Leicestershire Foxes (women) vs Yorkshire (women) (match 35-league two) double-header fixture at Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester on Friday 18 July 2025.
Yorkshire women were said to be ‘unstoppable’ when wrapping-up their seventh ‘controlled’ win, having already booked their place in the Northern group semi-finals at Northampton on July 26. Key to Yorkshire womens’ batting performance, was Georgie Boyce (pictured) who made top-score [47 runs (from 38 balls)] with support from Becca Duckworth 38(from 39 balls) and skipper Maddie Ward. Emma Thatcher took a 3-fer for Foxes [taking 3 wickets/conceding 27 runs.] Foxes women’s reply created a ‘scare,’ motivated by nudging their overall competition run-rate ahead of their rivals, to improve chances of qualification. Francesca Sweet top-score [48 runs (from 35 balls)] made Foxes top-score, said to be a ‘decent effort, except for some remarkable fielding by the visitors. Three Yorkshire women bowlers took two Foxes wickets each. That caused Foxes’ run-rate challenge to ‘fall away’ by a narrow margin. Commentator: Adam Whitty (Sports Editor, BBC Radio Leicester.) Weather: Sunny ‘glorious day’ 26C.
Yorkshire women wearing sheer diamond-patterned light blue over dark blue; *skipper Maddie Ward (England u19s) *[Ellen Watson keeping wicket for Foxes] *debutantes Holly Garton & Jeanie Lee *with Georgie Boyce (Blaze loan), *Rachel Slater (Scotland international) & *Beth Langston, without *Sterre Kalis (Netherlands International) & Lauren Winfield-Hill (both playing ’tier one’ matches), *also without Amelia Love & Amelia Oliver (both England u-19 development call-up); *Erin Thomas went ’leg-before’ to Emma Thatcher; *After 6 overs power-play, 48/1; *By mid-way (10 overs) 73/1; *Georgie Boyce, was caught at ‘cover’ by Ellie Phillips from Holly Whitfield; *Rebecca ‘Becca’ Duckworth was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ with bails sent flying by Emma Thatcher; *Left-handed batter Ami Campbell was caught at ‘deep mid-wicket’ by Scarlett Hughes from April Herathge; *Missing a ‘swipe’ Ria Fackrell was caught by keeper Ellen Watson from Emma Thatcher; *Maddie Ward went ’leg-before’ to Ellie Phillips from last innings ball; Yorks women batting: Georgie Boyce47(38), Rebecca ‘Becca’ Duckworth38(39), Maddie Ward 25(24); Foxes women bowling: Emma Thatcher 3/27, Holly Whitfield 1/22, Ellie Phillips 1/23, April Herathge 1/29;
Foxes women wearing red-with-green-splash *skipper Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker; *[Maddie Ward keeping wicket for Yorks] with Ellen Watson (Scotland international); *Lucy Higham (Blaze loan) *Flora Davies, Scarlett Hughes (Blaze/Academy loans) & D’Nica Roff (Blaze/ Rep of South Africa); *Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker was bowled by Rachel Slater for a third-ball ‘duck’ – said to be her fifth successive ‘duck;’ *Mis-timing a ‘sweep,’ Scarlett Hughes was bowled by Claudie Cooper; *After 6 overs power-play, 46/2; (vs 48/1); *With hesitation, Lucy Weston was ‘run-out’ by Claudie Cooper’s ‘brilliant’ dive-and-throw from ‘short-third’ to Maddie Ward at the striker’s end; *By mid-way (10 overs) 69/3 (vs 73/1); *Francesca Sweet mis-timed ‘slog-sweep’ to ‘deep mid-wicket’, caught by Ami Campbell from Olivia ‘Liv’ Thomas; *Ellen Watson was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ by Olivia ‘Liv’ Thomas; *Flora Davies was stumped by Maddie Ward, from Rachel Slater; *D’Nica Roff was ‘run-out’ without taking strike, by Rachel Slater’s throw’s from ‘long-off’ to Claudie Cooper receiving at the non-striker’s end; *Two balls later Ella Phillips was bowled by Claudie Cooper from the penultimate innings ball; Foxes women batting: Francesca Sweet48(35), Ellen Watson28(33), Lucy Weston15(19), Flora Davies14(16); Yorkshire women bowling: Olivia ‘Liv’ Thomas 2/22, Claudie Cooper 2/23, Rachel Slater 2/23;
Match result: Yorkshire (women) 142/6 (@7.1 runs-per-over from 20/20 overs) beat Leicestershire Foxes (women) 130/8 (@6.6 r-p-o, 20/20 overs/target 143 from 20/20 ov.) by 12 runs
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m0dffe567-7f8a-44be-bd0e-fd467a7e1c15
*BBC Sport @url:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225383 SKY Sports @url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/leicestershire-foxes-women-v-yorkshire-women/scorecard/bab7a184-d221-57d7-bf37-12e552ec9323
*Full match free-to-air, courtesy of LeicesterCCC/FoxesTV/nv play via YouTube [07h05m10s] @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J39W7F-Ekg8
*Upcoming League one fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/06/22/vitality-blast-league-one-fixtures-and-results-to-june-2025/
*Upcoming League two fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/07/02/vitality-cup-league-two-fixtures-for-season-2025-2/
