Classy centuries from both Meg Austin and Katie George led Warwickshire to a 20-run victory over lowly Lancashire and a third straight success in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Portland Road.

Austin (116 from 137 balls) and George (127 from 97 balls) put on 166 for the third wicket which, despite the excellence of Lancashire opener Eve Jones (113 from 115 balls), proved a match-winning partnership.

Warwickshire won the toss and elected to bat first, but Lancashire made an early breakthrough when Kate Cross, with her third delivery, uprooted the off-stump of Amu Surenkumar who departed without scoring.

Fellow opener Georgia Redmayne (16 from 30 balls) struggled for fluency before she too perished, expertly held by Cross who was running in from deep long-off to reward Vinali Weerappuli with a wicket.

There were no such consistency issues for Austin or George, however. Austin in particular batted beautifully in the early stages of the innings, driving confidently to pierce the off-side field on a number of occasions – even if she did enjoy the fortune of catches dropped by Eve Jones and Danielle Collins.

The 21-year-old reached her century with a chip to deep mid-wicket, before she was castled by a slower ball from Tara Norris shortly afterwards.

George ensured Warwickshire’s innings did not falter after Austin’s dismissal and she began to accelerate in the closing stages of the innings, having executed her own ton in just 88 deliveries.

George was one of three Warwickshire wickets to fall in the final over of the innings, but by this stage they had posted a highly competitive total of 314, thanks also to the very handy cameo from the bat of Mary Taylor, who caressed 29 from 20 balls.

In reply, Lancashire did not appear overly hurried by the early scoreboard pressure.

Eve Jones and Emma Lamb put on 96 for the opening partnership as they carefully negotiated the early stages of their chase, but they remained behind the eight ball.

Lamb (40, 53 balls) had her bails removed by home captain Georgia Davis before Jones, formerly of Warwickshire, reached 50 in the following over.

While the Lancashire opener attentively held up one end, cheap wickets began to swiftly fall at the other; Katie Mack was caught and bowled by Charis Paveley (four for 54), who then dismissed visiting skipper Eleanor Threlkeld in her very next over.

Jones remained defiant. She took Hannah Baker for 15 in the space of five deliveries and then pulled Alexa Stonehouse for six through deep backward square leg to bring up a terrifically packaged century.

But when Lancashire’s remaining hope of victory holed out to deep long-on, where Davis took a smart catch off the bowling of Taylor, the target became too stiff an ask.

The impressive Phoebe Brett (three for 42) plundered the late wickets of Collins, Cross and Norris to hinder Lancashire’s efforts further.

Potts (34 from 26 balls) took the chase deep but Warwickshire emerged victors and snared a fifth victory of the competition.