Villiers shines with bat and ball as Durham beat Essex

Mady Villiers and Mia Rogers shared a stand of 98 as Durham made it back-to back wins in the Metro Bank One-day Cup women's competition with a six-wicket victory over hosts Essex.

Rogers led the charge with an unbeaten 66, while Villiers, back on what was her home ground for more than a decade until her move north over the winter made 46 as the visitors recovered from 55 for 3 to win with 70 balls to spare.

Earlier, a catastrophic runout sparked a collapse by the hosts in which they lost seven wickets for 53 runs in 81 balls, Villiers taking 3 for 28, while Ariana Dowse was left stranded on 43 not out.

Lissy Macleod was dropped on 2, but that scare aside Essex began well after being sent in. Macleod lofted Grace Thompson back over her head for six, while in-form skipper Grace Scriven unfurled a couple of square cuts as the openers posted a 50-stand in 49 balls.

Thompson switched ends to break the partnership with the last ball of the powerplay, Macleod strangled down the leg side. The same combination accounted for Scrivens soon afterwards, the host's skipper wafting at a wide one outside off stump.

Dowse and Sophia Smale steadied matters, the latter driving Villiers for four before sweeping Susie Bates to the legside boundary as the pair added 51 in 12 overs.

Smale perished tentatively paddling one from Villiers around the corner to backward square but Essex still looked handily placed at 120 for 3 at halfway.

Then came the runout, confusion over a second leaving both batters mid-pitch, Amara Carr unable to turn and beat Villiers's throw. It was the catalyst for the collapse, in-form Phoebe Turner taking two in an over, including Jo Gardner for a second-ball duck.

Dowse stood firm to remain unbeaten on 43, but spin twins Villiers and Katy Levick, proved too much for the home side's tail.

Needing early wickets Essex made a dream start, New Zealand international Bates edging a swinging ball from the excellent Eva Gray to a diving Carr. If that was a good ball, Esmae MacGregor produced a beauty to befuddle skipper Hollie Armitage and clip the top of off.

Emma Marlow's response to adversity was to plunder three boundaries from MacGregor's next over in racing to 30, but comical runouts were catching and a mix up saw her sent back by Villiers, the square leg umpire adjudging her short of her ground, though replays suggested the batter had made it home.

Villiers and Rogers managed the rebuild, both driving Smale for four, while the former clubbed one from Abtaha Maqsood back over her head to raise the 50 partnership.

Villiers fell just short of 50 top edging an attempted pull to Gray at mid-on, but Rogers completed her half century with the help of six fours.