Women's One-Day Cup: Lancashire win to maintain home semi-final hopes

Lancashire beat the rain and Warwickshire to win by five wickets to maintain their hopes of booking a home semi-final in the women's One-Day Cup.

After the visitors had scored 283-7 from their 50 overs at Sale, Lancashire were set a revised 172 from 22 overs via the DLS Method.

They reached that target with five balls to spare, led by an excellent 75 from Ireland captain Gaby Lewis.

But Surrey's wait to reach the semi-finals goes on as their match with Essex at Beckenham failed to produce a result.

Fine centuries from Emma Jones (141) and Alice Davidson-Richards (107) helped them reach 313-5 off 45 overs, but the rain arrived before the visitors could bat.

That was more cricket than was possible at Utilita Bowl where group leaders Hampshire saw their match with Somerset abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Hampshire, The Blaze and Lancashire have already made the semi-finals, with Surrey, Durham and Somerset looking to claim the final place in Saturday's last round of group matches.

Victory for The Blaze over Durham on Tuesday had already guaranteed Lancashire's spot in the last four.

They won the toss and put eliminated Warwickshire in but watched as the visitors put together a well-compiled score.

Amu Surenkumar (49) and Sterre Kalis (43) both fell short of their half-centuries, but Abigail Freeborn's 60 - her second fifty in her last four innings - propelled the total forward with a useful late contribution from captain Georgia Davis, who finished unbeaten with 31 from 21 balls.

Lancashire had reached 20-1 off 5.3 overs when rain stopped play for a second time, but it relented to leave a testing DLS target.

But Lewis combined for a partnership of 106 with Seren Smale (47), which got the innings motoring.

The Ireland captain went for a fine 75 off 53 balls with 10 fours, and although further wickets fell, the batters continued to keep up with the required rate with captain Ellie Threlkeld hitting the winning runs.

Lancashire remain third and must win away to Hampshire on Saturday to have a chance of grabbing a home semi-final next Wednesday.

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