Davies and McCarthy star in thrilling one-wicket win

Sussex Women claimed their second win of the season in thrilling fashion, beating Hampshire by one-wicket on Sunday. 

Following their narrow 23-run defeat to Nottinghamshire on Women's County Cricket Day, head coach Alexia Walker named an unchanged squad for the trip to Totton & Eling CC. 

That meant Tara Norris, who has started the campaign impressively with both bat and ball, opened the bowling after Hampshire opted to bat first, and claimed the first wicket of the day when Maia Bouchier was caught behind by Carla Rudd for eight. 

The home side's tricky start continued when Cassidy McCarthy had Ella Chandler caught for five by Rudd, and the young Sussex bowler soon had a second wicket to her name when Emily Windsor was bowled for nought. 

McCarthy was bowling brilliantly, and she combined with Rudd again when Fi Morris was caught by the wicket-keeper for two. McCarthy's excellent spell with the ball left Hampshire reeling on 47-4, but while wickets tumbled around her, opening batter Charlie Dean offered some resistance. 

She reached 27 before captain Georgia Adams caught her off the bowling of Linsey Smith, and then Lucia Kendall was run out by Smith's England team-mate, Freya Davies. 

Davies also claimed the wicket of Katie George, trapping the Hampshire captain LBW for 25, and finished with figures of 2-23 when she bowled Alice Monaghan for three. 

After taking three wickets, McCarthy ran out Clover Crosse to leave the hosts 126-9, and Paige Scholfield finished off the Hampshire innings when she bowled Providence Cowdrill for nine. 

Sussex required 128 to win, and Adams opened the batting alongside Ella McCaughan, before she was caught by Lucia Kendall off the bowling of Charlie Dean for 11. 

Isabelle Collis was next to fall, run out by Monaghan for two, before McCaughan, who was looking comfortable out in the middle, was dismissed for 24. 

McCaughan's replacement, Chiara Green was then out first ball, caught and bowled by Fi Morris, and the Hampshire bowler had her third wicket of the afternoon when Scholfield was out for nine. 

Sussex looked to be in some real trouble when Morris' next victim, Rudd, was also out for nine, with the visiting side 65-6 and still needing 63 runs for victory.

However, Davies led the fightback with a vital 29, with help from Ella Wadey, who scored seven, and Norris, who scored eight.

Davies' excellent knock included three fours, and after Wadey and Norris were dismissed by Dean and Cowdrill, she was joined by Nancy Harman. 

With just one wicket in hand, Davies and Harman batted expertly, and the duo finished unbeaten on 29* and nine* to seal victory and 16 points. 

A full scorecard can be found HERE.