Chelmsford hosted an action-packed 61st match of the ECB Women’s One-Day Cup as Surrey Women took on Essex Women in a high-stakes clash. The home side won the toss and sent Surrey in to bat first, seeking to make early inroads with the ball.
Essex’s opening bowler Esmae MacGregor struck quickly, removing Surrey opener Rachel King for just 1 run off 8 balls in the 3rd over. MacGregor struck again shortly after to bowl Ivreen Dhaliwal for 10 off 16 balls, leaving Surrey struggling early at 29 for 2 in the 7th over.
Despite the early setbacks, Bryony Smith injected urgent momentum into the innings, blitzing a swift 59 off 41 deliveries, featuring 12 crisp boundaries. Smith partnered with Sune Luus to construct an energetic 87-run third-wicket stand before Sophia Smale bowled Smith to leave Surrey at 116 for 3.
Luus anchored the middle overs, scoring a vital 67 off 68 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes. She shared a 28-run fourth-wicket partnership with skipper Alice Davidson-Richards, who added 19 off 31 balls before falling lbw to Abtaha Maqsood. Maqsood struck again shortly after, having Luus stumped by Ella Claridge to leave the innings balanced at 176 for 5 in the 29th over.
The lower middle order ensured Surrey did not lose steam. Priyanaz Chatterji anchored the death overs with a masterful 77 off 70 balls, striking 9 fours and a six. Chatterji formed a solid 58-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Alice Monaghan, who made a handy 32 off 33 balls before being dismissed by Grace Scrivens.
Phoebe Franklin then provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 43 off 34 balls, combining with Chatterji for a 103-run stand. Scrivens dismissed Chatterji late in the 50th over, and Emily Burke finished 5 not out off 2 balls as Surrey closed their 50 overs at an imposing 344 for 7.
For Essex, Esmae MacGregor (2/49), Abtaha Maqsood (2/41), and Grace Scrivens (2/40) were the primary wicket-takers, while Sophia Smale took 1 for 78. Clara Thaker, Sophie Munro, and Bryony Gillgrass went wicketless.
In response, Essex Women faced a tough mountain to climb. The run chase suffered early setbacks when Priyanaz Chatterji dismissed captain Grace Scrivens for 24 off 36 balls, breaking an opening stand of 26 runs. Sune Luus followed up by trapping Bryony Gillgrass lbw for 7, reducing Essex to 37 for 2.
Alice Macleod and Sophia Smale then put together a steady 46-run partnership for the third wicket. Smale contributed 19 off 23 balls before caught-and-bowled by Izzy Sidhu. Macleod pushed on to top-score for Essex with a well-fought 40 off 42 balls, but her dismissal by Danielle Gregory left Essex at 111 for 4.
The Essex middle order kept fighting, with Ella Claridge making 16 off 26 balls before falling to Chatterji, and Joanne Gardner adding a resilient 34 off 45 balls. Mollie Adams provided further intent with a quick 28 off 30 balls, combining with Gardner for a 61-run stand. However, regular wickets halted their progress.
Emily Burke struck twice in quick succession to dismiss Gardner lbw and bowl Esmae MacGregor for a duck. Lower-order batter Sophie Munro provided late resistance with an unbeaten 38 off 31 balls. Gregory removed Clara Thaker for 9, and Luus ended the match by having Abtaha Maqsood caught for a duck, wrapping up the Essex innings for 226 in 45.5 overs.
Surrey’s bowling unit shared the rewards evenly, with Izzy Sidhu (2/38), Sune Luus (2/52), Emily Burke (2/33), Priyanaz Chatterji (2/21), and Danielle Gregory (2/30) each picking up two wickets. Alice Monaghan also put in a 7-over effort, yielding 48 runs.
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