Middlesex v Essex
ECB Women’s County 50-Over
Coggeshall Town CC
Sunday 30 June 2024 | 11:00am
Team News
Middlesex: Saskia Horley, Issy Routledge*, Natasha Miles, Riva Pindoria, Sonali Patel, Georgia Irving, Artemis Downer, Bhavika Gajipra, Iqraa Hussain+, Layla Judge, Anisha Dissanayake
Essex: Jess Bird, Bella Howarth, Jasmine Westley, Tilly Callaghan, Kelly Castle*, Scarlett Hughes, Katherine Speed, Grace Poole, Sophia Mitchell, Hannah Davis, Sally Chapman
Match Details
Umpires: David Braulick & Angela Tuff
Scorers: Joanna Johnson & Carol Bryant
Toss: Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat first
Scorecard: View here
Match Report
A swift Jasmine Westley half-century was not enough for Essex to chase down a tough Middlesex total in the sides’ Women’s County 50-Over clash at Coggeshall Town CC.
Westley struck 64 in just 57 balls, and captain Kelly Castle’s 31 chipped in along with some other solid cameos, but the visitors’ imposing 308-5 proved a bridge too far as Essex could only muster 227.
The Seaxes’ total was underpinned by opener Saskia Horley’s 89 and Natasha Miles’ 69 not out, with their efforts hoisting Middlesex to a big score in spite of Grace Poole’s 2/63.
Visiting captain Issy Routledge won the toss and elected to bat first, and opening alongside Horley, she ensured Middlesex began on the front foot, with a sizeable opening partnership of 142 in 22 overs.
Contained within that was Horley’s half-century, which she reached in the tenth over from 33 balls, having hit 13 fours.
Sally Chapman finally secured the breakthrough for Essex, seeing Horley caught by Jasmine Westley to end her 73-ball stay, though the pair of Routledge and Miles conspired to push the total past 150.
A piece of excellent fielding from Katherine Speed ran out the visiting skipper while she was four short of her fifty, but another good stand between Miles and Riva Pindoria continued to accumulate runs.
Pindoria fell to a Scarlett Hughes catch off the bowling of Tilly Callaghan for 49 from 45, before Poole picked up the first of her brace in the next over by seeing Sonali Patel held by Castle for a duck.
That was moments before Miles went to a 69-ball fifty that contained six fours, with Middlesex scoring runs at such a rate that their challenge from that point being to see if they could post 300.
Their efforts to do so were dented when Poole struck again, bowling Georgia Irving for a run-a-ball 13, though Miles and Artemis Downer did manage to achieve the aim, and more, with a 10-run final over.
It was regular wickets that meant Essex, for all the effort they put in, struggled to match the required rate, though Westley, batting at three, did lead the initial charge.
Her half-century, which came up in the 17th over from just 35 balls, kept the Eagles in contention, as did her fifty partnership with Callaghan, who supported her well for 19.
However, the rate continued to creep upwards, with even Castle’s swift 31 unable to bring the requirement under 10 per over by the 40th.
Speed and Sophia Mitchell did what they could, but when both fell, the end was nigh, and it finally came with a little under five overs to go with the last wicket, at the hands of Horley.
The Eagles Have Landed: The 2024 Vitality Blast at The Cloud County Ground
Fresh from a Finals Day appearance last summer, Essex are now back in Vitality Blast action for 2024.
With the Eagles sitting fourth in the South Group and firmly in contention for another knockout match, demand for tickets remains exceptionally high.
As Essex continue to aim towards going one better in 2024, there is no time to waste to snap up your seats.
Friday 05 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Somerset – SOLD OUT
Thursday 11 July, 7:00pm: Essex v Kent Spitfires – buy here
Sunday 14 July, 2:30pm: Essex v Surrey – buy here
