Yorkshire raced to a seven-wicket win over Glamorgan with England batter Lauren Winfield-Hill and fellow opener Georgie Boyce leading the way after a disciplined bowling performance restricted the Welsh side to 124-9.
Vitality Blast Women League 2 - Semi-final
Glamorgan 124-9 (20 overs): Bethan Ellis 41, L Parfitt 29; O Thomas 3-29
Yorkshire 130-3 (17.3 overs): Boyce 38, Winfield-Hill 35; Tulloch 2-29
Yorkshire beat Glamorgan by 7 wickets
Yorkshire raced to a seven-wicket win over Glamorgan with England batter Lauren Winfield-Hill and fellow opener Georgie Boyce leading the way after a disciplined bowling performance restricted the Welsh side to 124-9.
They started well with captain Lauren Parfitt making 29 off 26 and fellow opener Bethan Ellis hitting 41 off 38, reaching 87 before the second wicket fell.
But young spinners Olivia Thomas (3-29) and Claudie Cooper (2-25) made sure Glamorgan were unable to accelerate as wickets tumbled.
Winfield-Hill (35) and Boyce (38) put Yorkshire in charge but Glamorgan kept fighting with the ball, Poppy Tulloch claiming two wickets, but they did not have enough to defend and Ami Campbell (26 not out) finished the game quickly.
The match reflected Yorkshire's unbeaten progress through the Northern group and their plans to move to Tier One next season, a year before Glamorgan.
Glamorgan's start was mostly solid rather than spectacular with the outfield slow from earlier rain, but Lauren Parfitt and Bethan Ellis picked off any poor deliveries to rack up 66 before skipper Parfitt was bowled by left-arm seamer Rachel Slater for 29 off 26 in the 10th over.
Somerset teenager Niamh Holland threatened briefly before being caught behind by Maddie Ward off Olivia Thomas for 13 to start a Glamorgan slide.
Bethan Ellis hammered a straight drive back to Claudie Cooper and Bethan Gammon (11) was caught behind off Ria Fackrell as all Ward's bowling changes paid dividends.
Poppy Tulloch (14) was the only other Glamorgan batter in double figures, providing Winfield-Hill with her third catch and former England all-rounder Beth Langston with her second wicket.
Winfield-Hill dominated the strike and the scoring, showing her class as Yorkshire rattled up 68 without loss in the first half of their innings.
Winfield-Hill drove Poppy Walker (1-21) to Gammon at long-off, while seamer Tulloch sent back Dutch star Sterre Kalis for one and had Boyce caught behind.
But Ward (21 not out) hit successive fours off Walker to ease the pressure and a flurry of boundaries from Campbell saw Yorkshire through to the final against Middlesex.
Glamorgan Women now turn their attention back to the One Day Cup, where they have three wins out of four ahead of hosting Leicestershire at Neath on Saturday 2 August.
Yorkshire, with the same record, entertain Middlesex on the same date.
Category: General Sports
