Nottinghamshire chalked up a five-run win over Warwickshire in the latest in a series of pulsating encounters between the two sides in the Women’s One-Day Cup and T20 competitions.
Sophie Munro’s nerveless death bowling once again proved to be the difference as Martyn Kiel’s side recorded their first win of this season’s Vitality Women’s County T20.
After securing a tie against the same opponents in last year’s One-Day Cup, and edging this season’s 50-over clash by four runs, hopes were high of another entertaining encounter.
But the rainy conditions, which had already accounted for Notts’ first fixture of the day against Hampshire, reduced the contest to eight overs per side.
Notts lost Sonia Odedra first ball, but Teresa (24) and Yvonne Graves (10) were able to accumulate runs steadily, contributing 34 to the Nottinghamshire total of 61-6.
It was a total which would have been higher were it not for Anisha Patel’s hat-trick, removing Polly Inglis (2), Lucy Higham (2) and Sophie Munro (0) from successive deliveries.
In reply, Kirstie Gordon snared Thea Brookes (2) cheaply, but Gwenan Davies (14), Marie Kelly and Ria Fackrell moved Warwickshire into a strong position towards the end of the game.
The Bears required 16 from the final over with wickets in hand, but Munro was able to produce the decisive delivery with the penultimate ball of the match.
With six required to win, Kelly (32) misjudged a slower ball and was castled by Munro, leaving Fackrell (7*) and Joanne Gardner (0*) with no time to complete the chase.
Nottinghamshire sit in 5th place in Division One of the T20 competition ahead of their final home games of the season next weekend, against Sussex and Wales at Collingham.
View the full scorecard from Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire here.
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