Derbyshire Falcons (women) vs Leicestershire Foxes (women) (match 37 – league two, stand alone fixture) at Repton School Ground Derbys on Sunday 20 July 2025 14h30
‘Local’ East Midlands derby, with the same result as previous clash, but this time with Foxes women batting first. Foxes skipper Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker [35 runs (from 50 balls)] played a skipper’s innings playing anchor-role. First-wicket partnership with Francesca Sweet added 42 runs from 43 balls. Third-wicket partnership [54(from 52)] with top-scorer Lucy Weston [50*not out(from 36 balls)] was scored at similar strike. Falcons Marie Andrews (loaned from league-one) took one wicket, compared to her five wickets taken during the previous match. When batting, Ella Porter 41(54) played anchor for Falcons, firstly adding 29 runs (from 43 balls) when partnered by Lara Shaw 13(22) followed by a series of shorter partnerships. Falcons skipper Adrianna Darlow then took centre-stage to reduce the runs deficit during Ella Phillips (3/29) ‘death’ over. Skipper Darlow struck her first ball for ’six,’ but was ‘run-out’ next ball. When Ella Phillips bagged a wicket next ball, Foxes were certain of qualifying for their place in league-two’s semi-final, as Northern ‘runners-up.’
Foxes women wearing red-with-green-splash *skipper Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker; *[Megan Pittman keeping wicket for Falcons] with Ellen Watson (Scotland international); *Flora Davies, Scarlett Hughes (Blaze/Academy loans) & D’Nica Roff (Blaze loan/ Rep of South Africa) *After 6 overs power-play 37/0; *Francesca Sweet was bowled with her middle-stump flattened by Rhianna Knowling-Davies; *Short of a second run, Scarlett Hughes was run-out’ from ‘mid-wicket’ end by Ella Porter’s direct hit to the non-striker’s end, from Adrianna Darlow; *By mid-way 53/2; *Short of a second run, Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker was run-out’ at the striker’s end by Pagan Hardwick’s throw from short third’ to keeper Megan Pittman receiving; *Ellen Watson went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Marie Andrews; *Setting-off prematurely and unable to swivel back, Flora Davies was ‘run-out’ at the non-striker’s end by bowler Rhianna Knowling-Davies; Foxes women batting: Lucy Weston50*not out(36), Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker35(50), Francesca Sweet23(21); Falcons women bowling: Marie Andrews 1/17, Rhianna Knowling-Davies 1/28;
Falcons women wearing dark-blue with light-blue leg stripes and blue helmets; *skipper Adrianna Darlow *[Ellen Watson keeping wicket for Foxes] *with Lara Shaw and Maria Andrews (Blaze academy loans); *Jess Couser was bowled with her ‘off-stump’ flattened by Ella Phillips; *After 6 overs power-play 23/1 (vs 37/0); *Lara Shaw was caught ariel at ‘deep mid-wicket’ by Francesca Sweet, from Holly Whitfield; *By mid-way 40/2 (vs 53/2); *Maria Andrews was caught at ‘mid-off’ by Lucy Weston, from April Herathge coming round-the-wicket; *Megan Pittman was caught at ‘mid-off’ by Lucy Weston from Francesca Sweet; *Tash Allen wascaught at ’mid-wicket’ by Emma Thatcher from Holly Whitfield; *Ella Porter was caught at ‘deep-mid-wicket’ by Scarlett Hughes, from Ella Phillips; *Adrianna Darlow was run-out’ from ‘short-fine’ by April Herathge’s throw to keeper Ellen Watson; *Next ball, Rhianna Knowling-Davies was bowled ‘top-of-middle-and-leg’ by Ellie Phillips for a ‘golden duck’; Falcons women batting: Ella Porter41(54), Adrianna Darlow15(8), Lara Shaw13(22), Millie Gray11*not out(12); Foxes women bowling: Ella Phillips 3/29, Holly Whitfield 2/14, April Herathge 1/13, Francesca Sweet 1/18;
Leicestershire Foxes (women) 125/5 (@6.2 runs-per-over, 20/20 overs) beat Derbyshire Falcons (women) 109/8 (@5.4 runs-per-over, 20/20 overs/target 126 from 20/20) by 16 runs
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m879b97e7-1df2-4cb3-ab17-ea178e90faad
*BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225384 SKY Sports @url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/derbyshire-falcons-women-v-leicestershire-foxes-women/scorecard/09aa64b0-e7cc-5e2c-aedb-f65432f20e33
*Upcoming League one fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/06/22/vitality-blast-league-one-fixtures-and-results-to-june-2025/
*League two results @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/07/26/vitality-blast-league-two-fixtures-with-group-stage-results-july-2025/
Footnote: Fixture was reallocated from The Central Co-Op County Ground, some time after match venues were first listed
