Hampshire’s women’s cricket team continued their formidable form in the Women’s One-Day Cup. In one of the great County Championship games played in recent memory, they beat Essex by four runs a couple of weeks ago. This political win increased their momentum. In doing so, it extended their advantage atop the group standings to five points.
Maya Bouchier was instrumental in laying down a strong platform for Hampshire, contributing 31 runs from 30 deliveries. Hampshire replied with seven for 101 wickets. Freya Kemp put in a high-class performance with the bat too, scoring 31 runs. The duo went above and beyond to set a new national competitive score. Yet their collective efforts would ultimately prove vital—in ways both unforeseen and poetic—for their own defense.
In reply, Essex couldn’t keep up with the target. They managed to reach 97 runs before being dismissed, with Sophie Munro leading their efforts with an unbeaten 28 runs. Esmae MacGregor was on fire with the bat for Essex. She made an immediate impact taking two for 17 against Hampshire’s strong batting order.
Hampshire’s bowlers remained disciplined and effective throughout the innings. Yet they started brightly, defending their meager total successfully, with Alexa Stonehouse conceding just 23 runs while taking two wickets. The game was hard-fought, highlighting the skillfulness of each team. Hampshire proved themselves with their intelligent style of play and tremendous sense of cool when things got hairy.
Earlier in the tournament, Hampshire had pulled off an impressive chase to beat Derbyshire, successfully chasing down a revised target of 164 runs in 35 overs. This stellar achievement helped them secure a bonus point. In this epic pursuit, it showcased Hampshire’s increasing monopoly over the championship as they’ve shown to be the most consistently fast team.
The performance of this match will be remembered for many different, remarkable performances. Danielle Gibson was the top scorer for Somerset with a fine 44 not out and Niamh Holland helped her with an impressive 44 not out. Their hard work, while not affecting the immediate match-up against Essex, proved just how highly competitive this tournament was.
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