Essex Women are set to host Durham Women at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground for the return of the Women's Metro Bank One Day Cup.
Following the first block of Vitality T20 Blast fixtures, the Women's Metro Bank One Day Cup returns with Durham Women visiting Chelmsford on Saturday.
Essex Women will be looking to bounce back in this competition after after suffering a frustrating three-wicket defeat at the Kia Oval to Surrey Women despite being in a commanding position for much of the contest.
Half-centuries from Ariana Dowse (69) and Flo Miller (74 not out) helped Essex recover from 39 for 3 to post a competitive 227, with the pair leading an impressive fightback after an early collapse.
Grace Scrivens' side then appeared firmly in control of the defence. Sophia Smale claimed 2 for 35 and Surrey slipped to 150 for 7, still requiring 78 runs for victory. Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Alice Davidson-Richards and Alice Monaghan were all dismissed during a superb Essex spell that put the visitors on course for victory.
However, Surrey's lower order produced a decisive recovery as Priyanaz Chatterji (38 not out) and Aylish Cranstone (31 not out) shared an unbroken 79-run partnership for the eighth wicket to guide the hosts home with 47 balls remaining.
Essex will take confidence from the performances of Dowse, Miller and Smale, as well as a bowling display that had Surrey under significant pressure before the late turnaround, and will be eager to turn those positives into a winning result.
Stephen Parry has named a 14-player squad for the clash against Durham, which includes new signing Nancy Harman.
Abtaha Maqsood is unavailable due to suffering a hand fracture whilst on international duty with Scotland. Unfortunately, this has ruled Abtaha out of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup and an update on her return will be released in due course.
After sustaining a leg injury against Lancashire Thunder, Cordelia Griffith will undertake rehab and will be unavailable for the remainder of the season.
Everyone at Essex County Cricket Club wishes Cordelia and Abtaha the best in their recoveries.
Captain: Hollie Armitage
Head Coach: Dani Hazell
2025 finish: 6th
2025 leading run-scorer: Hollie Armitage (624)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Phoebe Turner (22)
Winter moves: Australian wicketkeeper-opener Tahlia Wilson has signed overseas terms for the first half of this competition. She is the only arrival ahead of 2026, with no departures. Wilson, 26, was part of the New South Wales side which reached last month’s WNCL final. She has also made her international debut inside the last fortnight, an ODI appearance in the West Indies. Emerging batter Harriet Robson has signed her maiden rookie professional contract.
The big question: Durham showed encouraging signs last summer, winning five of their 14 games, with one of those victories at home to eventual champions Lancashire in late July. They had a chance of semi-final qualification going into the final round of group games, only to lose to Surrey at the Banks Homes Riverside. With a year’s experience under their belts, can they kick on and mount a bigger challenge for the semi-finals?
Player to watch: All-rounder Phoebe Turner was the second leading wicket-taker in last season’s One Day Cup. Her 22 wickets actually made her the most prolific seamer, with only Warwickshire off-spinner Georgia Davis (23) bettering her haul. Turner, 22, has just signed a contract extension through until the end of 2027 and has England A experience under her belt. She was also part of England’s Performance Programme during the winter.
Final thoughts: Durham start at home to defending champions Lancashire on April 11, and there’s more northern rivalry this summer with Yorkshire having been elevated to Tier 1. A number of Durham’s squad were based at Headingley within the Northern Diamonds set-up in the old regional era, and some came through the White Rose system – captain Hollie Armitage, for one. They meet for the first time at Scarborough on April 29.
Durham squad: TBC
Essex fell to a 23-run defeat against Durham in the Metro Bank One Day Cup despite a determined chase of a daunting 312-run target.
After Durham won the toss and elected to bat, Essex struggled to contain opener Tahlia Wilson, whose career-best 152 anchored the home side’s innings. Wilson shared a record 137-run opening partnership with Emma Marlow (53) before adding a further century stand with captain Hollie Armitage (81). Essex did create chances, but missed opportunities in the field proved costly as Durham posted an imposing 311 for three.
In response, Essex made a positive start through Grace Scrivens (47) and Cordelia Griffith (50), who put together a composed opening partnership and kept the required rate under control during the early stages. However, Durham struck at key moments after the first wicket fell, removing both set batters and putting Essex under pressure.
Jodi Grewcock continued her strong form with a fighting 77, registering a second consecutive half-century, while Florence Miller provided support as Essex attempted to stay in the contest. Despite their efforts, the visitors were unable to build the substantial partnerships needed in the latter stages of the chase.
Essex eventually finished on 288 for five, falling 23 runs short. While there were encouraging contributions with the bat from Griffith, Scrivens and Grewcock, Durham’s match-winning total – driven by Wilson’s outstanding innings – ultimately proved beyond reach.
Click here for the tournament preview.
Click here for our One Day Cup Spectator Guide.
If you are unable to attend any of the matchdays, the game will be available to watch via the Essex Cricket YouTube livestream. Alternatively, you can keep up to date with the game via our social media channels as we provide live updates.
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Daily highlights will be available after each day's play via the Club website and social media.
Tickets are available to purchase both online in advance or on the gate on matchday.
Unallocated tickets are available for just £10 with discounts available on family tickets. Purchase a Junior ticket and you can apply for a FREE Junior Membership Upgrade for the 2026 season! Junior Membership includes free entrance to all home Rothesay County Championship and Metro Bank One Day Cup matches.
Please note that the start time is 10:30am so gates will open to spectators at 9:30am.
To secure your seats for Wednesday, please click here or call 01245 254010.
