Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women 2025 – April 23: All Matches & Full Match Reports

Get detailed match reports and results from all fixtures played on April 23 in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women 2025. Full updates and team highlights.

Durham Women vs Essex Women, Match 1, Metro Bank One Day Cup Women 2025, Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, Chester-Le-Street

A four-wicket haul for fledgling seamer Phoebe Turner was followed by a brilliant a unbeaten 93 for New Zealander Suzie Bates as dominant Durham brushed aside Essex by nine wickets at the Banks Homes Riverside in today’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition opener.

Turner, 21, was the standout bowler with four for 33 from eight overs as Essex, inserted, were bowled out for 177 inside 48 overs. Fellow seamer Grace Thompson also impressed with two wickets on her professional debut, while experienced leg-spinner Katie Levick struck three times.

Essex recovered from 65 for five in the 20th over, with Jodie Grewcock contributing 31 and Sophia Smale 40. They shared a sixth-wicket 53, but it wasn’t enough in front of a 600-strong crowd at the start of the professional era of women’s cricket in the North East.

Opener Bates is Durham’s first ever professional women’s overseas signing, and she led a composed chase with 14 fours in 103 balls. She shared a superb unbroken 173 with second-wicket partner and captain Hollie Armitage, 64 off 87 balls. A five-point victory was sealed in the 33rd over.

Turner was the leading wicket-taker in last season’s 50-over regional competition, striking 23 times for Northern Diamonds.

And she and Thompson - a tall 17-year-old rookie - set the tone with three and two wickets respectively as the Eagles slipped into early trouble.

Thompson struck with the new ball when she trapped Jo Gardner lbw before Turner angled one across visiting captain Grace Scrivens and had the left-hander caught behind for 19 - 46 for two in the 12th over.

Turner then had Cordelia Griffith caught behind by England squad wicketkeeper Bess Heath, who claimed two catches and two stumpings. The same bowler had Lissy Macleod caught and bowled off a skied top-edge.

Sandwiched in between, Abi Glen took a superb catch diving to her left at first slip to help Thompson remove Flo Miller as Essex slipped to five down.

The half-century stand between Grewcock and Smale, under the Riverside floodlights, was accumulative.

Levick removed both Grewcock and Smale stumped, leaving the Eagles 145 for seven in the 42nd over.

Levick then ousted Amara Carr for 21 and, courtesy of a catch at short third, helped Turner get Eva Gray as the tail was mopped up with 2.3 overs remaining.

Levick and Thompson finished with three for 28 and 2 for 34 from their respective 10-over spells.

Run-scoring on this pitch wasn’t completely trouble-free, and Kate Coppack’s seam trapped Emma Marlow lbw in the second over of Durham’s chase - five for one.

But in 37-year-old Bates, a veteran of 348 all-format international appearances, and Armitage, Durham had the perfect combination to steer their ship.

They calmed any early nerves early in their near 31-over alliance before becoming more expansive to extinguish Essex’s hopes.

Durham reached 100 for one after 22 overs, by which stage a home victory was almost certain.

Bates was strong on both sides of the wicket and reached her debut fifty off 68 balls moments later. Armitage then followed her to the same milestone off 75 to cap off the bonus-point success.

Durham batter Suzie Bates said

“I couldn’t ask for much batter. I thought our bowlers did a really good job. 

“There was a little bit in the wicket early, and the way Hollie batted as well, she really pushed through and absorbed that pressure. That made it easier.

“Great to get a win at home, and it’s nice to contribute some runs first up.

“I shouldn’t have favourites this early, but Grace Thompson is one of a kind. I saw her in the nets. She’s been away with the England Under 19s and was saying how nervous she was. But she didn’t look nervous at all.

“For such a tall, young fast bowler to have that much control (was impressive). She set the tone. The way Phoebe Turner bowler, she was relentless, bowling stump to stump. 

“They got us off to a really good start.

“It’s nice being on Katie Levick’s team. I’ve played a lot of domestic cricket in England but always against her. I think she’s been the highest wicket-taker (in domestic cricket) for a number of years. She’s so consistent.

“We have a really balanced bowling attack, and it’s exciting given we have Lauren Filer still sitting on the sidelines.”

 

Essex head coach Andy Tennant said

“If we’re honest, overs 10-20 dug us into a real hole. We were quite happy off the back of the powerplay. I think we were 45-1, and then next 10 overs we were 17 or 18-4. It was always tough to come back from there.

“It was disappointing to lose the toss because it did nibble around a bit early on. There were a few good deliveries, but we would still have hoped for more than 177.

“Then, two players made it look quite easy in Armitage and Bates. 

“In fairness to Suzie Bates, she was playing quite freely while Hollie struggled to get it away early on. That allowed Hollie to get herself in. Once they got going, it was a difficult ask for us. 

“The pitch flattened out a bit, but we just didn’t get enough balls in the right areas to challenge them. 

“Look, it’s not the end of the world. It’s the first game the season, and we’ll look to bounce back against Warwickshire on Sunday.”

Surrey Women vs Somerset Women, Match 2, Metro Bank One Day Cup Women 2025, The Kent County Cricket Ground, Beckenham

Surrey 243 for seven. Somerset 241 for three. Somerset win by seven wickets DLS.

Match Report by Fred Atkins for the Rothesay ECB Reporters Network

Women’s Tier One cricket got off to the most dramatic possible start at Beckenham on Wednesday, when Somerset beat Surrey off the very last ball in a Metro Bank One Day classic.

With the scores level, Fran Wilson hit Alice Davidson-Richards for four to secure a seven-wicket win in game reduced to 33 overs a side. Somerset had seemed to be coasting thanks to an opening stand of 122 between Heather Knight, who made 64 and Emma Corney, who hit 64. 

Surrey responded with a stifling fielding performance, but with Somerset almost dead and buried Amanda-Jade Wellington hit four successive fours to leave the visitors needing 15 off the last over and with the scores level Wilson powered Alice Davidson-Richards final ball through mid-wicket.

Earlier Surrey posted 243 for seven meaning Somerset had to chase revised target of 238.

Alice Davidson-Richards was their top scorer with an unbeaten 57 from 47 balls, while Amanda Jade-Wellington took three for 42.

It might have been a historic occasion at the New County Ground, but the weather deterred all but a handful of spectators. Conditions were bitter and rain delayed the start until 11 am.

Somerset won the toss, chose to bowl and struck almost immediately. Ellie Anderson bowled Bryony Smith for one from the fourth legal delivery of the morning, but the rain returned after 3.3 overs with Surrey on 21 for one and play didn’t resume until 1.45 pm.

Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt-Hodge put on 59 for the second wicket, but both then went to Wellington. Capsey was caught for 26 at cover by Charlie Dean and Wyatt-Hodge was lbw for 33.

Wellington then had Alice Monaghan stumped for a third-ball duck, her third wicket in the space of 14 deliveries.

Sophia Dunkley was the next to go for 22 when she pulled Knight to Alex Griffiths, who took a juggling catch on the boundary.

Paige Scholfield and Davidson-Richards shifted the momentum with a stand worth 60 that was only broken when the former miscued Charlie Dean to Laura Jackson. Davidson-Richards kept the pressure on by hitting Jackson for six over cow corner and Kira Chathli weighed in with a useful 25 before she was bowled by Dean, leaving Phoebe Franklin to scramble three not out from two balls in the final over.

The target looked steep and Corney might have gone when she miscued a drive off Franklin but Scholfield couldn’t hang on the an ankle-high catch.

Both batters hit Dani Gregory for six in the 18th over before Knight fell, pulling Davidson-Richards to Monaghan.

Corney drove Ryana MacDonald-Gay for four to pass 50 but she was bowled leg stump by the same bowler and the run rate crept upwards. MacDonald-Gay went for just four from the 30th over, leaving Somerset needing 37 from 18.

Capsey restricted them to five from the 31st and crucially had Dean caught by Franklin for 41 off the final ball of the over, but Wellington revived the visitors with four successive fours off MacDonald-Gay, reducing the target to 15 off six.

Wilson hit the first ball of the final over for four. The second went for a single and Wellington carved the third for four and swept the fourth to the fine leg boundary, leaving Somerset needing just two from two.

They scrambled a single off the fifth to leave Wilson facing. She pulled Davidson-Richards for four through cow corner to seal a history-making win.

Somerset’s Amanda-Jade Wellington said: “I’m just flying, it was an unbelievable win. We’re really excited to get the first ever win for Somerset women, it’s just a proud moment really.

“The crowd was buzzing and that’s what you want in games of cricket. Games like that bring the crowds and that’s what we want to see this year. It was a great finish for us.

“I thought they batted really, they started off in the powerplay quite explosively and we know they’ve got a long line-up as well. You’ve got the likes of Sophia Dunkley coming in at five or six and it was quite a threatening line-up. Towards the end we didn’t bowl as well as we could have to Alice-Davidson Richards. I think that’s one thing we can work on for the next game, so we know it’s not a perfect game and there are things we can work on.

(On four consecutive fours)

“I just played my game. I saw an opportunity where there was massive gap. I’m a player who tires to manipulate the field. I try and think about the gae a little more because I know I’m not the strongest player so I’m not going to hit sixes everywhere. I have to find a way to try and manipulate the field and use the pace off the ball. That’s something I’m known for and it worked today.

(Any doubt before the last delivery?

“Naaah. No doubt I just said to ran if it’s a slower ball, go for it because there’s no one out there and if you miss it we’re running anyway because it’s a draw any way so either way it was a positive result for us. I back Fran Wilson every day of the week and yeah, she got us over the line.

(First impressions of English cricket)

“It’s cold, but its a lovely ground, it’s a very picturesque round and it’s a very English ground and I think it’s very homely. It was great to see a good little crowd coming out and supporting not only Surrey but also Somerset as well because it was the first ever game for us. I was very honoured to be a part of it, and to put on a game like that for all the fans and everyone watching on the live stream. I couldn’t be prouder.”

Surrey’s Johann Myburgh said: “They’ll be very disappointed, we’re all very disappointed. We did a lot of good stuff so to be involved in a game like hat is always bittersweet if you get on the wring end of it.

“I thought we batted really nicely, we know the wicket is good here and it’s a high-scoring ground but to post just over 230, you have to be happy with that. You end up defending 238 off 33 overs so we definitely had enough skill in the group to defend that, unfortunately we didn’t do that today so that al makes the girls very disappointed.

“Like I said we know it’s a good wicket so we’ve obviously spoken about ‘there will be partnerships’ so regardless of that opening partnership I don’t think there was massive panic. The game had not gone away from us so to the then shift the momentum and get to 32 off the last two overs I thought the players did exceptionally well, so credit to that part of the game. I thought Alice Capsey bowled particularly well so there’s still lots of positives to take.

“It was always going to take something special to chance the game so credit to Wello. She came in and that’s what she can do. She’s a good ball striker, she’s got lots of experience. She made it hard at the end and played some good cricket shots.”

 

The Blaze vs Lancashire Women, Match 3, Metro Bank One Day Cup Women 2025, Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition
The Blaze v Lancashire, Trent Bridge, April 23

Lancashire 235/2 beat The Blaze 234 by 8 wickets with 30 balls to spare.

England all-rounder Emma Lamb delivered a match-winning performance as Lancashire opened the new era of women’s county cricket with an emphatic eight-wicket win over The Blaze in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup at Trent Bridge.

Watched by the national team’s newly-appointed head coach, Charlotte Edwards, opening batter Lamb took three for 42 with her off-breaks as The Blaze were restricted to 234 from 50 overs after opting to bat first, before making an unbeaten 130 with the bat as Lancashire chased down their target with five overs to spare.

Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce almost inevitably top-scored with 70 for the home side, Georgia Elwiss making 49 on debut. Left-arm spinner Hannah Jones also took three wickets, with England seamer Mahika Gaur picking up two.

All out to the last ball of their allocated 50 overs, The Blaze total always looked under par even on a used pitch, with too many batters out to self-inflicted errors. With the ball, they could not muster the same discipline as their opponents and critically dropped centurion Lamb three times, the opener going on to hit 15 boundaries.

England duo Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones - another Blaze debutant - who opened the innings, were both out to loose shots, Jones when looking well set on 30. The same malaise afflicted their middle order while even Bryce, well though she played, might consider her dismissal was avoidable.

On the other hand, Lancashire’s bowlers deserved credit for creating pressure through the middle of the innings. England seamer Kate Cross sent down 39 dot balls and was unlucky to finish wicketless, two catches going down off her bowling.

Beaumont - captaining in place of the injured Kirstie Gordon - was the first casualty, caught at short third chasing a wide delivery from Gaur. Bryce and Jones built nicely, but after the second-wicket pair had added 47 the England wicketkeeper perished tamely, hitting Sophie Morris ’s left-arm spin straight to long-off.

There seemed to be no shifting the irrepressible Bryce, who was beginning her domestic season only five days after concluding Scotland’s ICC World Cup qualifying tournament in Lahore with an unbeaten 131 in the thriller against Ireland. The all-rounder, whose half-century here came in 53 balls, has amassed a remarkable 1,786 runs in all formats since the start of 2024.

With Elwiss - the former Loughborough Lightning skipper who is back in the East Midlands after a highly successful stint with Southern Vipers - she put on 82 for the third wicket before Elwiss, who had looked impressive, was bowled by a clever delivery from Jones.

Nonetheless, The Blaze looked to have a platform for a big score at 146 for three from 32 overs but probably wasted the opportunity. Bryce, already with a boundary in the over, was caught at mid-off, Prendergast at extra cover, Claridge at  deep mid-wicket and Boyce at mid-wicket, the last three seeing 191 for four become 197 for seven in the space of 11 balls.

Josie Groves plundered 21 after being dropped on one, but 234 looked a tricky total to defend.

Needing to build pressure on their opponents from the start, The Blaze did not help themselves, with new ball bowlers Grace Ballinger and new signing Charley Phillips, formerly with Sunrisers, each conceding wides and boundaries in their opening spells.

Bryce the bowler made a breakthrough with her first delivery, inducing a return catch via a leading edge to remove ex-Central Sparks skipper Eve Jones on her Lancashire debut, but  Lamb and overseas signing Katie Mack took charge, Lamb making The Blaze pay as Elwiss dropped her on 17 at mid-wicket and Groves on 26 at backward point - Ballinger the unlucky bowler on both occasions - by completing a 65-ball half-century with her ninth four.

It took until the 31st over for the second-wicket pair to be separated, England leg-spinner bowling Australia’s Mack middle stump for 44 to end a stand worth 114.

Lamb had another escape on 92, albeit to a tough caught-and-bowled chance spilled by Glenn, but kept her nerve and completed her fifth List A hundred from 114 balls, having hit 12 boundaries, then seeing her side over the line in an unbroken 86-run partnership with Seren Smale (38 not out).

Lancashire match-winner Emma Lamb said:

“It was a good day for us. It was a pretty good wicket to bat on so we’re very happy to have limited them to that score. Hannah Jones and Sophie Morris bowled very nicely and we were able to build some pressure, getting wickets at important times. It did look at one time as though they were going to get a big score.

“I’m pretty pleased with the way I batted. As an opener it is always good to get a not out and I had good support from Katie and Seren.

“It was nice that the England head coach was watching but that’s not something I think about. I’m just focussed on doing as well as I can for Lancashire.

“We feel we’ve got a pretty good squad together this year with a lot of potential so it is good to get off to a winning start against a good team.”

The Blaze all-rounder Georgia Elwiss said:

“There are areas we can improve on for sure. We set a nice platform for 30 overs but then lost wickets in clusters and we were never able to get as good a score as we wanted. I think 260 to 270 on that wicket would have been a bigger ask on that sort of wicket.

“Losing wickets in clusters is never helpful but the pitch wasn’t easy to start on and we perhaps could have given ourselves a little more time to get in. We would love to be playing on fresh wickets every game but it played okay and Emma Lamb has made it look like a really good wicket.

“Then with the ball, when you are faced with a big partnership like that, you start to search a little bit too much for wickets and going away from simple plans.

“But they batted beautifully. There were a couple of chances in the field that if we were maybe a little bit sharper we would have taken but it is the first game of the season and while there are a few little things we can improve on, we got a lot of the game right.”

 

Warwickshire Women vs Hampshire Women, Match 4, Metro Bank One Day Cup Women 2025, Edgbaston, Birmingham

Hampshire, 208 all out, tied with Warwickshire, 208 all out.  

Women’s county cricket started in scintillating style in Birmingham as Warwickshire and Hampshire tied an absolute thriller in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition opener at Edgbaston.

On a pitch which never yielded runs easily, Hampshire chose to bat and were bowled out for 208 in 48.3 overs, as only Rhianna Southby (72 from 95 balls - her maiden 50-over half-century) and Abi Norgrove (28, 46) passed 20. Chloe Brewer took three for 40 and there were two wickets apiece for Emily Arlott and Georgia Davis.

Warwickshire then were also all out for 208, their last wicket falling from the final ball of the 50^th over. Abi Freeborn’s composed 70 (96 balls) put them on top but Linsey Smith, four for 39, cut through the lower middle order to leave Warwickshire’s last two wickets needing to find 44.

In fading light, Charis Pavely, Georgia Davis and Hannah Baker did brilliantly to find 43 before skipper Davis was run out off the last ball.

As women’s county cricket dawned in Birmingham, the first delivery of the new era, by Emily Arlott to Maia Boucher, was met by a forward defensive. The batter may reflect that she should have repeated that stroke 26 balls later when she went back to Arlott and played on.

On a cloudy morning, batting was far from straightforward and Ella McCaughan was bowled by a lovely in-ducker by Brewer. Charli Knott and Georgia Adams tried to break the shackles by hoisting the spinners straight but found only mid-off off Hannah Baker and Georgia Davis respectively.

Southby and Norgrove built a responsible stand of 62 in 14 overs before the latter looked skyward in disbelief after flicking Davis straight to mid-wicket. Southby passed 50 from 75 balls but the innings petered out as the last five wickets fell for 25 runs in 33 balls.

Smith was run out by Davina Perrin’s throw. Southby dragged an attempt cut at Brewer on to her stumps. Arlott hit Nancy Harman’s leg-stump and the innings ended with wickets in successive balls when Poppy Tulloch was run out by Perrin’s direct hit and Brewer struck Freya Davies’ middle-stump.

Warwickshire openers Freeborn and Sterre Kalis started solidly with 35 in eight overs before the latter edged Lauren Bell behind. Freeborn and Perrin added 51 but Hampshire struck back when Smith turned one past Perrin’s defence to win an lbw decision and George ran herself out, going for a second run that didn’t exist.

At 134 for three, with Freeborn in quiet control, Warwickshire were on top but two wickets in five balls reversed the flow of the game. Freeborn missed a sweep at Knott and was lbw and Natasha Wraith leading-edged Bell to cover.

Smith added the wickets of Arlott, caught at mid on, Brewer, who chipped to mid-wicket and Bethan Ellis, lbw, and suddenly Warwickshire’s last two wickets had 44 to find. Pavely and Davis valiantly garnered 24 in the gathering gloom but Pavely played on to Davies with 20 still needed.

Davis and Baker chipped away to leave four required from the last over, bowled by Adams. Three singles from the first four balls took the scores level and, her side assured at least a tie, Davis was run out going for an impossible single off the last ball.

Warwickshire batter Abi Freeborn said:

"It was a brilliant effort by the last three at the end to really bring us back into the game, not quite over the line, but they did really well to get us a tie. 

"Hampshire are one of those teams that are always in the game so we knew we would have to bat well to win. We had a bit of a wobble mid-innings which put us on the back foot and there are definitely areas to work on, but it was a really encouraging first game.

"At the interval, I thought 208 was below par. We bowled quite a few extras, I think that is our 'work on' but it was a fantastic game and I think that's testament to both teams. to put on a match of that type and quality. It was a great game to watch, if a bit stressful at times to play in!

"Hampshire are a very strong side with a lot of experience and we have got a more youthful side in comparison, so to go toe to toe with them like that is very positive and it was amazing to see the potential we have got in our group. We've got a lot to look forward to this year."

 

Hampshire wicketkeeper/batter Rhianna Southby said:

"It was a great game and I think that's exactly what the fans would have wanted. It was such a good finish.

"I think we left a few runs out on the park, to be honest. When I walked off the pitch, I was thinking 220 would have been great. I felt like we had more to give and I definitely felt that I left some runs out there. The batting conditions were quite tricky and they bowled really well but I have been working hard on my batting in the winter, away in Melbourne and it's really good now to be back in the country and putting it into practice.

"Then our spinners bowled really well mid-innings to build some pressure and maybe there was a stage at which we potentially became a little bit complacent. But full credit to their lower order, they put up a decent fight and took the game back to us. It was brilliant from them and we have taken some learnings away from those last couple of overs. I think if we are in that position again we might do things a little bit differently.

"Even in that last over when they drew level I still thought 'we can hold this.' You always want to start the season with a win but it was a great game and we are just glad to have some points on the board and get some momentum moving forward."

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