Ellis steers Glamorgan to last-over win away to Sussex

Women's Vitality Blast League Two, Hove

Sussex Sharks 166-5 (20): Adams 80; Porter 3-22

Glamorgan 167-2 (19.4) : Bethan Ellis 71*, L Parfitt 37

Glamorgan won by 8 wickets

Scorecard

Bethan Ellis hit an unbeaten 71 off just 55 balls as Glamorgan Women squeezed an eight-wicket win with only two balls to spare against Sussex Sharks in Hove.

The hosts racked up an impressive 166-5 thanks to Mollie Adams' effort of 80 from 59 deliveries, despite Gemma Porter's 3-22 in her four overs for Glamorgan.

Despite being hampered by injury, Ellis shared a second-wicket stand of 103 with Lauren Parfitt (37) but Sussex's bowlers fought hard to take the game into the last over.

They were left to regret conceding 19 wides to six from Glamorgan.

Glamorgan remain on top of League Two with three wins while Sussex are ninth and last after three losses.

Sussex chose to bat at Hove, but were left struggling at 10-2 when Porter struck twice in her first two overs.

Shristi Patel (28 off 22) joined Adams in a key stand of 73 before chipping a return catch when Porter returned in the 12th over.

Katy Cobb, whose four overs cost 22, was the only other bowler to exert control as Glamorgan's bowlers came under rare pressure.

Adams, 19, kept the Sussex momentum going with a range of shots all round the ground in her third successive half-century, eventually slicing Ellis to point with 135 on the board in the 18th over.

Bella Johnson hit two sixes in her 24 not out off 15 balls and Poppy Tulloch, a former Glamorgan loanee, ran hard for 17 not out off eight as Sussex continued to accelerate.

Tulloch bowled the in-form Daisy Jeanes in an erratic second over of the Glamorgan reply, but Parfitt and Ellis began finding the boundaries straightaway as they rattled up their 50 partnership in only 22 balls, with 66 on the board in the power-play and 92 at half-way.

Some nagging spin from Eve O'Neill (1-21) helped slow Glamorgan down and skipper Parfitt fell stumped by Adams, her 37 coming off 34 balls with five fours.

The game was still open with 40 needed in the last five overs but Ellis, despite being hampered by injury and using Jeanes as a runner, kept hitting boundaries at vital moments.

Wicket-keeper Megan Sturge provided important support with 26 not out off 22 balls.

With five still needed off the last four, Warwickshire loanee Ellis carved her tenth four over cover before hitting the winning single.