Somerset
Women Metro 50 - v Essex
By Grockle
August 19 2026
Somoerset women return to the fight after the franchise break as they travel to Chelsmford to take on Essex in the return of the 50 over competitiom. This is the 11th of 16 and they need to win all of their remaining games toreally have a say in the next stage. Good to see Emma Corney return to the middle after 14 months away because of injury. Somerset have won the toss and decided to bowl first
Womens Metrobank 50 v Essex @ Chelmsford Wednesday 19 August 2026
The domestic season returns for the women after 'Franchise Month' and for a lot of players it has meant finding games where they can or netting more than having time in the middle. Somerset meet Essex at Chelmsford in the last stage of the group games - 6 to come.
Sophie Luff has won the toss and chosen to bowl first with a side including;
Luff (c), Odgers, Corney, Holland, Hazel, Westley, Jones (w), Griffiths, Skelton, Anderson, Harris
The side welcomes back the bat of Emma Corney after over a year away with injury. The bowling may miss Erin Vikusic who has had to finally accept the need to rehab a lower back stress injury after playing with it for a while. No sign of the England trio Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean or Heather Knight for this one. The one to ask about there is whether Heather has chosen to walk away from ALL cricket rather than just retiring from the international stuff - have to wait and see.
The new ball is given to Alex Griffiths from the Cook End and she dlievers the first ball to Bryony Gillgrass who is off the mark immediately to put Grace Scrivens on strike. The weather has rain in it for the first time in a long time so it wasn't exactly a big decision to bowl first this morning.
Essex have 3 after the first as Ellie Anderson takes the second and produces a tight first over going for only 1 run - she'll be happy to be back in this side as she hasn't had a huge amount of first team cricket this season. The first boundary comes from Gilgrass at the start of the third and she adds another with the next ball from Alex and they have moved to 14 by the end of the over.
Ellie continues with the fourth and breaks through with the wicket of Gilgrass LBW (seemed a little high) for 9 from 12 at 15 for 1. In comes Jodi Grewcock and she finishes the over at 15 for 1 though plays and misses at the last ball of the 4th. At the start of the next over Griffiths has Scrivens edging to a wide first slip as she gives it the charge and places it in the diving hands of Bex Odgers. She goes for 3 from 12 and out comes Sophie Smale at 15 for 2. By the end of 5 overs the home side have moved on to 16 for 2 but with both bats not off the mark.
The Essex pair do however rebuild and by the end of the 9th they have moved to 48 for 2 whern the first bowling change takes place as Chloe Skelton takes the last of the 'Powerplay'. Smale take 3 from her first and the 50 arrives from that and at 51 for 2 Grewcock has moved on to 23 from17 and Smale has 12 from 14. By the end of the first phase of the innings the score has moved on to 56 for 2. They look to be bowling Anderson long as she continues into her 6th. A boundary from Smale brings up the 50 partnership in the 13th as Ellie produces a couplle of loose ones and is rewarded with the loss of a couple of boundaries. Maybe she needs a bit of a breather? It's 70 for 2 after 13.
They do rest Ellie as Jasmine Westley (not new to the Essex fields) takes over with the 15th. Her 'medium spin cross' type bowling, short run up, spin delivery mode but with more pace than expected by a spinner. A good first over ends the first 15 at 78 for 2.
The Essex pair grow into the game as we move towards the 20th over. Lola Harris (wearing a 'Davis' shirt for some reason) is introduced into the attack in the 20th over as Essex have moved to 99 for 2. Her first ball is a wide giving the opposition their 100th run and Grewcock moves to a run a ball 50 from her second with a single. The 20th ends at 102 for 2.
After moving past the 100 partnershiip at 115 for 2 we see the introduction of Niamh Holland for the 25th and by the end of her first (which goes for 7) they have moved to a halfway point of 126 for 2. Lola continues at the other end and she has bowled well though she has missed two possible caught and bowled chances (both not easy) Neverthelss after 8 she has only given away 17 runs keeping their run rate below 5 as we move towards the 30th over. In the 29th a boundary for Smale off Holland gives her 52 off 71 balls at 140 for 2.
At 30 overs another 3 from the Harris over (6 overs for 20) and the score has arrived at 146 for 2. A solid partnership but the bowlers are keeping to their task and holding Essex in check with two bats in and established. The 150 arrives with a samle boundary from Holland's first ball of the 31st so a 300 score is on without doubt.
Westley returns for the 33rd to replace Holland. Harris stays on for her 8th and the 150 partnership arrives with a boundary off her first ball of the 34th with both Grewcock (74) and Smale (72) going well with Sophie taking the scoring lead against the spinners - Grewcock has become a little becalmed. Lola Harris has 0 for 31 from her 8 as she takes us into the last 15 at 180 for 2 but she breaks through in the 36 as Grewcock drives her 100th ball straight to Griffiths on 87 and it is 183 for 3. Miller replaces her as Anderson is re-introduced for the 37th and it is a good return as she sends Miller back without scoring as the bat misses a straight one and is out LBW at 185 for 4.
Harris will bowl out in the 38th presently with 1 for 35 and it will be 2 for something as she lobs one high to new bat Gardner who comes down the wicket, misses the ball and is well stumped by Jones 186 for 5. Lola finishes and excellent spell at 3 for 37.
197 for 5 after 39 overs as Liberty heap is the new bat and Holland returns, changing ends to bowl the 40th after Heap hits back to back 4's in Anderson's 8th which went for 10. The 200 arrives from the 3rd ball with heap on 10 and Smale on 80 and with 10 overs to go the score is 203 for 5.
A drop off the first from Westley again by Harris in the field is then followed by a wicket as Smale then spoons one to Odgers to go for 83 off her 101st ball at 205 for 6 and Westley has some reward for her 40 runs from just over 7 overs. In comes Carr.
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The squad fior the trip to Chelmsford tomorrow is;
Odgers, Corney, Luff, Davis, Holland, Griffiths, Jones, Hazell, Skelton, Anderson, Barnes, Harris, Westley
Good to see Emma Corney finally back from injury and once more in a Somerset shirt. No Erin Vikusic through injury in the Lower Back which has finally finished her season after she played through the pain earlier in the summer.
No Heather Knight which is a disappointment because her retirement from international cricket made no mention of the same at domesetic level and so we will have to wait and see.
I have no information on our other two England players Dani Gibson and Charlie Dean while of course Anika Learoyd fulfilled her contractual obligations at the end of the Vitality Blast competition and has returned to Australia.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2026:08:18:23:04:56 by Grockle.
Only a couple of counties seem to have kept their eatly-season overseas players - Jonassen at Yorkshire and Wello at Hampshire, although Ireland's Orla Prendegast is playing for the Blaze today too. Others have brought in new overseas players for the conclusion of the season.
As for Heather, at the time of her international retirement, she was a bit cagey but said she wanted to play some domestic cricket - whether that is for Somerset, or some overseas franchise leagues, was not clear. She didn't play in the H100, having opted to step into a backroom role with the Lord's franchise at the start of this year. I hope she does still play at Taunton, and that she maybe takes on a player/coach role as I think she has much to offer.
223 is the highest opening partnership for Somerset women in 50 over cricket, and the second-highest in the English women's professional game after Hampshire's Maia Bouchier and Ella McCaughan's 246* partnership earlier this season, also at Chelmsford (stats stolen unashamedly from Dan Kingdom on Twitter).
Essex 266-8 (50.0)
Somerset 267-2 (39.3)
Somerset Women win by 8 wickets
For Somerset.
Odgers not out 133
Luff, ct Gardner bld Grewcock 103
That was a conclusive win with 10.3 overs left and by 8 wickets.
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