MIDDLESEX WOMEN BEAT KENT

Match Result - Middlesex win by 43 runs.

Middlesex secure their first victory of the season with a comfortable 43-run win over Kent.

After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Middlesex again placed value on the first-wicket stand between Naomi Dattani and Natasha Miles. The pair successfully negotiated economical opening spells from England's Tash Farrant and Auckland's Arlene Kelly, well-placed at 34-0 after 11.

The pair continued to bat well and it wasn’t till the introduction of England off-spinner Laura Marsh that Kent claimed a wicket as Dattani was caught by Grace Gibbs for 16 with the score on 60. Fran Wilson joined Miles at the crease and they added 17 before Miles was trapped lbw for 42, an innings which showed a return to form akin to her knock at Lord's.

Sophia Dunkley came in at four and rotated the strike well with Wilson before top-edging one behind to Lauren Griffiths off Marsh for 21, with the scoreboard reading 113. Middlesex continued to bat well and not lose wickets in clusters as Beth Morgan joined Wilson in the middle, with the pair adding 21 before Wilson was out lbw for 37 by Kelly in the 38th.

Maia Bouchier came in next and batted well as singles and rotating the strike continued to be a strong point of the host's innings. Morgan was run out in the 49th for 34 and Middlesex finished on their top score of the season 203-5, Bouchier 38* and Emma Albery 2*.

Gayatri Gole and Katie Wolfe opened the attack, forming a good partnership as they dotted the batters up and few runs came off the bat. Gole got an early breakthrough in the third over bowling Lottie Bryan for two with the score on nine. This brought newly-capped England allrounder Alice Davidson-Richards to the middle and the pair added 23 before Phoebe Franklin hit a full toss to Dattani, departing for 19 in the eighth.

Marsh came in at four and shared a 20-run stand with the Kent captain which came to an end when Dunkley bowled Davidson-Richards for six in the 15th.

The leg-spinning duo of Dunkley and Emily Thorpe bowled well in tandem. Dunkley had Marsh caught Morgan for 17 with the score on 60. With the required run rate rising Kent had to take more risks and Izzy Cloke fell to a Thorpe full toss caught by Wilson for 15. This left the visitors at 90-6 after 30.

Dunkley got the next wicket as Lauren Griffiths was caught and bowled for two with the score on 97. Farrant and Megan Belt offered Kent some resistance but it was too little too late. Farrant top-scored with 27 before she was caught by Wilson off Emma Albery as Kent were all out for 155 as Middlesex secured a 48-run win.

It was a day Middlesex's bowling contingent showcased their talent. Dunkley was the pick of the bowlers, delivering her ten overs on the trot to claim 4-29 while opening quick Gole set the tone, with economical figures of 10-1-21-1.

After three games Middlesex are sixth on the ladder. The next match is away to seventh-placed Somerset.