Durham Women are searching for back-to-back wins in the Vitality Blast, taking on Essex in blistering heat at Banks Homes Riverside tomorrow [2:30pm].
Dani Hazell has named a squad of 13 for Friday’s double header in the Chester le Street sunshine, with Phoebe Turner returning to the squad in place of Lauren Filer after Sunday’s four-wicket victory over Somerset in Taunton.
Filer drops out of the squad ahead of England Women’s IT20 series against India, which gets underway on Saturday 28 June.
Hazell’s side take on an Essex side who lost by two wickets on the penultimate ball in a thrilling clash against The Bears on Wednesday.
Essex sit on nine points in sixth, one point clear of Durham in seventh with both sides having won two of their opening seven.
Words from Lauren Filer
(On Somerset victory) It was a good win and we played well with bat and ball to achieve it, which was pleasing. The pitch was a good one and the outfield was lightning-fast, so restricting Somerset to 138 was a good effort.
Somerset made a good start with the bat, but we stuck at it and managed to pull it back during the middle overs. There were quite a few overs without a boundary and that was probably the difference in the end.
Although we lost wickets, we navigated the chase pretty well and it was not overly stressful watching from the bench. Suzie Bates has been outstanding and it was great watching her go about her business.
But even when she gets out, we still have players further down the order who can finish for us, and Bess Heath played beautifully. She appears so calm and relaxed when she’s batting and her game is coming on in leaps and bounds.
Squad v Essex (20 June)
Hollie Armitage*, Suzie Bates, Leah Dobson, Katherine Fraser, Abi Glen, Bess Heath, Katie Levick, Emma Marlow, Mia Rogers+, Grace Thompson, Sophia Turner, Mady Villiers
Opposition Corner
Captain: Grace Scrivens
Overseas players: Maddie Penna (Australia, full competition)
Key winter moves: Seasoned opener and wicketkeeper Lauren Winfield-Hill has moved to Chelmsford on a loan deal from Yorkshire for the duration of the Blast. The arrival of Penna – part of the Adelaide Strikers squad that won successive Women’s Big Bash League titles – will strengthen Essex’s options in the middle-order batting and leg-spin departments.
The big question: How do Essex reshuffle their bowling attack to compensate for Sophie Munro’s absence? The seamer caught the eye during Sunrisers’ T20 campaign last year, finishing as their leading wicket-taker, but is currently out with a back injury. Despite their potent spin line-up, Essex will need alternatives to fill Munro’s role at the back end of the innings.
Wildcard watch: Esmae MacGregor. The 20-year-old can vary her pace and bowled well in the powerplay overs during Essex’s recent T20 County Cup defeat to Yorkshire. Although she featured more prominently in 50-over cricket last season, Munro’s injury could mean that MacGregor finds herself shouldering greater responsibility in the shorter format over the coming weeks.
Final thought: Essex should be capable of posting challenging totals in this tournament. As well as Winfield-Hill and Grace Scrivens at the top of the order, they can expect runs from the likes of Cordelia Griffith, Jodi Grewcock and Sophia Smale – while Jo Gardner, who begins the Blast in impressive form with the bat, could take on the finisher’s role. But they will also need to develop a ruthless streak that has so far been lacking in their 50-over campaign.
Match Centre
The Club’s match centre will be in operation for the fixture with live scorecards, statistics & video highlights as they happen. You can watch the game live via Durham’s match centre and the match will also be available on Durham’s YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.