Heath holds the fort for Durham despite King's late fightback

A spectacular 43 by Bess Heath allied to a good bowling performance took Durham to a narrow two-wicket victory with four balls to spare against Lancashire Thunder.

Heath strode to the crease with Durham needing 73 for 3 in the tenth over of their reply with Alana King (3 for 24) threatening to turn the game in the hosts favour, but her 23-ball innings transformed the run-chase with the visitors finishing on 149 for 8 despite a late Lancashire fightback.

Emma Lamb signed off with a brilliant 74 for Thunder but her fine effort was the highlight for the hosts with both teams' top three ambitions depending on later results.

Lamb, who joins up with the England squad after this match, scored exactly half of her team's 148 for 7 with Sophia Turner taking 3 for 27 and Katie Levick 2 for 27 as Durham fought back well in the second half of the Thunder innings to restrict the hosts' total.

Suzie Bates and Emma Marlow made a swift start in their pursuit of 149, Bates taking three fours from the second over bowled by Tara Norris, but the bowler struck back four overs later by having the New Zealand international caught at short third by Sophie Morris for 33 off 22 balls.

Hollie Armitage kept that early momentum going with the visitors having 50 runs on the board from the six over powerplay before King struck twice, producing a turning delivery to bowl Marlow for 7 and then a nicely flighted ball that bowled Armitage for 19.

When Mady Villiers drove Phoebe Graham to Norris at mid-off for 13 the Durham reply had faltered at 79 for 4 in the 11th over.

Heath and Mia Rogers put the visitors back on course with 23 runs off 16 balls before Rogers drove a return catch to King for 10 but Heath hit out powerfully taking three fours and a six off the 15th over from Graham to reduce the target to below a run-a-ball.

Heath was bowled by Darcey Carter in the 17th over, and although the loss of Leah Dobson (8) and Katherine Fraser (2) gave the Thunder some late hope, Phoebe Turner (4 not out) and Sophia Turner (1 not out) steered Durham to their target two balls into the final over.

After Thunder had been put in to bat, Eve Jones hit 19 in a 32-run partnership at the end of the fourth over.

Lamb and Seren Smale steadily built on that with a good alliance of 41 off 33 balls but Smale falling for 12 when slicing a drive to Fraser at point off Levick as Thunder reached the halfway point on 79-2.

Lamb went past 1,000 runs for Thunder this season on her way to a 33-ball fifty, achieved in style when she hit Levick for six over midwicket in the 13th over to add to 6 well-struck fours.

Ailsa Lister lent good support in a stand of 46 in 5 overs before edging behind off Sophia Turner for 16 with Thunder 119 for 3 at the start of the 15th over.

Durham found back well, producing some tight bowling to restrict the late over scoring with 29 runs coming from final six overs and that proved key.

Lamb eventually holed out to Mady Villiers at deep midwicket off Sophia Turner at the start of the 19th over as Thunder finished on 148 for 7 after looking set to post a much higher total.