Leicestershire Foxes Women vs Northamptonshire Steelbacks Women at Leicester, Uptonsteel County Ground on Sunday 20 April 2025 (10h30)
Michaela Kirk made history by scoring the competition’s first ’ton’ with thirteen ‘fours,’ and went on to make match-winning top-score [125*not out from 126 balls.] Foxes reply lost one wicket during each of their first four overs, when facing Steelbacks’ opening bowling pairing Ella Phillips (4/17) and Bethan Robinson (2/17.) Carrying five wickets’ disadvantage after 10 overs powerplay, Foxes batters had scored 19/5 (versus 23/0.) Foxes’ nightmare innings recovered slightly when Ellen Watson chalked-up double-figures. Fifty runs were banked by midway (51/7 vs 107/3 after 25 overs.) Although D’Nica Roff also chalked-up double-figures, Foxes innings reached a premature conclusion when their last two wickets fell in consecutive overs. Weather was grey, around 12C.
Steelbacks Women wearing purple with light blue splash over dark blue; *Skipper Anisha Patel, *[Sophie Bennett keeping wicket for Leics] with Michaela Kirk (Rep.SouthAfrica RSA) loaned from The Blaze; *May Drinkell was bowled by Emma Thatcher’s left-arm yorker; *Amelia Kemp was bowled ‘top-of-middle,’ also by Emma Thatcher; *Lenny Sims was bowled ‘middle-and-off’ by April Herathge’s spin; *Bethany ‘Beth’ Ascott was caught swiping outside her off-stump, by keeper Sophie Bennett, from Laura Crofts; *Gemma Marriott also played outside her off-stump and was stumped by Sophie Bennett, bowled Laura Crofts; *Ella Phillips was ‘run out’ by Lucy Weston’s direct-hit from ‘mid-off, to the non-striker’s end;’ *Michaela Kirk hit anunbeaten match-winning century from 109 balls; *Alicia Presland was ‘not out.’ Steelbacks batting: Michaela Kirk 125*not out(126), Bethany ‘Beth’ Ascott45(60), Gemma Marriott24(17), Amelia Kemp18(47), May Drinkell10(33); Foxes bowling: Emma Thatcher 2/38, Laura Crofts 2/62, April Herathge 1/61;
Foxes Women wearing red with green splash over black; *Skipper Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker,*[Poppy Smart keeping wicket for Steelbacks] with D’Nica Roff (RSA) *Becki Brooker was bowled ‘off stump’ with bails flying by seamer Bethan Robinson for a ‘golden duck;’ *Sophie Bennett was bowled by spinner Ella Phillips for a second-ball ‘duck;’ *Flora Davies snicked an edge, caught by keeper Poppy Smart, from seamer Bethan Robinson; *Lucy Weston went plumb ’leg before’, to spinner Ella Phillips; *Francesca Sweet was bowled ‘top of middle-and-off’ by Ella Phillips spin; *Ellen Watson was caught aerial at ‘square’ by Amelia Kemp, from Ella Phillips; *Laura Crofts went plumb ’leg before’, to spinner Anisha Patel; *D’Nica Roff went ‘leg-before’, to Alicia Presland’s good-length seamer; *Ellie Phillips was ’run-out’ by Michaela Kirk’s direct hit to the non-striker’s end, from Ella Phillips; *Finally (on her birthday) April Herathge went ‘leg-before’, bowled by Alicia Presland; *Emma Thatcher was ‘not out’; Foxes batting: D’Nica Roff 23(45), Ellen Watson 18(42);
Steelbacks bowling: Ella Phillips 4/17, Alicia Presland 2/16, Bethan Robinson 2/17, Anisha Patel 1/16;
*Match result: Northamptonshire Steelbacks Women 264/6 (@5.2 runs-per-over from 50/50 overs); beat Leicestershire Women 79/10 (@2.4 r-p-o, from 32.4/50 overs target 265); by 185 runs with 104 balls remaining
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via NV Play at URL: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#c39cfaf83-ff45-4d8d-8ad8-682869d75201_m914bf22f-0a17-4340-a5b8-77236a8e24ab & Also BBC Sport at URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225579
*Match free-to-air without commentary courtesy of Foxes TV (NV Play): Steelbacks innings starting from 155/3; plus Foxes entire innings via YouTube [03h40m19s] @url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZemubpINcOE
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