Georgia Adams & Freya Davies get season off to a flyer against Derbyshire

Sussex Women began their bid for an immediate return to the top flight of the Royal London One-Day Championship with an emphatic 251-run win over Derbyshire on Sunday.

A run-a-ball century for captain Georgia Adams and Freya Davies’ six wickets for just ten runs were the highlights of a crushing victory.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Adams set a pace to match the blistering heat at the Aldridge Cricket Academy Ground.

After losing her opening partner, Danni Wyatt for 19, Adams combined with England wicketkeeper, Sarah Taylor (52) in putting on 134 for the second wicket.

When another of England’s superstars, Georgia Elwiss fell for 16 with the score on 213, Adams was one run short of a memorable century.

She soon reached the landmark – the second of her Championship career - prompting jubilant celebrations from the Sussex dressing room.

The 24-year-old was eventually caught for 106 off 104 balls having laid the foundation for a mammoth Sussex total.

Abi Freeborn with 38 from 35 balls, Izzy Collis with an unbeaten 24 off 30 balls and Tara Norris who dispatched her only ball to the boundary then saw Sussex up to 316-7, their second highest score in Championship history.

Davies made an immediate impact with the ball, having opener Megan Pittman caught behind by Taylor with the first ball of the Derbyshire reply.

At one stage the visitors were 5-4, then 17-5 as Davies with support from Norris and Elwiss decimated the Derbyshire top order.

Alice Dyson (27) and Leah Kellogg (15) displayed some resistance, putting on 30 for the sixth wicket, but Davies got rid of them to secure her fourth and fifth wickets.

The England Academy seamer’s sixth came when Natasha Allen was caught by Wyatt. It was left to Chiara Green and Norris to finish off the innings and complete the win.

Davies’ figures were the second best in Sussex history, matching Charlotte Burton’s effort and behind only Holly Colvin’s 7-3.

Taking 10 points for the win plus maximum bonus points, Sussex sit in joint first place in the table with Berkshire on 18 points.

The women play their second match of the competition against Northamptonshire at the Blackstone Academy Ground, sponsored by Hurstpierpoint College today.

A full scorecard of the Derbyshire match is available HERE.