Bates masterclass leads Durham's rout of Somerset

Suzie Bates staged a batting masterclass as Durham beat Somerset by 105 runs in a one-sided Metro Bank One Day Cup contest at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.

The 37-year-old Kiwi registered a superb career-best innings of 163, eclipsing her previous highest List-A score of 151 made for New Zealand against Ireland in Dublin in 2018, as Durham raised an imposing 315 for 9 after winning the toss. At her imperious best, Bates amassed 18 fours and three sixes and shared in stands of 71 with Hollie Armitage, 66 with Beth Heath and 78 with Phoebe Turner for the second, fifth and sixth wickets respectively to make it a day to forget for Somerset's bowlers, who conceded 38 boundaries in all.

The pick of Durham's bowlers, Phoebe Turner claimed 3 for 45, Katie Levick took 3 for 57 and Mady Villiers 3 for 30 as Somerset were dismissed for 210 in 40.2 overs, Jess Hazell top-scoring with a 55-ball 50 and Bex Odgers contributing 47 in a losing cause.

There was little evidence of what was to come when Mollie Robbins had Emma Marlow held at backward point with the score on 22 in the fifth over. Initially playing and missing on a surface offering early assistance to seam, Bates had to wait six overs to post a boundary, scoring the majority of her runs in an arc between point and third man as she battled to establish herself.

But Somerset's seamers found the going tougher thereafter, Bates and Armitage posting a 50 stand in 56 balls to build momentum and advance the score to 93-1 inside 20 overs. Only when Somerset turned to spin, did they begin to make headway, Chloe Skelton bowling Armitage and Emily Windsor and Liv Barnes having Mady Villiers stumped, three wickets falling in four overs as the visitors lurched to 107 for 4.

Beth Heath announced herself by plundering sixes at the expense of Alex Griffiths and Elllie Anderson as Durham quickly reasserted themselves, the fifth wicket realising 50 in just 39 balls as the pendulum swung back again. By the time the hard-hitting Heath chopped on and lost leg stump to Laura Jackson, she had contributed a run-a-ball 32 and helped force the home bowlers onto the back foot once more.

Having raised 50 from 64 deliveries, Bates then moved up through the gears, dominating a partnership of 78 with Phoebe Turner, who expertly rotated the strike in contributing 25. By now hitting through the ball cleanly, Bates moved to three figures via 112 balls, raising that landmark with a leg-side single off Mollie Robbins. By the time Anderson had Turner held in the deep, Durham were 251 for 6 in the 45th and flying.

Bates lifted Robbins over the rope behind square to equal the 148 she scored for Hampshire against Warwickshire at Basingstoke in 2018 - her highest score in England - and then hit the same bowler over the mid-wicket boundary to go to 150 in fine style.

Having faced 140 balls and scored more than her team's runs, Bates succumbed in the 48th over, holing out to short fine leg off the bowling of Laura Jackson with the score 290 for 7. Even then there was no respite for the hosts, lusty hitting from Katherine Fraser and Sophia Turner serving to carry Durham out of sight.

Somerset made a decent start to their reply, reaching 49 for the loss of Niamh Holland in 10 overs, but their progress was slowed by spin thereafter, Katie Levick and Villiers restricting scoring to build pressure and force the required rate up above seven an over for the first time. Villiers then struck an important blow, pinning Sophie Luff in the crease for 19 with the score 75 for 2.

Odgers had played nicely in raising three sixes and a brace of fours and advancing her score to 47 when she was bowled by a startling Phoebe Turner yorker. Turner struck again later in the same over, Fraser taking off to hold a brilliant diving catch at backward point and send back Fran Wilson as the home side slipped to 88 for 4 in the 18th.

When Fraser found the outside edge and Griffiths was caught at the wicket, Somerset were 108 for 5 in the 23rd, requiring a further 208 to win at just under eight an over. It proved too big an ask, despite Hazell and Jackson staging a defiant sixth wicket stand of 53 to hold up Durham and deny them a bonus point.