Hollie Armitage staged a well-judged unbeaten half century to guide Durham to a six-wicket win over Somerset in a close-fought Vitality Blast contest at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.

Durham’s skipper made 65 not out from 45 deliveries and struck seven fours as the visitors chased down a victory target of 155 with five balls to spare.

Sophie Luff top-scored for Somerset with a 38-ball 56 and Alex Griffiths and Chloe Skelton contributed valuable lower-order runs, but Mady Villiers set up Durham’s fourth consecutive win, taking 4 for 28, her best figures for the county.

Somerset won the toss and Durham’s spinners made early in-roads, Villiers bowling Bex Odgers for 17 and Katie Levick dismissing Anika Learoyd in similar fashion to restrict the home side to 42 for 2 in the powerplay. But Somerset still mustered sufficient boundaries to bring pressure to bear on the bowlers, the impressive Luff scoring freely both sides of the wicket.

Niamh Holland had made 15 when she ramped a delivery from Abi Glen to short fine leg and Katie Jones came and went quickly, miscuing to extra cover to hand Villiers another scalp as Somerset slipped to 71 for 4. Unfazed by events at the other end, Luff continued to find the gaps, plundering three boundaries in one Glen over and going to a 32-ball half century to provide the innings with much-needed momentum during the middle overs.

Luff was afforded a life on 50 when dropped by Emily Windsor at square leg off the bowling of Heather Graham, but there was no escape when Somerset’s captain gave Villiers the charge and Mia Rogers executed a smart stumping. Villiers then accounted for Ruby Davis three balls later with the score 106 for 6 in the 14th.

That was the cue for Griffiths and Skelton to launch a late onslaught, the seventh-wicket pair accruing five boundaries between them in a progressive stand of 49 from 29 balls to haul their team to a competitive total.

Armitage and Villiers provided the reply with solid foundations, adding 51 in 6.5 overs. Having raised a quickfire 30 with five boundaries, Villiers drove a ball from Erin Vukusic to extra cover to offer Somerset respite. But it proved short-lived, Armitage and Windsor combining deft placement and quick running in a partnership of 37 to give Durham an edge at halfway.

Somerset kept plugging away, Skelton bowling Windsor for 25 and Liv Barnes inducing Bess Heath to hole out to deep midwicket as the visitors slipped to 96-3 in the 14th.

When Skelton pinned Graham lbw, Durham still needed 41 off 28 balls, and much depended on the experienced Armitage, who went to 50 from 35 balls. She found a willing ally in Mia Rogers, these two staging an unbroken stand of 43 in 23 balls to make the difference.