Essex Women v Lancashire Thunder
Vitality Blast
Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford
Wednesday 16 July 2025 | 6pm start
Team News
Essex Women: Grace Scrivens, Lauren Winfield-Hill (wk), Cordelia Griffith, Jodi Grewcock, Maddie Penna, Lissy Macleod, Jo Gardner, Eva Gray, Sophia Smale, Kate Coppack, Abtaha Maqsood.
Lancashire Thunder: Eve Jones, Seren Smale, Tilly Kesteven, Ailsa Lister, Ellie Threlkeld (c & wk), Fi Morris, Alana King, Tara Norris, Darcey Carter, Mahika Gaur, Sophie Norris.
Match Details
Umpires: Ben Debenham & Julia Jarvis
Scorers: Helen Hyde & Alison Bradnock
Toss: Essex Women won the toss and elected to bat first
Result: Lancashire Thunder won by 4 wickets
Match Reaction: Maddie Penna
Match Highlights
Match Report
Two wides from what should have been the last ball of the match saw Lancashire home by four wickets against Essex in a low scoring thriller at Chelmsford.
The Red Rose made hard work of chasing down 108 on a used pitch, but Eve Jones 59 from 58 balls got to the brink before the last-ball drama. It was hard on Essex who defended their score of 107 all out like tigers, Eva Gray 1-14 and Maddie Penna 2-11 their standout bowlers.
Earlier Mahika Gaur threatened an early finish, the young England quick took 3-1 in her first 12 balls, including the wickets of Lauren Winfield-Hill and Grace Scrivens, both for ducks as the hosts stumbled to 12-3.
Gaur finished with 3-22 including 15 dots while Alana King (2-17) and Tara Norris (2-22) were also in the wickets. Lancashire skipper Ellie Threlkeld set a new record for dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the competition with six. Alice Macleod top-scored for Essex with 23.
Gaur gave the game an explosive start with the wicket of former England opener Winfield-Hill with the game’s first ball, a wide half-volley nicked through to Threlkeld.
Her second over brought more carnage with the speedster hooping the ball around corners to find the edge of first Scrivens and then Jody Grewcock’s bat to leave the hosts in tatters.
Cordelia Griffith struck successive boundaries in Gaur’s next over, while Penna lofted one from King back over the bowler’s head as they briefly threatened a fightback. Griffiths though became the fourth batter to edge into the gloves of Threlkeld, while Penna rather tossed her wicket away, hoisting King into the safe hands of Norris in the deep.
Thereafter, only Macleod suggested any permanence, but she too holed out tamely to mid-on, giving Norris a second wicket. Two late runouts contributed to Essex’s woes as they subsided for 68-4 to 107 all out with 10 balls of their innings unused.
Without leading wicket-taker Esmae MacGregor, the onus was on Gray to lead the wicket taking charge and the seamer dismissed Seren Smale as part of a wicket maiden early in the chase.
Only 26 came from the powerplay and Jones was spilt by Griffith at extra-cover on 20, just as she was increasing the pace. Jones celebrated the reprieve with a classic straight drive for four.
Scrivens bowled Tilly Kesteven with a beauty and Ailsa Lister survived a huge lbw shout from Jo Gardner only to be stumped next ball, leaving the Red Rose 51-3 at halfway.
With Gray equally miserly, Threlkeld’s four to long leg was the first for 46 balls and 30 were needed from the final four overs.
Penna struck twice in as many balls, bowling Threlkeld and having Fi Morris caught behind and while King survived the hat-trick ball 24 were needed from the final three.
Jones found the boundary for the sixth time to reach 50 in 49 balls and she and King ran like lightning between the wickets as the runs ticked down. The opener was stumped from the penultimate ball, but two the visitors scrambled home in a breathless finish.
Purchase your England v India tickets!
The England Men under 19s are playing in a four day Test match at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground this summer!
They will face India Men under 19s, including 14-year old IPL superstar Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the youngest player bought in an IPL auction after being selected by Rajasthan Royals. He is also the youngest player to score a century in IPL history!
Day one will begin on July 20 with the final day concluding on July 23.
Tickets are still available via our Ticket Site, so have a browse and get yourself down to CM2 to watch the next generation of international cricketers.
