Yorkshire (women) vs Middlesex (women) – (match 24, league two) – at Headingley Stadium Leeds (Yorks) on Saturday 2nd August 2025 (10h30)
Middlesex women remain top-of-table undefeated with five wins from five, said to be an ‘enthralling’ sequel to last week’s County Cup Final, that Middx won ‘convincingly’ when playing the same team. Yorkshire women took away their second defeat, but expected to qualify for semi-finals with four remaining fixtures. Best Middx women batter Pippa Sproul (also Scotland’s newest recruit – misreported elsewhere as ‘Poppy’) played with ‘real purpose,’ scoring career-best 98*not out (from 118 balls.) Best Middlesex womens bowlers were Hannah Davis (4/40) and Issy Routledge (4/36) whom commentators expected to ‘get all the headlines.’ When bowling ‘at the death,’ Issy Routledge took ‘three clutch wickets’ to clinch Middlesex women’s ‘enthralling’ win. Yorkshire women’s ‘standout performer’ Jess Woolston took four wickets in four overs including 5-fer [total of 5 wickets/conceding 45 runs], plus cameo 22 with her bat; albeit for the losing side. Jess Woolston told reporters post-match she thought (when seeing Middx on 38/5 after their ‘power-play’ after teenaged debutante Ines Blackwell took her maiden wicket) that Yorkskire women had clear advantage that later diminished when losing ‘clusters’ of wickets. Commentators: Michael McCann (Sports commentator, presenter and journalist) with Aaron Viles (Host, The County Cricket podcast) and Dr Jane Powell (Performance Manager England Disability Cricket at ECB; President at Yorkshire Cricket & former player England & Yorks women) & Maroof Khan (Business Development Director at Yorkshire Cricket).
Middlesex women wearing wearing navy-blue with pink underarm splash and dark-blue pads, *skipper Saskia Horley [Maddie Ward keeping wicket for Yorkshire;] *Middlesex debutante Natasha Miles *with Scotland international Pippa Sproul, *Substitute fielder Sonali Patel; *Opener Issy Routledge was bowled with ‘leg-stump’ cart-wheeled, by Jess Woolston’s sharp ‘in-swing;’ *Natasha Miles was bowled with ‘off-stump’ cart-wheeled, by Jess Woolston’s ‘in-swing;’ *Saskia Horley went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Jess Woolston, for a fourth-ball ‘duck;’ *Cursed for her ‘discipline’ just as she aborted her approach Jess Woolston’s next ball wafered an edge to keeper Maddie Ward to dismiss Finty Trussler – beefed-up moments before by commentator as a ‘specialist opening batter;’ *Artemis Downer was bowled ‘off-stump’ knocked back by Ines Blackwell’s ‘in-swing’ for a ‘golden duck’ and maiden wicket; *After ten overs power-play: 38/5; *Gayatri ‘Gaia’ Gole was bowled ‘through-the-gate’ by Claudie Cooper; *Hannah Davis was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ by Olivia ‘Liv’ Thomas; *By mid-way (25 ov) 95/7; *Katie Wolfe was bowled by ‘an absolute jaffa’ from Jess Woolston, sending both bails flying; *Sarah Pearson was ‘run-out’ at the striker’s end by Jess Woolston’s throw from ‘point,’ to keeper Maddie Ward; Middlesex women batting: Pippa Sproul98*not out(118), *Gayatri ‘Gaia’ Gole20(21), Katie Wolfe14(36), Finty Trussler16(21), Hannah Davis11(34), S Pearson11(42);Yorkshire women bowling: Jess Woolston 5/45, Claudie Cooper 1/23, Olivia ‘Liv’ Thomas 1/38, Ines Blackwell 1/39;
Yorkshire women wearing sheer diamond-patterned deep blue with blue pads, *skipper Maddie Ward *[Pippa Sproul keeping wicket for Middlesex;] *Yorkshire academy players Amelia Oliver & debutante Ines Blackwell, *without international player Sterre Kalis or or Scotland international Rachel Slater; *also without Lauren Winfielld-Hill & Beth Langston; *Opener Amelia Oliver was ’run-out’ by Gayatri ‘Gaia’ Gole at the non-striker’s end; *After ten overs power-play: 40/1 (vs 38/5); *Erin Thomas was caught-and-bowled by Hannah Davis; *Maddie Ward was caught aerial by diving keeper Pippa Sproul from Hannah Davis; *Left-hander Ami Campbell was ’sliced’ outside-edge to ‘mid-on,’ caught by Natasha Miles from Hannah Davis coming round-the-wicket; *Rebecca ‘Becca’ Duckworth was bowled top of ‘middle-and-off’ by Hannah Davis; *By mid-way (25 ov) 96/5 (vs 95/7) *Olivia ‘Liv’ Thomas went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Issy Routledge; *Ines Blackwell was stumped by keeper Pippa Sproul, from left-armed spinner Rachana Cambampaty; *Ria Fackrell was caught at ‘cover’ by substitute fielder (Anisha Dissanayake), from Issy Routledge; *Claudie Cooper, was caught at ‘point’ by Saskia Horley, from Issy Routledge; *Sweeping across-the-line, Jess Woolston was bowled ‘through-the-gate’ by Issy Routledge; Yorkshire women batting: Ines Blackwell30(44), Erin Thomas22(29) Jess Woolston22(30), Ria Fackrell22(37), Maddie Ward21(31), Amelia Oliver18(36), Rebecca ‘Becca’ Duckworth10(24); Middlesex women bowling: Issy Routledge 4/36, Hannah Davis 4/40, Rachana Cambampaty 21/1;
Match result: Middlesex (women) 192/9 (3.8@ runs-per-over, from 50/50 overs) beat Yorkshire (women) 185 ‘All out’ (3.7@ runs-per-over, from 50/50 overs/target 193 from 50/50ov.) by 7 runs
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#mfa38061b-1c0c-4014-a9f7-11d035f21514
*BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225600 & SKY Sports@url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/yorkshire-women-v-middlesex-women/scorecard/e67df225-f13e-5904-80a1-a1bae60982ae
*Full match free-to-air, courtesy of Middlesex (nv play) via YouTube [06h35m05s] @url: https://yorkshireccc.com/news/live-yorkshire-women-v-middlesex-mbodc/
*Upcoming League one fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/05/22/metro-bank-league-one-fixtures-and-results-up-to-may-2025/
*Upcoming League two fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/05/25/metro-bank-league-two-fixtures-and-results-up-to-may-2025/
