Northamptonshire Steelbacks women vs Middlesex women – match 14, L2 – at Northampton County Ground (Wantage Road) on Saturday 3 May 2025 (10h30)
Middlesex women remain unbeaten as they cruised home win by four wickets in a one-sided low-scoring match. Previously, both teams were unbeaten in their first two matches. For Middlesex, Gayatri Gole had made history as the first bowler in either competition to take six wickets on 20 April. By comparison, Steelbacks success had been attributed to Michaela Kirk who’d raced past 200 runs with top batting average after just two rounds of ‘league two.’ On the day, Steelbacks women had a nightmare innings, scoring 85/6 by mid-way and fell some way short of posting a defendable score. Best bowler Sarah Pearson took a 3-fer (taking 3 wickets for Middlesex, conceding 29 runs.) By comparison Middlesex women had seven wickets in hand by mid-way, needing to score on par to be certain of victory. One notable highlight was Gemma Marriott’s rolling exhibition catch from Ella Phillips’ bowling – Ella Phillips took a consolation 3fer (3/40) for Steelbacks.
Steelbacks women wearing purple with light blue splash over dark blue; *Skipper Anisha Patel (50ov);*[Pippa Sproul keeping wicket for Middx] with Michaela Kirk (Rep.SouthAfrica RSA) loaned from The Blaze and May Drinkell (Blaze Academy loan); *May Drinkell, was ‘run out’ by Riva Pindoria for a tenth ball ‘duck,’ from Katie Wolfe; *After 10 overs power-play 34/1; *Amelia Kemp was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ by Lauren Turner; *Bethany ‘Beth’ Ascott was caught at ‘mid-on’ by keeper Pippa Sproul, from Lauren Turner; *Gemma Marriott was caught at ‘cover’ by Saskia Horley, from Lauren Turner; *Lenny Sims was caught by Lauren Turner, bowled from Sonali Patel; *Michaela Kirk was caught behind by keeper Pippa Sproul, from Anisha Dissanayake; *Midway (25 overs) for drinks 85/6; *Alicia Presland, was bowled by Anisha Dissanayake; *Ella Phillips, was caught by skipper Saskia Horley, from Sarah Pearson; *Poppy Smart, was bowled by Saskia Horley, for a tenth ball ‘duck;’ *Mabel Reid was caught by Lauren Turner, from Sarah Pearson; Steelbacks women batting: Mabel Reid 29(53), Ella Phillips 28(62), Michaela Kirk24(48), Amelia Kemp 22(35); Middx women bowling: Sarah Pearson 3/29, Lauren Turner 2/18, Anisha Dissanayake 2/19, Saskia Horley 1/12, Sonali Patel 1/18;
Middlesex women wearing navy-blue with pink underarm splash *Skipper Saskia Horley *[Poppy Smart keeping wicket for Steelbacks] *Without Gayatri Gole, or Olivia Kibler; *Having just survived a dropped ‘dolly’, next ball Pippa Sproul was caught behind by keeper Poppy Smart, from seamer Mabel Reid; *After 10 overs power-play 41/1 (vs 34/1); *Finty Trussler went plumb ‘leg before’ to Amelia Kemp; *Top-scorer who was out three short of her ‘fifty,’ Artemis Downer was bowled ‘top-of-middle-and-off,’ from Anisha Patel; *Mid-way (25 overs) 107/3 (vs 85/6); *Georgia Irving went aerial, caught at ‘mid-wicket’ by Michaela Kirk, from Ella Phillips’s spin; *Riva Pindoria went aerial, caught at ‘mid-off’ by Gemma Marriott’s rolling catch, also from Ella Phillips; *Lauren Turner went aerial, was caught at ’long-on’ by Michaela Kirk, from Ella Phillips for a ninth ball ‘duck;’ *Skipper Saskia Horley partnered by Sarah Pearson who hit the winning ‘two,’ saw their team home; Middlesex women batting: Artemis Downer47(70), Saskia Horley32(44), Pippa Sproul19(21), Finty Trussler18(24); Steelbacks women bowling: Ella Phillips 3/40, Amelia Kemp 1/19, Anisha Patel 1/20, Mabel Reid 1/28;
*Match result: Middlesex women 145/6 (@4.3 runs-per-over, target 145 from 33.3/50 overs) beat Northamptonshire Steelbacks women 144/10 (@3.1 runs-per-over, from 46.2/50 overs) by four wickets
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_scorecard#c39cfaf83-ff45-4d8d-8ad8-682869d75201_m6d4269bf-f688-46f2-8037-344e7114b8f4
BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225589#NOR & SKY Sports@url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/northamptonshire-steelbacks-women-v-middlesex-women/scorecard/1dbb40e7-dec0-54c4-832e-7f66587e2b9a
*Full match free-to-air, without commentary, courtesy of Steelbacks TV/Northamptonshire CCC (nv play) [05h49m50s] via YouTube @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-ad6ezBZ5Y
*Upcoming League one fixtures @url: http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/03/04/metro-bank-league-one-fixtures-for-2025/
*Upcoming League two fixtures @url: http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/03/05/metro-bank-one-day-cup-league-two-fixtures-for-2025/
Latest match information and match starting times @URL: www.ecb.co.uk/
