Warwickshire (women) vs Essex (women) – league one, match 48 – at the Edgbaston Foundation Ground (Portland Road) Birmingham on Sunday on 7 September 2025
Rare (second victory this season from 12 matches) for Essex women, scoring at least one-run-per-ball and narrowly winning despite adverse weather. Earlier this season, Essex lost to Warwicks by a wide margin (108 runs on 27 April, match 6.) Key to Essex women’s unexpected success was Sophie Munro – pictured[36*not out (from 19 balls) whose match-winning partnership with Amara Carr [17*not out (from 12)] bagged 55 crucial runs from their last 29 balls. By comparison, Amu Surenkumar top-scored with her maiden ‘fifty’ [56 (from 54)] partnered by Abbey Freeborn. The Warwickshire women pair added 52 in 50 balls. Thereafter, Warwicks lower-order batters needed to score faster than one-run-per ball (73 runs from 44 balls). Bowling the final over, Sophie Munro won the match ‘with the minimum of fuss,’ also having taken two wickets (2/38). Commentators were Michael McCann with Barbara Daniels (World Cup winner for England women 1993) with guest Tina Gough (Germany women.) Weather: intermittent rain.
Essex women wearing mauve splash over dark blue; skipper Grace Scrivens (‘England ‘A’); *[Nat Wraith keeping wicket for Warwicks]; with Scotland international Abtaha Maqsood wearing Jo Gardner’s spare shirt; also with Ariana Dowse & Sophie Munro; *After 10 overs power-play 67/0 *Left-handed Grace Scrivens was caught at ‘mid-off’ by Georgia Davis from, Phoebe Brett; *Ariana Dowse was caught behind by keeper Nat Wraith, from Georgia Davis; *Sophia Smale was caught aerial at ‘long-off’ by Hannah Hardwick, from Hannah Baker; *Florence ‘Flo’ Miller (mis-reported elsewhere as ‘Fiona’) went ’leg-before’ to Georgia Davis; *After 25 overs 165/4; *Mis-timing a ‘cut’ Jodi Grewcock was bowled with her ‘middle-stump’ flattened by Georgia Davis; *Jo Gardner was caught aerial at ‘deep-mid-off’ by Georgia Davis, from Amu Surenkumar; *Eva Gray was caught at ‘long-off’ by Amu Surenkumar, from Georgia Davis; Essex women batting: Jo Gardner47(34), Jodi Grewcock39(34), Sophie Munro36*not out(19), Ariana Dowse36(44), Amara Carr17*not out (12), Grace Scrivens17(21), Sophia Smale17(21); Warwickshire women bowling: Georgia Davis 4/35, Phoebe Brett 1/31, Amu Surenkumar 1/37, Hannah Baker 1/47;
Warwickshire women wearing light-blue splash over dark blue; skipper Georgia Davis *[Amara Carr keeping wicket for Essex] with 50 ov. debutante Phoebe Brett; *without international player Sterre Kalis (NL) – playing league two semi-final; *Meg Austin was bowled by Abtaha Maqsood; *Bethan Ellis went plumb ’leg-before’ to Abtaha Maqsood; *After 6 overs power-play 39/0. After 10 overs 58/2 (vs 67/0); *Mis-timing a short ball, Davina Perrin was caught at ‘backward-point’ by Jodi Grewcock, from Sophie Munro; *Mis-timing a ‘scoop’ Abbey Freeborn was bowled ‘middle-and-leg’ by Esmae MacGregor; *Nat Wraith was bowled ‘top-of-middle-and-leg’ with her leg-stump bail sent flying (elsewhere mis-stated as ‘off’) by Esmae MacGregor; *Amu Surenkumar was caught at ‘deep mid-wicket’ by Jo Gardner, from Abtaha Maqsood; *Level pegging at 25 overs: 165/6 (vs 165/4); *Mis-timing a ‘hook’ next over, Issy Wong was caught at ‘deep backward-square’ by Sophia Smale, from Sophie Munro; *Hannah Hardwick, was caught aerial at ‘extra-cover’ by Jo Gardner, from Esmae MacGregor; Warwickshire women batting: Amu Surenkumar 56(54), AJ Freeborn 20(26), Meg Austin 19(21), Georgia Davis 17*not out(16), Hannah Hardwick 17(16), Bethan Ellis 15(19), Nat Wraith 13(10); Essex women bowling: Abtaha Maqsood 3/34 Esmae MacGregor 3/38, Sophie Munro 2/38;
Match result: Essex (women) 235/7 (7.3 runs-per-over from 32/32 overs; beat Warwickshire (women) 204/8 (@6.3 runs-per-over from 32/32 overs, target 226 from 50 ov.) by 27 runs (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method)
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m56750324-d4ac-4a45-9c69-9310fca2a477
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225564 & SKY Sports@url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/warwickshire-women-v-essex-women/scorecard/7c73a9df-283d-5a17-a6d3-e528824fb773
*Full match free-to-air, courtesy of Warwickshire (nv play) via YouTube [07h15m01s] @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WIQwzTRD2g
*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 hhttp://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/05/25/metro-bank-league-two-fixtures-and-results-up-to-may-2025/
