Essex v Sussex
Women’s County 50-Over
Felsted School
Sunday 21 April 2024, 11am start
Team News
Essex: Jessica Bird*, Catherine Dalton, Bella Johnson, Matilda Callaghan, Katherine Speed, Jasmine Westley, Grace Poole, Yasmin Daswani+, Hannah Davis, Sophia Mitchell, Prisha Bedi, Millie Rawlins.
Sussex: Lucy Western, Alice MacLeod, Izzy Collis, Chiara Green, Phoebe Wilkinson, Maya Champion, Daisy Gibb, Beth Harvey, Hope Mullins, Regina Suddahazai, Millie Taylor, Mollie Adams+.
Match Details
Toss: Sussex won the toss and opted to field
Result: Sussex won by seven wickets
Scorecard: View Here
Match Report
A 157-run third wicket partnership between Alice MacLeod and Chiara Green saw Sussex to a seven-wicket win over Essex in both sides’ opening game of the 2024 Women’s County 50-Over.
Debutant MacLeod hit an unbeaten 84 from 92 balls, while captain Green made a more measured 68 as, despite being reduced to 6-2 early on, the visitors overhauled their target of 170 in 33 overs.
Green had won the toss and opted to insert the hosts at Felsted School, and her decision quickly paid off with the Eagles being reduced to 47-3 after 11 overs.
However, Matilda Callaghan and Katherine Speed, who both made 30 to share the highest individual score in the Essex innings, came together to add 31 before they were separated just before halfway.
Speed battled valiantly for her knock, and with Jasmine Westley for company, took the hosts past three figures before both departed by the end of the 35th over.
Wicketkeeper Yasmin Daswani added 22 from 33 late on to help the total go beyond 150, but the dismissal of Prisha Bedi off the penultimate ball of the 48th over ended the innings prematurely.
In response, Essex tails were up early as Sophia Mitchell struck gold twice in three deliveries in her opening over, bowling Lucy Western for a golden duck and pinning Izzy Collis lbw second ball.
Despite that lightning start, hopes faded as opener MacLeod and Green remained untroubled for the next 29 overs to chalk off the majority of the runs, with both making individual half-centuries.
Westley removed Green with seven still needed, caught by Speed, but the game was put to bed eight balls later as McLeod hit the winning single to confirm a successful chase.
Paul Davidge’s Eagles side are next in action away to Surrey in the same competition at Wimbledon CC on Bank Holiday Monday, 06 May.
Women’s Cricket at Chelmsford in 2024
Essex Women’s full fixture list for the 2024 season is available to view here.
Three fixtures will be staged at The Cloud County Ground, including the Battle of the Bridge T20 clash against Kent on Wednesday 07 August (6pm start).
England Women return to Chelmsford on Wednesday 29 May with Heather Knight’s team facing Pakistan in a Metro Bank One Day International. Play begins at 1pm for a day/night fixture under the lights at The Cloud County Ground.
Sunrisers will compete in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (50-over) and Charlotte Edwards Cup (20-over) competitions at The Cloud County Ground with their opening 50-over match taking place on Saturday 27 April (10:30am) against The Blaze.
Tickets for all these fixtures are available now from essexcricket.org.uk and you can visit here for further information.
