Leicestershire Foxes (women) vs Sussex Sharks (women) – match 3 – League Two – at Uptonsteel Grace Road County Ground, Leicester on Sunday, 12 Apr April 2026
Once underway after a late start, Sharks women lost their first three batters cheaply (as did their opponents.) Bella Johnson did well to score ‘fifty’and went on to make top-score [68 runs (from 95 balls)]. Conceding just ten ‘fours,’ Foxes bowlers gifted more than twenty ‘wides’ but did well to restrict Sharks batters to ‘ones-and-twos.’ Stoppages saw three hours rain hiatus plus pitch inspections between innings. Sharks innings was curtailed prematurely with play resuming around 4pm. By comparison, three Foxes batters scored at match-winning strike-rates (140), showing a sense of urgency given their reduced DLS target. Lucy Western partnered by Caitlin Chissell saw Foxes convincingly ahead [after 10 ov: 65/3 (vs 29/3).] Finally, Ellie Phillips took-the-game-away, with a cameo innings of four ‘fours,’ plus the match-winning ’two.’ Sharks women’s best bowler was debutante Poppy Tulloch – pictured who took 2 wickets /conceding 23 runs. Without commentary. Weather: wet-and-windy 12-14C.
Sharks women wearing pink with black joggers; skipper Chiara Green *[Lucy Western keeping wicket for Foxes]; *debutantes Georgie Pedley & Poppy Tulloch (Hants loan); with Nancy Harman & Ava Lee (Hants loans); *Frustratingly slow start with gifted ‘wides’ when Izzy Collis went plumb ‘leg-before’ to left-armed seamer Emma Thatcher; *Promoted to top-order, Nancy Harman snicked a thick-edge, caught by keeper Lucy Western, three balls later; *Double-wicket maiden for Emma Thatcher; *Phoebe Wilkinson snicked-an-edge, caught ‘leg-side’ by keeper Lucy Western, from seamer Ellie Phillips; *Score 29/3 after 10 overs power-play; *Innings anchor Chiara Green was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ by Nayma Sheikh; *Drinks taken (87/4) midway after 25 overs; *Poppy Tulloch was caught aerial at ‘mid-on’ by Becki Brooker from Nayma Sheikh; *Ava Lee was bowled ‘through-the-gate’ by Anjali Ketan’s spin; *Rain stopped play for 15 minutes on 129/6; also for another 30 minutes on 152/6; Umpires took lunch and closed innings on same score at 16h14. Sharks women batting: Bella Johnson 68*not out(95); Indigo Gentry 14*not out(22); Poppy Tulloch 16(32); Chiara Green 16(34); Phoebe Wilkinson 10(23); Foxes women bowling: Emma Thatcher 2/17(5); Nayma Sheikh 2/27(6); Ellie M Phillips 1/18(7); Anjali Ketan 1/29(4);
Foxes women wearing two-tone red-and-black with black joggers; skipper Becky Brooker *[Georgie Pedley keeping wicket for Sharks]; *debutantes Caitlin Chissell, Nayma Sheikh & Indira Singh; DLS target 107 from 16 overs; *Score 11/0 after 3 overs power-play; *Becki Brooker was bowled ‘middle-and-leg’ with one bail sent flying by seamer Poppy Tulloch; *Five balls later, Prisha Thanawala was caught aerial at ‘deep mid-off’ by Chiara Green; *Next over, Lucy Weston steepled aerial to leg-side, caught-and-bowled by Anna Buckle; *Score 47/3 (vs 27/3) after 8 overs (mid-way to revised target); *Caitlin Chissell was caught aerial at ‘fine’ by Phoebe Wilkinson, from Chiara Green; *Nayma Sheikh was bowled ‘through-the-gate’ by Bella Johnson; Foxes women batting: Lucy Western 38*not out(27); Caitlin Chissell 30(21); Ellie M Phillips 19*not out (14); Sharks women bowling: Poppy Tulloch 2/23(4); Chiara Green 1/12(3); Bella Johnson 1/18(2); Anna Buckle 1/20(2.4);
Match result: Leicestershire Foxes (women) 107/5 (@7.2 runs-per-over DLS target: 14.4/16 overs) beat Sussex Sharks (women) 152/6 (@4 r-p-o 37.4/37.4 ov) by five wickets [Duckworth-Lewis-Stern ‘DLS’ method] with eight balls remaining
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play @url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#mc5520000-6664-a623-b1f1-08de2dc24d89
*Upcoming League two fixtures 50ov (2026) @url: http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/12/17/metro-bank-one-day-cup-league-two-fixtures-for-2026-2-of-4/
*Top ten ‘leagues one and two’ best 50ov batters (2025) @url: http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2026/03/30/inaugural-metrobank-one-day-cup-2025-womens-top-ten/
*Top ten ‘leagues one and two’ best 50ov bowlers (2025) http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2026/04/03/inaugural-metrobank-one-day-cup-2025-womens-top-ten-bowlers/
