Jess impresses as Yorkshire win Roses clash

Jonassen’s fine 108 underpinned the Yorkshire innings with the visitors making 241 all out after being asked to bat. Jonassen and Sterre Kalis (46) rebuilt with 109 for the third wicket after Kate Cross had struck two early blows, and Cross (4-38) enjoyed further success as Yorkshire lost their last six wickets for 45.

After Rachel Slater struck in the opening over to dismiss Eve Jones, a 61-run partnership between Darcey Carter and Seren Smale looked to be the foundation for Lancashire to build on. Jonassen (4-30) had other ideas, dramatically swinging the game Yorkshire’s way with three wickets in three overs to reduce Lancashire to 74-4 in the 19th over. That proved to be decisive as the hosts failed to recover, ending well short on 158 all out.

There was little doubt about the player of the match with the introduction of Jonassen into the Yorkshire attack in the 13th over resulting in Lancashire losing three wickets for 13 runs in a dramatic four overs. The left arm spinner trapped both Carter (18) and Ellie Threlkeld (0) lbw and then had Smale caught at mid-off for 46.

Fi Morris was bowled by Beth Langston for 21 who then turned catcher when Ailsa Lister drove Maddie Ward straight to her at mid-off for 16 and the Yorkshire bowlers closed out a decisive victory in the 42nd over from that point.

Having put Yorkshire in to bat, Cross trapped Lauren Winfield-Hill lbw with the second ball of the match and then nipped one back in her next over to bowl the on-loan Georgie Boyce for 4 to have Yorkshire in early difficulties at 13-2.

Chris Read, Lancashire Women Head Coach said: “I thought, from a first-half perspective, our bowling performance was really, really good. The pitch was a lovely pitch to bat on and given where they were at one point, with Jess Jonassen going so well, I thought we did well to restrict them to 241.

“I'm happy with that at half-time, thinking that was probably below par on a good wicket and a fast outfield.

“I was really impressed by the way Jonassen batted. Obviously, she's a class act, she's been around a long time, and we just needed someone to match that, really, to get in, stay in, put a big score on the board.

“Clearly, we batted exceptionally poorly. Ultimately, losing Eve Jones at the top of the order wasn't ideal, but then players proceeded to get in and get themselves out, really. That was a disappointing thing. I don't think we were under a huge amount of pressure.

“It was a really good pitch to bat on, and the batters all came back and said as much. So, (it was) just disappointing that no-one managed to get in, stay in and win the game for us.”

Rich Pyrah, Yorkshire Women Head Coach said: “I thought we were outstanding all day today. Being 13 for 2 in a tough situation, being put into bat at half past ten in April, and the ball just nibbled around a little bit. I thought we absorbed that pressure really well.

“You're not going to get much better than that partnership between Jess Jonassen and Sterre Kalis. It put us into a really good position and then Jess just shows her class again.

“That hundred, the way she timed it, and her game management was excellent and then she comes on and gets four for 30. We knew she was a good player when we signed her, but she's just been outstanding.

When Jess came off, she said as the ball got softer, it was harder to score later on, so it gave us hope of what we had to do in the second innings and a real clear game plan of bowling nice and straight and at the top of the stumps.

“So, I thought we were in the game. Just the feedback we had from the girls out there, that it was a good pitch, but if you hit the top of the stumps, it was difficult to score.”

Jonassen twice drove Mahika Gaur for four through cover in the second over and her partnership with Kalis began to blossom once the pair took ten runs off Gaur in the sixth over with their fifty partnership coming from 50 balls.

Jonassen pulled left arm spinner Hannah Jones for six on her way to a 66-ball fifty with the century partnership following from 115 balls before Kalis pulled Gaur to Lister at short midwicket for 46 to leave Yorkshire 123-3 in the 24th over.

Two maiden overs from Grace Potts built pressure but Jonasson broke the shackles with a series of powerful drives to push the visitors total along, the Australian reaching the nineties with her second six before going to her first century from 110 balls.

Ami Campbell helped add 54 for the fourth wicket, but once she and then Jonasson departed the innings fell away from the promising position of 196-4 as the home side fought back well over the closing overs, but Yorkshire’s total proved to be more than enough.

Yorkshire Women 241 all out (49.2 overs, Jess Jonassen 108, Kate Cross 4-38) defeated Lancashire Women 158 all out (41.3 overs, Seren Smale 46, Jess Jonassen 4-30) by 83 runs.

Lancashire Women 0 points, Yorkshire Women 5 points.