SOMERSET captain Sophie Luff said she was “proud of each and every one” of her players after they finished top of Division 2 in the ECB Women’s T20 Championship.

Somerset beat Worcestershire by five runs and Derbyshire by eight wickets at Himley CC on Sunday which, combined with results elsewhere falling in their favour, was enough for Somerset to end top of the pile.

Luff was in fine form herself, making 48 not out against Worcestershire before leading the chase with an unbeaten 49 against Derbyshire.

She was one of few experienced heads in a young side with an average age of 20, and Luff paid tribute to her squad.

“Our bowling has been exceptional all year,” she said.

“Our experienced bowlers have put their hands up and the youngsters have all bowled with control and taken wickets at crucial times.

“I would like to give a special mention to Niamh Holland. She is just 14 and probably didn’t expect to play too much senior women’s cricket this season.

"But as with all our young players, she has stepped up and been brilliant.

“We know there is still a lot to work on - our fielding in particular - but we have got over the line in some tight games, which is massive for a young team going forwards.”

Holland has so far taken 13 wickets for the team in all competitions, while fellow youngsters Georgia Tulip (17), Tilly Bond (11) and Lauren Filer (10) have also impressed; Lorraine Szczepanski and Nicole Richards lead the way with 22 scalps apiece.

Luff has been the standout with the bat with 574 runs, while Richards has made 328.

Somerset round off their 50-over campaign with a re-arranged match against Devon at Wombat CC (Bishops Lydeard) on July 14 but, longer term, the future of the Somerset women’s team remains uncertain.

The make-up of domestic women’s cricket from 2020 is still yet to be revealed by the ECB, though the PCA last week announced a County Partnership Agreement (CPA) which included news of 100 new female PCA members from next summer due to the creation of a new professional structure.

“We went into this season not expecting there to be promotion and relegation, just playing each game as it came,” Luff said.

“I still haven’t heard what the plan is for next year.

"It is potentially exciting but you read a lot on social media about what might happen - I will wait and see what actually happens as opposed to what is written.

“If this is our last season as a Somerset team, winning the division is a nice way to round it off.”