Gloucestershire vs Middlesex (women) (match 40 -league two, stand-alone fixture), part of the 153rd Cheltenham (Towergate) cricket festival 2025 at Cheltenham College Ground (Glos.) on Sunday 20 July 2025 14h30
Dramatic match saw Gloucester women push ‘right to the brink’ when facing Middlesex women, with a remarkable run-chase that came down to the last ball. Best batters were winning skipper Saskia Horley [45 runs (from 27 balls),] for Middlesex women; and Georgina Cant who scored ’fifty’ [51(from 34 balls)] with top-score for Gloucester women. Emphasising ‘huge differences’ between teams, Middlesex women had academy-experienced and loaned players and had lost only one match. As a consequence, the team had already qualified for the finals. By comparison, Gloucester women had ‘much to learn from,’ suffering four ‘run-outs’ during the match. Given ‘time for reflection,’ commentators thought that it was important for Gloucester to discover which ‘run-outs’ were avoidable. The match reached its climax when their fourth ‘run-out,’ fell short of a second run needed to ‘tie’ the match. Commentators were Ed ‘cricket’ Seabourne (BBC Radios Bristol & Glos) with Carol Camino (with support from Glos County cricket partner HerGameToo.) Weather: Sunny, dry, around 24C.
Middlesex women wearing navy-blue and mauve-pattered over black; *skipper Saskia Horley; *[Katie Jones keeping wicket for Glos.] *without Gayatri ‘Gaia’ Gole *After 6 overs power-play, 37/0 & Mid-way (10overs) 67/0; *Issy Routledge was caught at ‘cover’ by Olivia ‘Liv’ Daniels from Alice Hill; *Going for a ‘carbon-copy’ dismissal, Finty Trussler was caught at ‘cover’ by Olivia ‘Liv’ Daniels’s rolling catch, from Alice Hill; *Riva Pindoria was bowled by Caitlin Belcher; *Artemis Downer was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ by Caitlin Belcher coming around the wicket; *Playing a ‘skipper’s innings,’ Saskia Horley was ‘run-out’ by a wide margin – going for a second run by Meg Ahearne’s throw from ‘deep mid-wicket,’ to keeper Katie Jones receiving at the striker’s end; Middx women batting: Saskia Horley45(27), Issy Routledge36(36), Finty Trussler28(33), Artemis Downer17(10); Glos women bowling: Alice Hill 2/26, Caitlin Belcher 2/27;
Gloucestershire women wearing yellow tops with yellow shoulder stripes, skipper Olivia ‘Liv’ Daniels *[Pippa Sproul keeping wicket for Middx] *with Melissa Story (BBC Professional Broadcaster), Katie Jones (Somerset loan) without Amu Surenkumar (Essex loan, playing in league-one); *After 6 overs power-play, 41/0(vs 37/0); *Rebecca ‘Becca’ Halliday was bowled ‘top-of-middle-stump’ (elsewhere ‘off’ stump) by Gemma Pearson’s ‘yorker’; *Mid-way (10overs) 87/1 (vs 67/0); *Top-scorer Georgina Cant who made ‘fifty’ mis-timed and was caught at ‘deep mid-wicket’ by Saskia Horley, from Rachana Cambampaty; *Katie Jones was ‘run-out’ by keeper Pippa Sproul racing to ‘mid-wicket’ relayed to Saskia Horley receiving at the non-striker’s end; *Prarthana Reddy was ‘run-out’ by Anaya Pater’s throw from ‘extra cover’ to Saskia Horley receiving at the non-striker’s end; *Two balls later, Megan Ahearne was ‘run-out’ by Lauren Turner’s throw from ‘long-on,’ to bowler Saskia Horley receiving at the non-striker’s end; *Finally, going for the second run needed to ‘tie,’ Melissa Story was ‘run-out’ by Riva Pindoria’s throw from ‘deep backward-square,’ to keeper Pippa Sproul receiving at the striker’s end, from Saskia Horley coming around-the-wicket; Glos women batting: Georgina Cant 51(34), Rebecca ‘Becca’ Halliday32(29), Prarthana Reddy22(28), Melissa Story15(12); Middx women bowling: Rachana Cambampaty 1/17, Gemma Pearson 1/24;
Match result: Middlesex (women) 147/5 (@7.3 runs-per-over from 20/20 overs/target 133 from 20/20 ov.) beat Gloucestershire (women) 146/6 (@7.3 runs-per-over, 20/20 overs) by 1 run
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#md1c59b2f-f353-41f5-8b53-16ec76381d30
*BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225385 SKY Sports @url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/gloucestershire-women-v-middlesex-women/scorecard/a2a4ff66-19c5-501e-904d-b724c2cdc4e1
*Full match free-to-air, courtesy of Glos Cricket/nv play via YouTube [02h50m53s] @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u99wjhwKu0
*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/
