Warwickshire Bears Women entertain Essex at Edgbaston Stadium looking to make it three wins on the bounce in the Vitality Blast.
Play gets under way at 3:00pm on Wednesday 1 July, as part of a massive doubleheader at The People’s Home of Cricket. Here’s all you need to know…
Team news
Bears Women have named a 13-player squad for the visit of Essex.
Squad: Georgia Davis, Em Arlott, Hannah Baker, Sophie Beech, Chloe Brewer, Abbey Freeborn, Katie George, Georgia Redmayne, Bethan Robinson, Amu Surenkumar, Mary Taylor, Millie Taylor, Nat Wraith
Current form
Bears Women take on Essex playing their best T20 cricket of the campaign. After enduring a difficult start to the season, the Bears have won back-to-back games, and will be looking to continue their rise up the table with another win on home soil on Wednesday. A dominant 42-run victory over Surrey at Edgbaston on Friday was followed by a nerve-shredding one-run win away against Lancashire on Sunday. Abbey Freeborn, Davina Perrin and Nat Wraith were in the runs across the two fixtures, while Mary Taylor, Georgia Davis and Millie Taylor impressed with the ball.
Those results have seen the Bears climb to seventh in the nine-team table, with Essex four point better off in sixth.
Essex won three of their opening four games in the Blast, however three consecutive losses have stalled their progress. The three defeats have come against the current top three in the table though.
Previous meetings
Bears Women and Essex met on the opening day of the 2026 Vitality Blast, and on that occasion it was Essex that came out on top, winning by seven wickets at Chelmsford. An unbeaten 86 from Abbey Freeborn helped the Bears reach 164 for eight from their 20 overs, however half-centuries from Alice McLeod (59) and Cordelia Griffiths (68) at the top of the order for Essex saw the hosts ease home with five overs to spare.
When the teams met last year, in the inaugural season of the Women’s Vitality Blast, Essex won the first fixture by 19 runs on the DLS Method, before the Bears responded when the sides met again, winning a thrilling contest by two wickets.
Players to watch
Nat Wraith
It was a career-best T20 knock of 83 from Nat Wraith that helped the Bears to a match-winning total in their last outing against Lancashire. Wraith’s innings came off just 48 balls and included ten fours and two sixes.
Mary Taylor
While it was Wraith who impressed with the bat, Mary Taylor held her nerve with the ball, taking a wicket, forcing a second via a run out and conceding just three runs off the final over to make sure of the one-run with against Lancs. Taylor also took three wickets in the team’s win two days earlier.
Lissy Macleod (Essex)
The last time the two teams met, Lissy Macleod was crucial to Essex’s success, sharing a second wicket-partnership of 119 in just 10 overs with Cordelia Griffith. While Griffiths isn’t in Essex’s squad for the return fixture, Macleod is, and will be a key wicket for the Bears to take.
One more reason to attend Edgbaston…
Bears Women against Essex is one of two Blast fixtures being played on Wednesday, with Bears Men playing Sussex Sharks at 7:00pm. In between that, the England World Cup last-32 match against DR Congo will be screened in the Exhibition Hall and on screens around the concourse.