Somerset Women comfortably beaten by Essex in Vitality Blast
Vitality Blast: Essex Women 149-7 defeated Somerset 84-9 by 65 runs
Esmae MacGregor claimed career-best T0 figures as Essex's bowlers ripped through the Somerset batting line-up to secure their side's first win of the Women's Vitality Blast at Chelmsford, writes Ben Kosky, ECB Reporters' Network.
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The Essex medium-pacer finished with four for eight from 3.2 overs, while leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood took two for 16 as the visitors were rolled for just 84, with Fran Wilson their only batter to reach double figures.
Somerset had looked strongly-placed at halfway after seamer Ellie Anderson's three for 19 restricted their opponents to 149 for seven, opener Lauren Winfield-Hill top-scoring with 42 from 25 balls.
Anderson struck with her first delivery after Somerset had won the toss and inserted their hosts, uprooting Grace Scrivens' middle stump to set the tone with two tight powerplay overs.
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The seamer should have snapped up another early wicket, spilling a return drive from Lissy Macleod, while Winfield-Hill swept Chloe Skelton for successive boundaries as the pair added a brisk 45 from 33.
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But Olivia Barnes' acrobatic catch at square leg, leaping to grab the ball one-handed at the second attempt, removed Macleod and Alex Griffiths castled Winfield-Hill in the next over to leave Essex under pressure.
Amanda-Jade Wellington's miserly spell of two for 21 maintained control, but Sophia Smale – dropped early on by Mollie Robbins – provided some impetus with 22 from 18 before she was eventually bowled trying to ramp the medium-pacer.
Jo Gardner (20 from 22) and Eva Gray both cleared the ropes during the death overs to haul their side to fractionally short of 150 – a total that looked far more challenging for Somerset after they lost four wickets in the powerplay.
Dropped at slip first ball, Bex Odgers was then caught behind slashing at Kate Coppack and Emma Corney swung at Scrivens and missed before Amelie Munday skied MacGregor into the hands of mid-on.
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Skipper Sophie Luff also fell cheaply, cleaned up by Gray's inswinger, but the experienced Wilson started strongly with successive fours off Coppack and was looking nicely set with 25 from 19 when she perished top-edging a sweep off Maqsood.
The leg-spinner also accounted for Griffiths before diving forward at mid-on to pouch Anderson's drive off MacGregor and Somerset's last faint hope of a fightback evaporated when Wellington holed out to long leg.
With Barnes unable to bat after sustaining an injury in the field, the contest ended in the 15th over as MacGregor has Skelton caught at mid-off to secure the ninth Somerset wicket – and her fourth.
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