Report: Essex Women vs Bears Women, Metro Bank One Day Cup

Emily Arlott’s maiden List A hundred spearheaded a stirring Warwickshire fightback as they recovered from 22 for five to overcome Essex for their first win in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition.

The 27-year-old seamer flourished with the bat, hitting 130 from 141 balls and sharing century partnerships with both Chloe Brewer (44 from 75) and Charis Pavely (31 from 40) to propel the Bears to 289 all out at Chelmsford.

Essex seamer Eva Gray returned career-best figures of five for 62 – but the home side’s tally of 32 wides did them no favours and they were bowled out for 181 in response, despite half-centuries from Grace Scrivens and Cordelia Griffith.

Left-armer Katie George and medium-pacer Brewer picked up three wickets apiece as Essex were dismissed with 11 overs unused.

Essex’s decision to bowl after winning the toss appeared to be more than vindicated when Gray wrecked the visitors’ top order by capturing four wickets in the space of 10 balls.

Sterre Kalis was first to depart, lbw playing across the line to Kate Coppack before Amara Carr’s diving catch behind the stumps removed Davina Perrin, while George and Abbey Freeborn were both castled by inswingers from Gray.

Nat Wraith also fell cheaply, caught at slip, but Brewer, who survived a difficult chance to cover from her second ball, led the Bears’ counter-attack, driving sweetly through the off side and injecting the innings with momentum.

However, she was gradually overtaken by her partner, who punched Coppack for four over midwicket to reach her half-century and continued to accelerate after Brewer’s departure as she and Pavely shared another three-figure stand.

Arlott maintained focus and advanced to her century before dispatching Sophia Smale for three successive boundaries and thrashing a huge leg-side six off Gray as the Warwickshire total passed 250.

Arlott eventually became Gray’s fifth victim, bowled attempting to paddle, but the damage had already been done, and Issy Wong’s belligerent unbeaten 29 from 14 ensured the Bears finished on a high, with 16 coming from the final over.

Wong struck with the ball when Essex launched their reply, nipping one back to clatter into Jo Gardner’s off stump, but Scrivens kept the scoreboard ticking over with a lively knock of 53 from 76.

Warwickshire’s spinners struck twice in successive overs, with Scrivens edging behind off Pavely and Jodi Grewcock bowled by Georgia Davis, although Griffith took up the baton with gusto, hammering Davis down the ground for the only six of the innings.

But Griffith shed partners at regular intervals, with Brewer pouching a trip of catches off George (three for 38) at midwicket and then claiming two wickets in three balls herself as Essex’s lower order fell apart.

Four wickets went down for a single run, including that of Griffith for a creditable 72 from 76 and Brewer (three for 18) wrapped up Warwickshire’s success by trapping Munro leg before.

Em Arlott said: “I’m just too stubborn for my own good sometimes, and it paid off today. They bowled really well at the top, using the pitch and what that offered.

“It was a case of survival mode, and no matter how many balls I faced, I didn’t care if I scored a run – it was just about letting myself settle. It’s amazing how, if you give yourself 10 overs, they can go flat, and we were able to capitalise.

“Me and Brews’ (Chloe Brewer) partnership was probably the game-shifting momentum we needed. We took low risks and put their bad balls away, she deserved plenty more runs out there.

“Sometimes if you lose a big wicket like that, you can go into your shell, but my mentality was the same, and hopefully that showed. I’d never scored a hundred, and to be honest, I didn’t really notice until I was on about 95.

“The situation was more important, and I felt if I stayed in there, the runs were always going to come. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, but I’m really happy it’s contributed to a win.”