Essex Women return to Metro Bank One Day Cup action when they travel to Blackpool to face Lancashire Women on Tuesday.
All eyes return on the longer format as Stephen Parry's group resume the One Day Cup campaign against his former side Lancashire, following Sunday's Vitality T20 County Cup victory against Gloucestershire Women at Castle Park.
Essex Women advanced to the next round of the County Cup with a commanding 61-run win over Gloucestershire at Castle Park, Colchester. After early wickets, Jo Gardner's explosive 36 from 17 balls helped rebuild the innings, while Flo Miller (22), Eva Gray (25 not out) and Ariana Dowse (26 not out) guided Essex to 194 for 6.
Essex struck immediately in Gloucestershire's reply as Munro took a wicket with the first ball. Kate Coppack, Bryony Gillgrass and Esmae MacGregor all made key breakthroughs, with MacGregor claiming two wickets on her home ground.
Coppack took the final wicket to complete a dominant victory and book Essex's place in the next round, where they will face Northamptonshire Women in August.
Stephen Parry has named a 14-player squad for the trip up to Blackpool, which includes the return South African international Anneke Bosche.
Essex Women's Captain Grace Scrivens, Jodi Grewcock and Sophia Smale are all unavailable due to their selection with England Women A. Therefore, Eva Gray will continue to captain the team.
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: Ellie Threlkeld
Head Coach: Chris Read
2025 finish: Champions
2025 leading run-scorer: Emma Lamb (794)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Grace Potts (16)
Winter moves: September’s final hero Gaby Lewis returns as overseas, Ireland’s captain having hit a stunning unbeaten 141 in chasing 289 at Hampshire to complete the County T20 and One Day Cup double. Fellow opener Tilly Kesteven, star of May’s County Cup final against Surrey – has signed her maiden pro contract. Experienced seamer Phoebe Graham has retired into a pathway coaching role, joining new senior bowling coaches Mattie McKiernan and Scott Boswell.
The big question: Can Lancashire go one step further and complete the treble? It will be a huge ask, of course, despite the immense quality they have. But the Red Rose were frustrated at missing out on a Finals Day place in the Vitality Blast last year and want to rectify that in 2026. Largely speaking, though, the hunters are now the hunted. It’s a challenge they are excited to tackle.
Player to watch: The obvious one would be Emma Lamb. Her form with the bat was sensational, sailing beyond 1,000 runs in all competitions. However, we know all about the England star. Instead, let’s look at dynamic Scotland batter Ailsa Lister. An emerging middle order prospect, the 21-year-old hit the winning runs in the final at Hampshire and has a huge summer ahead, including June’s Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
Final thoughts: Aside from the trophy hunt, there are a couple of really exciting things on the horizon for Lancashire. Firstly, Yorkshire’s elevation to Tier 1 introduces the Roses rivalry to the professional era of women’s domestic cricket in England. Also, Emirates Old Trafford will host the Vitality T20 County Cup Finals Day on Saturday 29 August. The defending champions would love to be there.
Lancashire squad: TBC. Preview Lancashire's full squad here.
Essex secured a third consecutive Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory with an impressive five-wicket win over reigning champions Lancashire at Chelmsford, thanks to a record-breaking opening partnership from Grace Scrivens and Cordelia Griffith.
After winning the toss and electing to field, Essex made early inroads as Sophie Munro struck twice in the powerplay, removing Alice Clarke and Seren Smale with a pair of excellent inswingers. Tight spells from Esmae MacGregor and Sophia Smale helped maintain the pressure as Lancashire slipped to 71 for three.
Although Eve Jones (98) and Lancashire captain Ellie Threlkeld (51) rebuilt the innings with a century partnership, Essex continued to take wickets at important moments. Eva Gray removed former Essex all-rounder Maddie Penna, while MacGregor and Scrivens also chipped in as Lancashire finished on 251 for seven. Munro and Scrivens both claimed two wickets.
In reply, Essex’s in-form opening pair of Grace Scrivens and Cordelia Griffith once again provided the perfect platform. The pair shared 128 runs – a new county record partnership in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup – surpassing the previous mark they set against Yorkshire.
Captain Scrivens led from the front with an excellent 74 from 83 balls, reaching her half-century at nearly a run a ball, while Griffith continued her outstanding form with 61 from 90 deliveries and a second successive fifty.
After the record stand was broken, Jodi Grewcock maintained her fine run of form with 58 from 57 balls, registering her fourth half-century of the season to keep Essex firmly in control. Despite a couple of late wickets, Flo Miller’s quick single sealed victory with three overs remaining.
The win extended Essex’s excellent recent form, with contributions throughout the side and another commanding performance from the top order helping them overcome the competition holders in convincing fashion.
Click here for the tournament preview.
If you are unable to attend any of the matchdays, the game will be available to watch via the Lancashire 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.
