Grace Scrivens fifty sets up Essex in Headingley thriller – Essex Secures Thrilling Victory Over Yorkshire in Vitality Blast

Essex Secures Thrilling Victory Over Yorkshire in Vitality Blast

Essex won a thrilling contest with Yorkshire at Headingley by just three runs with three balls remaining to claim a second victory of their Vitality Blast campaign.

The defeat leaves Yorkshire still searching for a win after four games and they will rue another game that slipped through their fingers.

Essex’s Strong Start

Essex got off to a flyer, making their way to 48 without loss due mainly to Grace Scrivens, who struck five boundaries with some powerful hitting down the ground.

Yorkshire had no answer until the introduction of Holly Garton in the eighth over with the leg-spinner bowling Alice MacLeod around her legs for 22.

Scrivens’ Impressive Fifty

One wicket quickly became two when Jess Jonassen trapped Cordelia Griffith in front first ball to leave the visitors 61 for 2.

Scrivens brought up her half-century off 38 balls in the 12th over as some poor fielding helped Essex reach 83 for 2 with eight overs remaining.

Yorkshire’s Fightback

A brilliant piece of wicketkeeping however, from Lauren Winfield-Hill, saw the skipper grab a low outside edge off Scrivens’ bat to dismiss the opener for 53 and hand Ria Fackrell her first wicket.

At 88 for 3, Essex had a solid base to go on the attack but they stalled when Joanne Gardner holed out to Ami Campbell at deep midwicket off Maddie Ward for one.

Essex’s Victory

Yorkshire’s tails were up and a superb throw at the stumps from an onrushing Campbell accounted for Florence Miller for two as she attempted a risky second run.

With Essex stuttering, Sophia Smale injected some momentum with two boundaries off Garton’s 16th over but the loss of the set Jodi Grewcock for 26 after tamely hitting an Ines Blackwell delivery to Beth Langston at mid-on put the brakes on yet again.

Jonassen finished things off with the lbw wicket of Smale in the final over for an 18-ball 21 and Yorkshire were left the happier at the interval.

Yorkshire’s Chasing

The home side needed a good start and they got one with Winfield-Hill and Erin Thomas putting on a quick-fire 25 before Thomas skied a Smale delivery to MacLeod for 17.

With their two best batters at the crease, Yorkshire hopes were high but Winfield-Hill’s progress was halted when she was bowled by one that kept low from Scrivens for 18, leaving the host’s fortunes resting on the shoulders of Jonassen and Sterre Kalis.

The pair had taken the score to 66 when the Australian allrounder was bowled by Scrivens for 10 with 68 runs required off the second 10 overs.

Thrilling Finish

The fourth-wicket partnership felt crucial but only 22 runs were added before Kalis was caught at cover by Scrivens for 23 as Smale claimed a second wicket.

Ward made 19 before she was caught trying to up the rate with 43 runs required.

A four followed by a six from Campbell off Scrivens’ last over made things interesting and suddenly Yorkshire required 26 off three overs and then 14 off two.

Campbell fell for 21 off the first ball of Eva Gray’s penultimate over and Langston was out two balls later to leave Yorkshire 134 for 7 before a boundary and another wicket saw Thomas caught behind and Gray finish with 3 for 25.

Nine was required off the last over with a run out off the second ball before Ria Fackrell hit a boundary only to be stumped next delivery as Essex claimed the victory.