Essex Women venture up to the North East to take on Durham Women in their penultimate Vitality Blast group match.
The squad will be looking to bounce back from their narrow defeat against Somerset and bring maximum points back to Chelmsford.
Grace Scrivens and Anneke Bosch took to the field in the first innings where they set a strong partnership. Batting higher up the order, Smale came in at three and made an incredible 43 off 29. By this point Scrivens was on a roll and ended her innings with 73 off 51, finding the boundary 11 times. With just five overs to go, the batters wicket's fell quickly, leaving the hosts 177-5.
Sophie Munro began the bowling in the second innings taking the wicket of Odgers on her first ball and then taking the second wicket of the half. Essex steadily took the next few wickets with Gray and Scrivens both taking one each. Once the visitors hit their 100 runs, they excelled through the next overs, only being stopped by Esmae MacGregor who took 4-26. Unfortunately, it just wasn't enough for the home team and Essex fell short by 2 wickets.
Stephen Parry has named a 14-player squad for the penultimate Vitality T20 Blast match of the season, which includes the return of Amara Carr.
Flo Miller is currently undergoing rehabilitation, while Abtaha Maqsood is recovering from a fractured hand and bowled for the first time this week.
After sustaining a serious leg injury against Lancashire Thunder, Cordelia Griffith is undertaking rehab and will be unfortunately be unavailable for the remainder of the season.
Captain: Hollie Armitage
Overseas: Heather Graham (Australia)
2025 finish: 5th
2025 leading run-scorer: Suzie Bates (439)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Katie Levick (13)
Winter moves: Australian all-rounder Heather Graham has been signed to replace veteran New Zealander Suzie Bates, who was unable to return to the North East because of T20 World Cup duty. Graham has spent the last two seasons as an overseas player with The Blaze. She was a Charlotte Edwards T20 Cup winner in 2024 and a Blast semi-finalist last summer.
The big question: Can Durham kick on from last year’s mid-table, group stage finish? Only five wins from 14 matches last term left them short of a Finals Day appearance by a good distance. Two fewer games this season, they must target at least six wins to have a chance of a top-four finish for a 17 July trip to the Kia Oval.
Wildcard watch: Sophia Turner. Spinners Katie Levick (13 wickets) and Mady Villiers (11) led the way with the ball for Durham in last season’s Blast, but skilful Sophia Turner – aged 23 – was their most prolific seamer with 10. She struck in six of her last seven Blast games in 2025, the other being a No Result. She is used more late in an innings by Hollie Armitage.
Durham Women squad: CLICK HERE
Cordelia Griffith’s sparkling 60 from 35 balls powered Essex to a strong finish to their Vitality Blast campaign, helping the home side secure a six-wicket win over Durham at Chelmsford.
Griffith shared a second-wicket stand of 66 from 44 balls with skipper Grace Scrivens, who contributed 48 from 39, as Essex posted 164 for three after winning the toss. Opening batter Maddie Penna added a brisk 25 from 29 and formed a solid 63-run opening partnership with Scrivens, setting the tone for a positive total. Griffith combined aggressive strokeplay with smart running between the wickets, reaching a 26-ball half-century and lifting the side beyond the 150 mark.
Durham responded with an opening stand of 78 from 57 balls between Suzie Bates (45 from 39) and Emma Marlow, keeping the chase alive early on. Essex spinners Abtaha Maqsood and Sophia Smale applied control in the middle overs, each taking two wickets and limiting scoring opportunities, while Penna finished with two for 26.
Despite late contributions from Durham’s Mady Villiers (28) and Bess Heath (24), they fell nine runs short, with two wickets falling in the final over to stumpings by Amara Carr. Durham’s powerplay had gone without a wicket, but the steady pressure from Essex’s bowlers and sharp fielding ensured the target remained just out of reach.
The victory highlighted standout performances from Griffith, Scrivens, and Penna, giving Essex a winning conclusion to the tournament and showcasing their balanced batting and bowling contributions.
PREVIOUS LINEUPS
Essex Women: Grace Scrivens (C), Maddie Penna, Jodi Grewcock, Cordelia Griffith, Jo Gardner, Lissy Macleod, Eva Gray, Sophia Smale, Amara Carr (WK), Kate Coppack, Abtaha Maqsood.
Durham Women: Suzie Bates, Emma Marlow, Mady Villiers, Hollie Armitage (C), Bess Heath, Emily Windsor, Mia Rogers (WK), Katherine Fraser, Phoebe Turner, Sophia Turner, Katie Levick.
HIGHLIGHTS
Click here for the tournament preview. This gives you an in-depth breakdown into each team the Essex Women will face in the 2026 Vitality T20 Blast campaign: Durham, Hampshire Hawks, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Warwickshire Bears and Yorkshire.
If you are unable to attend the match, it will be available to watch via the Durham 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 from the Durham Cricket website by clicking here.
