Charli Knott ties Somerset down as Sophie Luff threatens lift-off

Overseas star Charli Knott undermined Somerset with bat and ball as Hampshire won an absorbing Metro Bank women's One-Day Cup contest by 31 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern Method at the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton.

The Australian all-rounder top-scored with 64 from 102 balls and staged stands of 46, 40 and 42 with Maia Bouchier, Georgia Adams and Rhianna Southby for the second, third and fourth wickets respectively after Hampshire had won the toss. Southby contributed a useful 46 from 64 balls and Bouchier made 39 as the visitors were dismissed for 213 in 50 overs, Alex Griffiths taking 2 for 24 and weighing in with a catch and two run-outs.

Knott then took 2 for 25 with her offbreaks as Somerset were reduced to 109 for 8 inside 33 overs. Skipper Sophie Luff threatened a remarkable fightback, scoring a defiant 74 and sharing in a stand of 69 for the ninth wicket with Ellie Anderson to briefly put the outcome in doubt, but Adams removed her to finish with 3 for 36 as the home side were dismissed for 182 in 46 overs. Hampshire's spinners took eight wickets between them as the visitors extended their lead over The Blaze at the top of the table to five points.

No doubt with a point to prove following a below-par performance against Surrey last time out, Somerset produced a disciplined performance with the ball on a worn pitch to successfully restrict their opponents on this occasion. Anderson bowled Ella McCaughan with new ball and Mollie Robbins hit her straps at the other end as Hampshire's top-order batters struggled to find the boundary in a 10-over powerplay that saw them post 44 for 1.

Spin is undoubtedly Somerset's strong suite and pace off proved effective in frustrating the visitors during the middle overs, Bouchier chipping a delivery from Amanda-Jade Wellington to Griffiths at short mid-wicket and departing for a 43-ball 39 with the score on 69 just as she was threatening to cut loose.

Having played second fiddle in a partnership of 46 with Bouchier, Knott took centre stage, grafting her way to 50 via 79 balls in the face of accurate spin bowling from Wellington and Charlie Dean as Hampshire reached 107 for 2 at the halfway stage. With the game finely balanced, Somerset enjoyed a moment of outrageous good fortune, the stooping Griffiths deflecting a straight drive from Knott onto the stumps to run out the unfortunate Adams for 14.

Change spinners Chloe Skelton and Heather Knight continued to build pressure and Knott, frustrated by a lack of progress, skied the former to Luff at mid-on to afford Somerset a crucial breakthrough. The Australian had registered her highest score of the summer, but with her went Hampshire's best chance of posting a truly challenging total. From a position of strength at 151 for 3 in the 37th over, the visitors fell away badly, their last seven wickets falling for the addition of just 62 runs.

Abi Norgrove was run out for 11, Skelton produced sharp turn to bowl Nancy Harman for six, Lynsey Smith was held by Anderson at mid-wicket off the bowling of Griffiths and Southby, having moved to within four runs of a half century, lost her off stump to Dean as Somerset turned the screw. Griffiths then removed Freya Davies and Bex Tyson was run out off the final ball to reinforce the feeling that the visitors had fallen short.

But that all changed when Somerset's inability to construct substantial partnerships was laid bare. Eager to impress against former team-mates, Davies bowled Emma Corney for 15 with the score on 24 and Somerset's chase was further undermined when Knight, having made 23 and advanced the total to 51, dabbed a ball from Tyson to point, set off in pursuit of a notional single and was comprehensively run out by Bouchier's pick up and throw as she attempted to return to the crease.

Desperately in need of a partnership to calm their nerves, the home side plunged ever deeper into trouble, Smith inducing the experienced Fran Wilson to hit tamely to Bouchier at cover point in the sixteenth. Attempting to break the shackles, Dean then pulled a short delivery from Tyson straight down the throat of Daisy Gibb at deep backward square as Somerset lurched to 63 for 4.

Having forced their opponents onto the back foot, Hampshire's spinners then kept up the pressure by bowling a disciplined line, in the process pushing the required rate up to nearly six an over. Introduced at the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion end, Knott struck in her first over, pinning Katie Jones lbw for nine as the slide continued unchecked.

There appeared to be no coming back from the wreckage of 80 for 5 at the halfway stage of the innings and it was 87 for 6 when Griffiths offered Adams a straightforward return catch. Knott had fellow Australian Wellington caught at deep mid-wicket via a leading edge before rain forced the players off with the score on 10 for 7.

When play resumed, Somerset required a further 112 to win and had one over fewer in which to chase an unchanged target. Adams had Skelton held at silly mid-on immediately following the resumption, but there was hope for Somerset while the indomitable Luff continued to offer stiff resistance. Somerset's captain went to a dogged 50 from 83 balls and finally found a reliable ally in the form of Anderson, who scored at nearly a run a ball as the ninth wicket alliance realised 50 from 54 balls to make Hampshire think again.

The stand was worth 69 and Somerset were within 36 runs of pulling off an astonishing against-the-odds victory when Tyson persuaded Anderson to hit straight to mid-wicket, Bouchier taking her third catch of the innings to reduce the home side to 178 for 9 in the 45th over. Hampshire breathed a collective sigh of relief when Adams ended Luff's 108-ball innings in the next over.