Cumbria Women’s team suffered back-to-back Twenty-20 defeats against Lincolnshire on Sunday at Sedbergh School.
Both T20 games were the main attraction as Cumbria played a strong opponent in the Vitality Blast Women’s League 3 Division 2 B.
In the first game, Cumbria lost by 5 wickets after being restricted to 76-8 before Lincolnshire knocked the runs off in 12 overs, closing on 80-5.
Cumbria made the worst possible start after being reduced to 27-4, when Niamh Muir departed, picking out Grace Smith off the bowling of Rhia Sedha.
Emily Renshaw, batting at number 2, fell after going caught and bowled to Sedha before Anneka Watson dismissed Maeve Jones and Laura Marshall.
Jenny Fallows and Alice Heaton attempted the fight back as Cumbria edged along to 49 before Kate Cooper bowled Heaton, while Fallows top-scored with 20 before picking out Sedha off the bowling of Holly Vaughan.
Kate Cooper claimed her second wicket dismissing Grace Airey before Jasmine Thomas ran out Maddie Wood, with Cumbria closing on 76-8.
In reply, Cumbria reduced Lincolnshire to 17-2 after Lauren Thomas claimed the wickets of both Jess Thatcher and Florence Conn.
Alice Shaw and Jasmine Thomas regained control of the innings as they edged Lincolnshire closer to victory before Megan Smith bowled Thomas for 11.
Cumbria kept battling after Wood bowled Sachinka Dissanayake while Maddie Wood saw off Alice Shaw, who went for a top-scoring 32 off 19.
Lincolnshire knocked the runs off with Eloise Hall (4) and Grace Smith, seeing their team to victory as they closed on 80-5.
In the second game, Cumbria lost by 14 runs after Lincolnshire scored 106 for 8 during the first innings, while Cumbria in reply were restricted to 92-8.
Cumbria impressed during the first innings as Lincolnshire were pushed all the way, with Zara Matthews returning figures of 3-12, while contributions by Alice Shaw (15), Sachinka Dissanayake (17), Sophie Smith (17) and Rhia Sedha (17) saw Lincolnshire close on 106-8.
However, Cumbria initially started well with Niamh Muir and Emily Renshaw putting on a first-wicket partnership of 30 before the wickets began to fall.
The home team went from a commanding position on 30-0 to a more pressurised situation at 33-4.
Laura Marshall’s knock of 32 off 32 saw Cumbria recover before Lincolnshire regained the ascendancy with Anneka Watson, Jasmine Thomas, and Kate Cooper taking 2 wickets apiece, while Holly Vaughan closed with figures of 1-2.
Cumbria, in the end, fell to defeat, finishing on 92-8 off 20 overs as Lincolnshire ran out victorious.
