Warwickshire defeated Lancashire by four wickets in a Metro Bank One-Day Cup game at Southport reduced to 42 overs per side due to rain.

Chasing a target of 227, Charis Pavely, the leading run scorer in the competition, top-scored with 63 before a brilliant, unbeaten seventh wicket stand of 75 off 66 balls between Mary Taylor (42 not out) and Nat Wraith (34 not out) clinched victory with nine balls to spare as Warwickshire finished on 230 for 6.

Lancashire made 226 for 9 after being put in to bat with the bulk of the runs coming from skipper Ellie Threlkeld (39) and Maddie Penna (38) during a third-wicket partnership of 83. Cross marshalled the lower order adroitly in making 34 off 33 balls while Taylor returned her best Warwickshire bowling figures of 3 for 47 and both Phoebe Brett and Georgia Davis took two wickets apiece.

Cross struck early in the Warwickshire reply bowling Amu Surenkumar for 4, but Georgia Redmayne, the Australian overseas player brought into the side for two games ahead of the start of the T20s, batted with assurance until edging behind off Grace Potts for 28 with the visitors 45 for 2 at the start of the 12th over.

Pavely and Meg Austin added 49 in seven overs, with Pavely hitting a six and two fours as 17 runs were taken from Grace Johnson in the 18th over. Cross returned to snare Austin for 22 but a 36-run stand for the fourth wicket between Pavely and Abbey Freeborn took Warwickshire to 130 for 4 in the 28th over.

Freeborn was well caught by Potts at fine leg for 20 and Chloe Brewer run out for 3 by Penna just after Pavely had reached a 49-ball fifty with 88 required from 73 balls. As the rate required increased, Pavely hit out but fell for 63, caught by Cross off Norris in the 32nd over. But with the game in the balance, Wraith and Taylor kept Warwickshire in the hunt with a scintillating partnership, much of it made as rain fell steadily. It was Taylor who struck the winning runs in the 41st over as the sunny conditions returned.

Eve Jones and Seren Smale posted a steady opening partnership of 36 for Lancashire before both fell in quick succession, Jones edging Taylor to first slip for 19 followed by Smale lbw to left arm spinner Phoebe Brett for 14.

Threlkeld and Penna produced an excellent partnership to rebuild, both driving down the ground with purpose to take the score to 120 for 2 in the 24th over. Davis took two wickets in six balls as both set batters departed to ambitious shots, Penna bowled for 38 reverse-sweeping and Threlkeld caught at short extra cover on the drive for 39.

Fi Morris (21), Ailsa Lister (27) and Cross, with a hard-hitting 34, put some impetus into the remainder of the hosts’ innings despite further wickets for Brett (2-35) and Taylor. That helped the Lancashire lower order take 63 from the final ten overs to reach 226 for 9 but Warwickshire chased it down impressively.