Worcestershire Rapids (women) vs Leicestershire Foxes (women) – match 2 – League Two – at the Royal Grammar School Worcester on Sunday, 3 May 2026
Annual East-West Midlands derby won by Rapids women [who previously beat Foxes by 63 runs on 27 April’26.] The closely-contested match played in a unique setting involved seventeen bowlers, half of whom took at least one wicket each. Half of all batters departed for single-figures. Stand-out batter Sophie Beech [110 runs (from 113 balls); scored her maiden ‘ton’ for the winning team, partnered by debutante Megan Bishop 59(80) the pair banking 162. Best bowler was Ellie M Phillips for Foxes, who took her maiden 5-fer (5wickets/conceding 33 runs.) Turning to Foxes’ innings, Francesca Sweet 101(114) top-scored, chalking-up her second competition ’ton’ [previously having scored 138(117) vs Falcons, on 25 Aug’25.] Without Live Stream commentary. Weather: cloudy with showers forecast for later, 17C.
Rapids women wearing light blue front, mid-hooped back uppers over lower black with light-blue helmets; *stand-in skipper Gwenan ‘Gwen’ Davies (Wales international); [Lucy Western keeping wicket for Foxes] ; debutantes Daisy Egerton, Lucy Harris, Megan Bishop & Sanya Khurana; *with Bryony Gillgrass & Sophie Beech (Warwicks loans, England u-19s ‘tri-series’); *Gwen Davies was caught by Faith Teekasingh, from Ellie M Phillips; *Bryony Gillgrass was caught at shoulder-height at ‘deep-square’ by Holly Whitfield, from Ellie M Phillips; *Score 36/2 after 10 overs power-play; *Ebony-Jade Tweats was caught by keeper Lucy Western, from Caitlin Chissell; *Drinks taken mid-way, on 101/3 after 25ov.; *Megan Bishop was caught at ‘deep-square’ by Ellen Watson, from Lucy Weston; *Sophie Beech was caught aerial at ‘deep-mid-wicket’ by Francesca Sweet, from Emma Thatcher; *Sanya Khurana was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ by left-armed seamer Emma Thatcher; *Lucy Harris was caught aerial ‘in-the-covers’ by Francesca Sweet, from Ellie M Phillips; *Emily Churms was caught at ‘extra-cover’ by Francesca Sweet, from Ellie M Phillips; *Jess Beach was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ by Ellie M Phillips; Rapids women batting: Sophie Beech 110(113); Megan Bishop 59(80); Sanya Khurana 18(18); Foxes women bowling: Ellie M Phillips 5/33(9); Emma Thatcher2/34(9); Lucy Weston 1/56(7); Caitlin Chissell 1/32(8);
Leicestershire Foxes wearing two-tone red-and-black with black joggers; stand-in skipper Lucy Western *[Sophie Beech keeping wicket for Rapids]; *debutantes Caitlin Chissell and Faith Teekasingh; *with Ellen Watson (Scotland international); *Also Indira Singh (Warwicks Academy loan); *Faith Teekasingh was caught by keeper Sophie Beech, from Jess Beach; *Lucy Weston was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ with bails sent flying by Jess Beach; *Score 63/2 (vs 36/2) after 10 overs power-play; *Lucy Western was bowled ‘middle-and-off,’ by Phoebe Brett; *Drinks taken mid-way, on 126/3 (vs 101/3): *Ellen Watson was caught at ‘deep-mid-wicket’ by Daisy Egerton, from Megan Bishop; *Caitlin Chissell was bowled ‘through-the-gate’ by Megan Bishop; *Top-scorer Francesca Sweet was caught at ‘mid-wicket’ by Gwen Davies, from Daisy Egerton; *Hesitant after a refused ‘single’ Ellie Phillips was ‘run-out’ at the non-striker’s end by Bryony Gillgrass’ throw to Daisy Egerton who broke the stumps; *Missing ‘slog-sweep’ Nayma Sheikh was bowled ‘off-stump’ by Bryony Gillgrass;. *Three balls later, Holly Whitfield was caught-and-bowled leg-side, with an athletic-roll by Bryony Gillgrass; *Playing ‘backward-defensive,’ Emma Thatcher was bowled by Megan Bishop; Foxes women batting: Francesca Sweet 101(114); Lucy Western 46(67); Ellie M Phillips 35(46); Ellen Watson 18(26); Indira Singh 11*n (8); Rapids women bowling: Megan Bishop 3/44(7.5); Jess Beach 2/41(10); Bryony Gillgrass 2/52(10); Daisy Egerton 1/14(3); Phoebe Brett 1/29(10);
Match result: Worcestershire Rapids (women) 258/9 (@5.1 runs-per-over from 50/50 overs) beat Leicestershire Foxes (women) 245 ‘All out’ (@5.0 r-p-o from 48.5/50ov./ target 259 from 50/50 ov.) by 13 runs with 7 balls remaining
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play @url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#mfc075289-19ec-4a6d-afcb-e6e50edc8d4a
*Upcoming League two fixtures 50ov (2026) @url: http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2026/04/25/metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-tournament-for-50-overs-league-two-may-update-2026/
*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/
