Essex Women play at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground one final time this season.
Grace Scrivens will lead her team out in front of a home crowd as they host Yorkshire Women in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
Previously, the team played Surrey Women at home. Winning the toss and bowling first, Esmae MacGregor (2-49) struck early taking two wickets in the first six overs. Surrey's batters quickly picked up pace and both Bryony Smith and Suné Luus scored half-centuries. Sophia Smale (1-78) and Abtaha Maqsood (2-41) took the batters wickets, with Abtaha going on to also take a second wicket. With the help of catches from Jo Gardner, Grace Scrivens (2-40) then dismissed Chatterji (77) and Alice Monaghan (32) in the final few overs of the innings.
In response, Essex steadily began batting before the dismissal of Bryony Gillgrass and Scrivens. Lissy Macleod (40) and Sophia Smale began their partnership and fell into a good rhythm before Izzy Sidhu struck and caught Smale off her own bowling. Essex then started rebuilding with Gardner and Mollie Adams making a 61-run partnership. In the lower order, Sophie Munro batted strongly, making 38 not out off 31 balls. Unfortunately it wasn't enough for the hosts and Essex fell short by 118 runs.
Stephen Parry has named a 15-player squad for the team's final home game in 2026.
The squad includes Jodi Grewcock after she returns from England Duty.
After sustaining injuries against Somerset in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, unfortunately Amara Carr and Flo Miller will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Ariana Dowse will also miss out in accordance with concussion guidelines.
We wish Amara, Flo, and Ariana a speedy recovery.
Captain: Lauren Winfield-Hill
Head Coach: Rich Pyrah
2025 finish: Champions (Tier 2)
2025 leading run-scorer: Ami Campbell (452)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Olivia Thomas (18)
Winter moves: International spin-bowling all-rounders Sarah Glenn (England) and Jess Jonassen (Australia) have signed two-year deals, the latter as an all-format overseas and the former coming from The Blaze. Scotland seamer Hannah Rainey joined on loan from Lancashire late last summer ahead of a permanent move. Another spin-bowling all-rounder Olivia Thomas has been elevated from an Academy to professional contract. Kevin Sharp returns to Yorkshire as an assistant coach.
The big question: How will Yorkshire fare in their first season in Tier 1? They enjoyed a successful Tier 2 campaign last year, winning the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, reaching the final of the Vitality Blast and the quarter-finals of the T20 County Cup. But this summer, it will be a different ball game. Head coach Rich Pyrah and Yorkshire’s management have confidence in the players’ ability but have urged patience.
Player to watch: Vice captain Maddie Ward, 21 years old, can do it all. She can keep wicket, bats in dynamic and inventive fashion, bowls spin when required and is a gun in the field. She even skippered Yorkshire last season when Lauren Winfield-Hill wasn’t available. When she first did it in June, aged 20 years and 133 days, Worksop-born Ward became the county’s second youngest ever captain – female or male.
Final thoughts: Yorkshire are very much looking at this as a long-term project. Results are not the be-all and end-all this season, across all formats. Development is more important to them. But if they can take a couple of scalps along the way, it would be a real shot in the arm for the White Rose county. And a Roses win against champions Lancashire would be ideal.
Yorkshire Women squad: TBC. View full squad here.
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 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 for this match are available by clicking here.
