In the 69th match of the ECB Women’s One-Day Cup at Chesterfield, Essex Women faced off against The Blaze Women in a compelling domestic clash.
Essex Women kicked off their innings with an opening partnership between Bryony Gillgrass and skipper Grace Scrivens. The duo set a steady foundation, accumulating 34 runs together before Cassidy McCarthy struck in the 8th over to dismiss Gillgrass for a quickfire 19 off 21 balls (3 fours). Scrivens was then joined by Jodi Grewcock, but their second-wicket stand yielded only 16 runs before Grewcock (5 off 15 balls) fell to McCarthy, caught by Lucy Higham with the score at 50/2.
Sophia Smale entered at number four and built a 30-run partnership alongside her captain. Smale looked promising, striking 3 boundaries for her 20 off 27 balls, but Higham trapped her lbw to leave Essex at 80/3 in the 19th over. Higham struck again shortly after, removing Joanne Gardner for just 1 run (caught by Grace Ballinger) to break a brief 2-run stand and leave Essex struggling at 82/4. Wickets continued to fall in rapid succession as Kirstie Gordon trapped Mollie Adams lbw for 3, ending a 4-run stand at 86/5. Liberty Heap followed soon after, bowled by Kathryn Bryce for 1, as Essex slipped to 89/6 after a minor 3-run partnership.
Through all the chaos, captain Grace Scrivens stood firm, anchoring the middle overs alongside Sophie Munro. Together, they constructed Essex’s most resilient partnership of the match, adding 41 crucial runs for the 7th wicket. Munro scored a patient 10 off 39 balls before being run out by Tammy Beaumont at 130/7 in the 38th over. Esmae MacGregor then joined Scrivens to add 20 runs for the 8th wicket, chipping in with 13 off 20 balls (2 fours) before offering a catch back to Gordon.
With the score at 150/8, Scrivens’ remarkable marathon inning finally came to an end. She was bowled by Gordon for a gallant 70 off 116 balls, including 6 boundaries, leaving Essex at 156/9. Clara Thaker remained unbeaten on 1 off 8 balls, while Abtaha Maqsood was the final batter dismissed for 3, caught by McCarthy off Kathryn Bryce. Essex Women were bowled out for 159 in 45.4 overs. The Blaze’s bowling unit put in a disciplined performance, led by captain Kirstie Gordon’s 3 for 25 in 9 overs. Kathryn Bryce was exceptionally economical with 2 for 14 in 7.4 overs, alongside solid spells from Lucy Higham (2/28) and Cassidy McCarthy (2/44). Grace Ballinger (0/23) and Charley Phillips (0/24) also kept tight control during their stints.
Chasing a target of 160, The Blaze Women got off to a fluent start with opening partners Sarah Bryce and Tammy Beaumont putting together a 30-run opening stand in just under 5 overs. Esmae MacGregor provided Essex with their lone breakthrough, bowling Beaumont for 7 off 17 balls (1 four). However, that was the only celebration Essex enjoyed for the remainder of the chase. Kathryn Bryce joined her sister Sarah Bryce at the crease, and the duo completely dismantled the opposition with a ruthless, unbroken 132-run partnership for the second wicket.
Sarah Bryce smashed a blistering 70* off 52 balls with 10 fours, while Kathryn Bryce matched her intensity by hammering 67* off 46 balls, laced with 12 fours and a six. The Essex bowlers found no answers against the counter-attacking sisters. MacGregor took 1 for 35, while Clara Thaker (0/13), Sophie Munro (0/19), Sophia Smale (0/36), Abtaha Maqsood (0/20), Jodi Grewcock (0/29), and Bryony Gillgrass (0/8) all bore the brunt of the onslaught. The Blaze Women raced to 162/1 in just 19.1 overs, sealing a dominant 9-wicket victory with 185 balls remaining.
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