Georgia Adams trumps Grace Scrivens in battle of century-scoring skippers

Georgia Adams won the battle of the century-making captains as Hampshire beat Essex by 17 runs in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women's competition.

Adams' 110, with assistance from Rhianna Southby's 61 and Ella McCaughan's 44, helped Hampshire to a healthy 273 for 5.

Essex skipper Grace Scrivens replied with a classy 101, her second ton in successive innings, to put herself firmly in the frame for England selection.

But left-arm spinner Linsey Smith took 4 for 33 to give Hampshire their fourth victory in six matches to remain amongst the pacesetters, while Essex remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

Maia Bouchier zoomed off with four boundaries in a 12-ball 19 but two quick Kate Coppack wickets punctured Hampshire's fast start, having been put in. Bouchier had her off stump flattened before Charli Knott tickled behind to Amara Carr to leave Hampshire 32 for 2.

But McCaughan continued her magnificent form, which started with Manly in Australian Grade Cricket over the winter and carried on in the One-Day Cup with scores including 64, 133 not out and 57.

She rebuilt with an initially scratching Adams - who was dropped on 28 at midwicket - before missing a sweep to get pinned lbw by Abtaha Maqsood, six runs shy of a fourth 50-plus score.

That stand of 72 was merely the amuse bouche for the innings-defining 144 that Adams added with Southby.

Everything the pair did was done with the lowest of risk as they barely let the run-rate dip below five an over with crafty batting.

Adams became the final member of Hampshire's top five to record a fifty this season, doing so in 77 balls, before Southby followed to the milestone - for the second time this year - in 68 balls.

Southby was bowled with seven overs to go, with the latter stage of the innings coming with the sub-plot of 'can Adams get to three figures?' She was on 82 when Southby departed.

Abi Norgrove gamefully rotated the strike until she was run out, with Adams still eight runs away, but a pair of offside boundaries drew the bat raise out of Adams.

The innings, which had showcased all her trademark effortless swinging and placement, came in 125 deliveries and was her fourth in List A cricket. She ended up unbeaten on 110, and Hampshire just above par on 273, with Nancy Harman replicating Norgrove's earlier endeavour.

Scrivens was supreme from the off, showing complete control over where her shots were going. The innings wasn't built around big shots, but constant accumulation.

Her top-order all rolled with her. Lissy MacLeod was brisk in her 25 - adding 47 for the opening stand - before Jo Gardner came in.

Gardner wasn't in the starting XI, but fielded the majority of the innings after Flo Miller injured herself trying to stop a boundary in the second over, before formally entering the match after Cordelia Griffith suffered a concussion while fielding.

She took her chance by keeping the scoreboard ticking in a 71-run alliance with Scrivens, but departed for 23 when she slapped to mid off.

Jodi Grewcock followed on, scoring at over a run-a-ball but only scoring three boundaries, in her 33, with 70 runs added with the accelerating Scrivens.

She chipped to cover with 86 still required, with Essex stumbling as the required rate climbed, and Smith gained complete control of the game and put herself at the top of the wicket-takers in the One-Day Cup.

Eva Gray, Scrivens, Coppack and Esmae MacGregor were caught, and Amara Carr stumped, all trying to keep the visitors in touch, but they fell 17 runs short.