Essex Women U18 v Nottinghamshire Women U18
U18 Women County Cup, 3rd/4th-Place Play-Off
Grantham Cricket Club, Grantham
Friday 01 September 2023, 10:30am start
Team News:
Essex: Bella Howarth, Hollie Dring-Richardson, Bella Johnson (c), Jasmine Westley, Esmae Macgregor, Sally Chapman, Prisha Bedi, Frankie Hughes, Jessica Pugh, Millie Rawlins (wk), Sophia Mitchell, Cara Castleman.
Nottinghamshire: Ella Porter, Diya Badge, Annie Williams, Maddie Ward (c), Rhiannon Knowling-Davies, Olivia Baker, Eleanor Owen, Evee-Mae Hicklin, Hayva Abbott, Sadie Hodgson, Ruby Neal, Libby Armitage.
Match Details:
Scorer: Joanna Johnson
Toss: Essex won the toss and elected to bowl first
Result: Essex won by six wickets
Scorecard: View Here
Match Report:
Essex U18 Women finished third in the ECB County Cup after defeating Nottinghamshire in the third/fourth-place play-off at Grantham Cricket Club.
Despite falling short of reaching the final after a five-wicket defeat against eventual winners Staffordshire, the young Eagles came back strongly against the East Midlands outfit the following day.
In the semi-final, also at Grantham, Bella Howarth top-scored with 29 and wickets were shared evenly all around the attack, with the most economical figures of 1/2 from five overs going to Bella Johnson.
However, Staffordshire chased down Essex’s 86 all out in the 29th over as captain Ebony Jade Tweats matched Howarth’s earlier score by hitting the winning runs.
The third/fourth-place play-off provided another opportunity for the young Eagles, however, and they took full advantage by cruising to a comfortable win in chasing down Notts’ 128-9.
Hollie Dring-Richardson made a fluent 55 in 66 balls and Esmae Macgregor finished unbeaten on 33 off 45, with the duo sharing in a partnership of 70 for the fourth wicket to guide Essex to victory.
Prisha Bedi had earlier claimed 4/21 from eight overs as the young Green and Golds were heavily restricted, with Rhiannon Knowling-Davies’ 43 the only score above the teens.
Jessica Pugh, Cara Castleman, and Johnson all claimed a wicket apiece too as Essex set themselves an easily reachable target, and the efforts of Dring-Richardson and Macgregor saw them chase it down to take the bronze.
