Kent storm past Middlesex, Sussex avoid Buckinghamshire upset

Kent eased into the second round of the inaugural Vitality T20 County Cup thanks to a five-wicket win over Middlesex at Radlett. Set a target of 137, the visitors got home with more than two overs to spare thanks to a barnstorming finish from Elsa Barnfather, who top-scored from No. 6 with 29 off just 14 balls.

Having been asked to bat, Middlesex were well placed on 85 for 1 in the 12th over, led by No. 3 Finty Trussler's half-century. But Trussler's departure for 52 off 41 with 10 fours triggered a slow-motion collapse. Opener Artemis Downer anchored the innings with 30 off 34, but Gayatri Gole was the only other batter to reach double-figures as Middlesex stuttered along to 136 for 7.

Amy Gordon took two wickets while Kent wicketkeeper Molly Davis effected three stumpings.

In reply, Kent were given a fast start by openers Gordon and Grace Poole, who put on 42 inside the first five overs. Gordon was bowled swinging across the line at Hannah Davis, and Kent's progress was checked by a thrifty display from Anaya Patel, who claimed 3 for 18 from her four overs. But Barnfather, fresh from scoring a century and taking a five-wicket haul for Gunnersbury against a Cricket Writers' Club XI on Sunday, struck six boundaries in short order to seal victory for her side and a second-round tie against Berkshire, to be played on Saturday.

The ECB's new "FA Cup-style" knockout competition involves 37 teams from all three tiers of the new women's county structure. The first round saw 13 ties (with three teams given a bye) between counties in Tiers 2 and 3, with the professional Tier 1 teams set to be involved from round three onwards.

The biggest margin of victory came at Harrogate, where Yorkshire thumped Derbyshire by 122 runs, Lauren Winfield-Hill hitting 19 boundaries in her 88 off 52 balls. They will next play Staffordshire, who eased past Cumbria by seven wickets with 29 balls remaining.

Down at Hove, in the only fixture that offered the chance of a giant-killing, Tier 3 Buckinghamshire had Tier 2 Sussex in trouble at 58 for 5 in the 12th over, with the top three all dismissed in single-figures. But Talitha Stanley, with an unbeaten 29 from 32 balls, helped Sussex scrape up to respectability on 124 for 8, before adding three wickets to her haul as Buckinghamshire folded for 78.

Elsewhere, Glamorgan piled up an impressive 183 for 4 against Gloucestershire at Newport, Bea Ellis thumping 77 from 41 balls to follow up a more composed half-century from captain Lauren Parfitt, as the home side won by 33 runs. Northamptonshire overcame Worcestershire by five wickets at Wantage Road, while in the west country derby, Devon won a low-scoring thriller against Dorset, edging their way to a four-wicket win with five balls to spare after being set a target of 72.

Round Two

Ties to be played on May 10

Yorkshire vs Staffordshire
Leicestershire Foxes v Cheshire
Shropshire vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks
Northumberland v Cambridgeshire
Glamorgan vs Sussex Sharks
Berkshire vs Kent
Oxfordshire v Hertfordshire
Devon v Suffolk