Durham Women will be looking to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat against Lancashire, when they host Essex tomorrow at Banks Homes Riverside [10:30am]
Dani Hazell has named a squad of 14 for round two of the Metro Bank One Day Cup which includes one change from the squad which was named to take on Lancashire.
Lauren Filer has dropped out of the 14 with Abi Glen added to the fold, replacing the England quick bowler.
Durham take on an Essex team who also lost their opening game of the season on Saturday, with the Chelmsford side suffering a 5 wicket defeat to Hampshire in a high scoring game in Southampton.
Essex posted 265 from their 50 overs with Jodi Grewcock top scoring (80) as Hampshire went onto chase down 266 with 2 balls to spare as Ella McCaughan (90) and Abi Norgrove (85) top scored for the hosts.
Dani Hazell’s side enjoyed two wins over Essex last season in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, opening up the 2025 campaign with an historic win in Chester le Street, along with a 6 wicket win in Chelmsford.
Squad v Essex (15 April)
Hollie Armitage, Katherine Fraser, Abi Glen, Bess Heath, Katie Levick, Emma Marlow, Harriet Robson, Mia Rogers, Phoebe Turner, Sophia Turner, Grace Thompson, Mady Villiers, Tahlia Wilson, Emily Windsor
Words from Dani Hazell
It’s pretty clear it’s not where we want to be with the loss over Lancashire. There’s lots of learnings and we’ve really got to see this as an opportunity to get better.
Opposition Corner
Captain: Grace Scrivens
Head coach: Stephen Parry
2025 finish: 8th
2025 highest run-scorer: Grace Scrivens (429)
2025 highest wicket-taker: Eva Gray (15)
Winter moves: Former Lancashire and England spinner Stephen Parry has taken over as head coach following Andy Tennant’s exit, with Nick Browne, who recently brought down the curtain on his 13-year stint as a top-order batter for Essex’s men, filling the role of batting coach. On the field, batter Liberty Heap completed her permanent move from Lancashire, while former Essex captain Kelly Castle was released along with Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones.
The big question: In a nutshell, can Browne’s input and experience coax more consistency with the bat from an Essex side who topped 250 just once in last year’s tournament? Grace Scrivens hit back-to-back hundreds at the top of the order, but Jodi Grewcock was the only other batter to pass 50 more than once and Essex must at least ensure they bat out their full allocation of overs more frequently.
Player to watch: The move to Chelmsford may turn out to be just what Liberty Heap needed to reignite her career. Having shown potential with the bat as an England Under-19 player a few years ago, the 22-year-old had stalled at Lancashire, but she made a promising start after joining Essex on loan at the back end of last season, hitting 33 from 37 balls against The Blaze.
Final thought: After finishing bottom of the table in their inaugural season, the only way is up for Essex. However, one of their two group successes was achieved against eventual champions Lancashire, suggesting there’s plenty of potential to do better under a revamped coaching set-up. Essex may also have to find ways of coping without the influential Scrivens if, and more likely when, she graduates to the England side.
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 YouTube channel. Durham Cricket will have full coverage on social media, with a full match report at the close.