Beaumont impresses as Blaze, Hants and Warwicks win

Breaking news from the world of sport: Beaumont impresses as Blaze, Hants and Warwicks winImage source, ShutterstockImage caption, Tammy Beaumont hit her highest total of the season for The BlazePublished24 minutes agoEngland opener Tammy Beaumont scored an unbeaten 99 as The Blaze claimed a six-wicket victory over Somerset in the One-Day Cup. The 35-year-old, left out of England's T20 World Cup squad, fell just short of a century but hit her highest total of the season in the competition to help her side maintain their lead at the top of the table. Elsewhere, Francesca Sweet scored a maiden half-century for second-placed Hampshire as they won by 16 runs in a rain-affected match against Yorkshire to stay in touch with the leaders.

Warwickshire moved up to fourth with a four-wicket victory over Lancashire, with Mary Taylor impressing with both bat and ball for the visitors. Five wins in a row for BlazeAt the Maer Ground in Exmouth, Beaumont hit 12 fours and a six in 109 balls and shared a match-winning stand of 131 for the third wicket with Georgia Elwiss, who made 72 from 76 deliveries and hit 11 boundaries, as the visitors scored 224-4 to cruise past their target with 10. Anika Learoyd top-scored with a disciplined innings of 97 from 118 balls as Somerset recovered from 33-3 to post 222-9 after being put in, with Charley Phillips (2-33) and Kirstie Gordon (2-37) spearheading an impressive Blaze performance in the field.

Match Details

A fifth straight win enabled the Blaze to maintain their lead over Hampshire at the top of the table, while a fourth consecutive defeat for Somerset meant they lost further ground on the front-runners. Hampshire keep leaders in their sightsHampshire, last year's One-Day Cup finalists, totalled 205-7 from 38 overs and then comfortably defended an adjusted target of 213 to claim their fifth win in seven matches and consolidate second place in the table. Opener Ella McCaughan top-scored for the visitors with a composed 51, while Sweet added a well-paced 50 and Amanda-Jade Wellington struck an unbeaten 41, as Jess Jonassen took 3-24.

In reply, Yorkshire's openers Lauren Winfield-Hill (35) and Georgie Boyce (22) added 63 inside 13 overs, but that was as good as it got despite Sterre Kalis's 46 as they finished on 196-8 to lose by 16 runs on the DLS method . It is a fourth defeat in seven for Yorkshire, who sit sixth in the table. Warwickshire move into top fourWarwickshire defeated Lancashire by four wickets at Southport in a match reduced to 42 overs per side due to rain.

Chasing a target of 227, Charis Pavely, the leading run scorer in the competition, made 63 – the top score in the match – before a brilliant seventh-wicket stand of 75 off 66 balls between Mary Taylor (42 not out) and Nat Wraith (34 not out) clinched victory with nine balls to spare as Warwickshire finished on 230-6. Lancashire made 226-9 after being put in to bat with the bulk of the runs coming from skipper Ellie Threlkeld (39) and Maddie Penna (38) during a third-wicket partnership of 83.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.