completed the job.

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