Leicestershire Foxes women vs Middlesex women – (match 33, League two) – at the Upton Steel County Ground Leicester, on Saturday 16 August 2025 (10h30)
Unbeaten Middlesex women booked their semi-finals place, during a match dominated by a batting masterclass between Middlesex women’s skipper Saskia Horley [114 runs (from 105 balls)] who scored 13 ‘fours;’ partnered firstly by Ariana Dowse – pictured 92(from 118) who scored 11 ‘fours.’ Previously, Dowse had been loaned to Steelbacks. Skipper Horley completed her second ‘List A’ century partnered by Artemis Downer [40*not out(from 36)] who was undefeated. Faced by top-of-table Middx women’s second-best score of the season, Foxes women did well to stay on equal terms until mid-way. Foxes skipper ‘Becki’ Brooker [54(from 66)] made top-score with 9 ‘fours.’ Once Becki Brooker departed, Middlesex women’s bowler Sarah Pearson ‘mopped-up’ taking a career-best 6-fer (taking six wickets, conceding 23 runs.) Separately, team-mate Gayatri ‘Gaia’ Gole also took a 6-fer (6/30) during their first ‘league two’ match. Broadcast without commentary. Weather: ‘Hazy’ sunshine, unusually cool, around 15C.
Middlesex women wearing navy-blue with pink underarm splash and navy pads, *skipper Saskia Horley *[Sophie Bennett keeping wicket for Foxes] *debutante Hannah Francis, *with Scotland international Saskia Horley, with Ariana Dowse (Essex Loan) without Pippa Sproul (Scotland international); *Finty Trussler, was caught behind by keeper Sophie Bennett, from Aimee Colquhoun; *After ten overs power-play: 35/1; *Gayatri ‘Gaia’ Gole played-on from an ‘inside-edge,’ bowled by Francesca Sweet; *By mid-way(25 ov.) 124/2; *Ariana Dowse was caught aerial at ‘point’ by Francesca Sweet, from April Herathge; *Play was stopped for injury on 224/2 when Aimee Colquhoun was fielding in the ‘covers,’ left following concussion-check and was substituted; *Mis-timing a ‘scoop’ Centurion skipper Saskia Horley was caught behind aerial, by keeper Sophie Bennett, from Francesca Sweet; Middlesex women batting: Saskia Horley114(105), Ariana Dowse92(118), Artemis Downer40*not out(36),Finty Trussler16(23); Foxes women bowling: Francesca Sweet 2/62, Aimee Colquhoun 1/19, April Herathge 1/40;
Foxes women wearing red-with-green-splash with dark-blue pads; *skipper Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker;*[Arianna Dowse keeping wicket for Middlesex] *without Ellen Watson (Scotland international), *without Blaze loans D’Nica Roff & Lucy Higham; *After ten overs power-play: 55/0 (vs 35/1); *Prisa Thanawala, was bowled by Anisha Dissanayake; *Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker was caught by Sarah Pearson from Anisha Dissanayake; *Mis-timing a ‘drive’ Lucy Weston was bowled ‘middle-and-leg,’ by Sarah Pearson; *Level-pegging by mid-way (25 ov) 125/3 (vs.124/2); *Hayley Brown went ‘leg-before,’ to Sarah Pearson’s good-length ball; *Mis-timing a ‘pull’ Flora Davies was caught at ‘mid-wicket’ by Gayatri ‘Gaia’ Gole, from Sarah Pearson; *Sophie Bennett was bowled ‘off-stump,’ by Hannah Davis’ full length ball; *Next over, Francesca Sweet was caught from ‘outside-off’ by keeper Arian Dowse, from Sarah Pearson; *Holly Whitfield was caught from ‘outside-off’ by keeper Ariana Dowse, from Sarah Pearson for a ninth-ball ‘duck;’ *April Herathge was bowled ‘leg-stump’ beneath her bat, from Sarah Pearson’s yorker; *Foxes conceded as Aimee Colquhoun was absent; Foxes women batting: Rebecca ‘Becki’ Brooker54(66), Prisa Thanawala40(46), Francesca Sweet15(18), Ellie Phillips13*not out (15), Hayley Brown13(28) Flora Davies11(23); Middlesex women bowling: Sarah Pearson 6/23, Anisha Dissanayake, Hannah Davis 1/30;
Match result: Middlesex women 295/4 (@5.9 runs-per-over from 50/50overs) beat Leicestershire Foxes women 172 ‘All out’ (@4.6 r-p-o from 37.1/50overs, target 296 from 50/50 ov.) by 123 runs with 77 balls remaining
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m25d67831-77e3-477e-b211-dcad1bf13153
*BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225608 & SKY Sports@url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/leicestershire-foxes-women-v-middlesex-women/scorecard/1d6b6aef-612f-51e8-89fd-09af47d74f7c
*Full match free-to-air, without commentary courtesy of Foxes TV Cricket (nv play) via YouTube [06h27m56s] @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yXFZG0_Pys&t=36s
*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/
