Niamh Holland achieved her highest Vitality Blast score to end Somerset’s losing streak with a two-wicket victory over Essex and maintain their slim hopes of securing a place on finals day.

The 21-year-old all-rounder, who featured in the recent England A 50-over series against India, held her nerve after a late flurry of wickets to push Somerset over the line at Chelmsford with a brilliant unbeaten 92 off 54 balls.

Needing a win to keep their own qualification chances alive, Essex looked on course for an impressive total after captain Grace Scrivens (73 off 51) and Sophia Smale (43 off 29) guided them to 142-1.

But they lost their way after losing three wickets in as many deliveries, with Somerset seamer Erin Vukusic taking 3-31 to restrict their opponents to 177-5.

Anneke Bosch, whose unbeaten 84 had sealed Essex’s victory over Surrey two days earlier, looked to be riding that wave with 18 for 11 after Somerset won the toss and put their hosts behind.

Although Vukusic fooled Bosch with a slower delivery that he skied to aim, it did not derail Essex’s momentum as Scrivens created a series of off-side boundaries and also dragged Holland towards the fence to get past his 50.

Somerset squandered opportunities to remove the left-hander, with Maddie Russell and Sophie Luff making errors behind square and Smale chiming in with some innovative strokes and powerful straight shots as the pair added 99 off 60.

But a team hat-trick, with the wily Vukusic dismissing Smale before spinner Chloe Skelton, whose first two overs had cost 26, bowled Scrivens and Liberty Heap in successive balls, ruined Essex’s hopes of getting close to 200.

They recovered again through Jo Gardner’s lively 19 off 18 before Vukusic caught her in the deep, closing the innings with a disciplined death to give Somerset momentum at the start of their chase.

Sophie Munro initially regained that in favor of the home team, removing Bex Odgers with an outswinger on the first ball and then claiming the key wicket of Luff, taken at long-on after a juggling act by Bryony Gillgrass.

The in-form Abi Learoyd kept the scoreboard moving, punishing anything short and capitalizing on powerplay restrictions as she advanced to 35 from 23, only to be castled by Eva Gray.

Holland took over, pulling Smale to the rope and then giving Scrivens the charge, with three successive boundaries taking her to 17 in an over to force the required run rate below eight.

A cut four from Smale took Holland to a half-century off 28 balls and Somerset’s only genuine concern was keeping wickets intact, with four falling in quick succession to the impressive Esmae MacGregor (4-26).

But, with seven needed in the final over, it was not enough for MacGregor to defend and Holland bowled the penultimate delivery for two to seal a tense victory.

Report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.