The curtain raiser of the 2023 edition of the Charlotte Edwards Cup will kick off with a face-off between Sunrisers and Central Sparks. The game is scheduled to take place at The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, on May 18, 2023, at 11:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
In the previous edition, the Sunrisers struggled, losing all six matches, while, the Central Sparks had a strong showing with four wins in six games. The Sparks advanced to the playoffs, finished as the runners-up, and will look to finish one better this season.
Squads:
Sunrisers – Kelly Castle (C), Amara Carr (WK), Mia Rogers (WK), Scarlett Hughes (wk), Alice Macleod, Cordelia Griffith, Flo Miller, Jessica Olorenshaw, Jodie Grewcock, Katherine Speed, Saskia Horley, Dane van Niekerk, Grace Scrivens, Jo Gardner, Mady Villiers, Abtaha Maqsood, Eva Gray, Kate Coppack
Central Sparks – Eve Jones (C), Abbey Freeborn (WK), Amy Jones (WK), Ami Campbell, Bethan Ellis, Charis Pavely, Chloe Brewer, Davina Perrin, Poppy Davies, Emily Arlott, Erin Burns, Issy Wong, Katie George, Ria Fackrell, Anisha Patel, Ellie Anderson, Georgia Davis, Grace Potts, Hannah L Baker, Liz Russell
Players to watch out:
Mady Villiers
The 24-year-old bowling all-rounder in 15 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) has struck 14 wickets and has got the best figures of 3/10. In the lead-up to the event, Villiers scored the highest of 70 and recorded best figures of 3/42 in a 50-over competition.
Grace Scrivens
The 19-year-old batting all-rounder who also captained the national Under-19 side to the World Cup Final, in the 50-over competition, scored the highest of 67 and sent down many economical spells.
Amy Jones
The 29-year-old keeper-batter of the national senior women’s team in 69 T20Is has scored 1250 runs, including the highest of 89 at a strike rate of 120.54. Amy played a lone game in the lead-up and scored a fine 40.
Issy Wong
The 21-year-old pacer in 9 T20I outings has struck 7 wickets and has got the best figures of 2/10. Issy is in hot form and building on from a successful Women’s Premier League (WPL) edition, she struck 6 wickets in 5 innings in the 50-over competition.
Pitch:
The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, dishes a well-balanced center wicket that’s favorable for both batters and bowlers, especially the spinners to make an impact on the game. The average score in the 140s indicates favorable conditions for scoring runs as well.
Weather:
The conditions are very pleasant to be at the cricket with a partly cloudy overhead and low chances of rain. The temperature is expected to hover around 14°C with light winds and a humidity of 60%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Amy Jones, Eve Jones, Dane van Niekerk, Erin Burns, Mady Villiers, Emily Arlott, Issy Wong Grace Scrivens, Abtaha Maqsood, Georgia Davis, Eva Gray
Match details:
Date – May 18, 2023
Time – 11:00 PM IST
Venue – The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford
Broadcast – All games of the series will be streamed live and for free on the FanCode app and website.
