Report: Essex vs Warwickshire, One Day Cup

Katie George struck an unbeaten 42 from 71 balls to wrap up Warwickshire’s first Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory of the campaign as they overcame Essex by five wickets at Chelmsford. 

Teenage opener Davina Perrin’s 43 from 59 laid the foundations for the Bears’ response to a modest target of 158 before George’s innings guided her side across the line with 56 balls to spare. 

Warwickshire flattened their hosts for just 157, with the wickets split evenly among five bowlers and more than 10 overs unused despite home skipper Grace Scrivens’ knock of 59 from 88. 

But a fragile batting line-up shorn of the in-form Jodi Grewcock, a late withdrawal due to injury, shed six wickets for 33, and it was only thanks to Sophia Smale’s defiant unbeaten 28 that Essex clambered above 150. 

While the absence of Grewcock – who began the tournament with scores of 80 and 77 – was a setback for Essex, Scrivens chose to bat first with a reshuffled line-up and gave her side a solid start. 

Scrivens dominated her opening partnership of 36 with Cordelia Griffith, driving Issy Wong sweetly to the fence twice before the introduction of Em Arlott (two for 14) put the Bears firmly in control. 

The seamer beat the bat several times in her five-over stint, removing Griffith and Lissy Macleod while Amara Carr, promoted to four, perished to a fine diving catch by George at midwicket. 

Jo Gardner did her best to provide the innings with impetus, launching Hannah Baker (two for 38) for two sixes in her 24 from as many deliveries but once she misread the line from Georgia Davis (two for 41) and was bowled, Essex swiftly crumbled. 

Scrivens eventually popped a tame return catch to Baker, and Amu Surenkumar collected two wickets in four balls, but Smale batted positively, crunching Charis Pavely off the back foot for four as she and Abtaha Maqsood improved Essex’s total by 24. 

Pavely finished off the innings, tempting Maqsood to pick out mid-on, but it needed a clutch of powerplay wickets to keep Essex in contention, and they achieved just a solitary success, with Kate Coppack piercing Surenkumar’s defences. 

Perrin was content to pick her moments, striking powerfully as she pulled both Coppack and Eva Gray for six, while Meg Austin recovered from a scratchy start to share a partnership of 58 from 72. 

Although both batters fell in the space of three deliveries, Pavely soon regained the visitors’ momentum, thumping Smale and Gray for straight boundaries as she and George added 52 from 74. 

Warwickshire had to overcome another late stumble, with Pavely (26 from 43) run out after being sent back and failing to beat Coppack’s throw from mid-on, while Nat Wraith also fell cheaply. 

But George kept her cool, chipping away at the target, and Arlott joined her to apply the finishing touch by hitting Sophie Munro over the top for the winning boundary. 

Warwickshire batter Katie George said: “We talk about people chipping in and it takes a team to win things, so to do that so early on in the season is a great sign. 

“Lex (Alexa Stonehouse) was really unfortunate not to get any wickets because she bowled so well up top, she created some really good pressure and then right the way through we took wickets consistently. 

“I thought our fielding was unbelievable as well. We were really happy with what we kept them to. 

“It’d be nice to go out there and score at a good rate and chase it easily, but I don’t think the pitch was there to do that. It was challenging and Essex bowled well, so to get the win is the most important thing. 

“Dav (Perrin) got us off to a great start and then it was all about partnerships. I had a good partnership with Pavs (Charis Pavely) – she took the game on as she does. There was no pressure with the run-rate, so we knew a couple of dots wasn’t the end of the world.”