Metro Bank One Day Cup Preview: Essex v Somerset
THE MATCH
Somerset take on Essex at The Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford in the Metro Bank One Day Cup tomorrow (Wednesday August 19th).
Tickets for this match are on sale now.
Somerset are currently seventh in the Metro Bank One Day Cup table with 18 points from 10 matches whilst Essex are ninth with 12 points from 11 fixtures.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
You can keep up to date using the dedicated Match Centre on this website which will feature a live stream of the action courtesy of Essex CCC.
In-play updates will also appear on our X feed (formerly Twitter).
In addition to this, a report on the day’s play along with quotes will be posted on this website.
THE OPPOSITION
Captain: Grace Scrivens
Head Coach: Stephen Parry
2025 finish: 8th
2025 highest run-scorer: Grace Scrivens (429)
2025 highest wicket-taker: Eva Gray (15)
Winter moves: Former Lancashire and England spinner Stephen Parry has taken over as head coach following Andy Tennant’s exit, with Nick Browne, who recently brought down the curtain on his 13-year stint as a top-order batter for Essex’s men, filling the role of batting coach. On the field, batter Liberty Heap completed her permanent move from Lancashire, while former Essex captain Kelly Castle was released along with Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones.
The big question: In a nutshell, can Browne’s input and experience coax more consistency with the bat from an Essex side who topped 250 just once in last year’s tournament? Grace Scrivens hit back-to-back hundreds at the top of the order, but Jodi Grewcock was the only other batter to pass 50 more than once and Essex must at least ensure they bat out their full allocation of overs more frequently.
Player to watch: The move to Chelmsford may turn out to be just what Liberty Heap needed to reignite her career. Having shown potential with the bat as an England Under-19 player a few years ago, the 22-year-old had stalled at Lancashire, but she made a promising start after joining Essex on loan at the back end of last season, hitting 33 from 37 balls against The Blaze.
Final thought: After finishing bottom of the table in their inaugural season, the only way is up for Essex. However, one of their two group successes was achieved against eventual champions Lancashire, suggesting there’s plenty of potential to do better under a revamped coaching set-up.
TEAM NEWS
Heather Knight, Charlie Dean, Dani Gibson and Mollie Robbins are all unavailable. Erin Vukusic (back) also misses out. However, Emma Corney returns to the squad for the first time in more than a year following her knee injury.
Somerset have named the following squad for this match:
VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the match, Somerset Head Coach, Erin Osborne said: “It’s nice to have everyone back in and I think we’re in a really good place. The girls who have come back from The Hundred have learnt a lot and brought that back into our environment and everyone’s just buzzing and ready to get back playing. This is a tight-knit group, they get on really well and one of our strengths is our connection and genuine care for each other. They trained really hard this week and I can’t fault their energy and eagerness to continue to learn and get better. It’s just nice having everyone back.
“We’re sitting in that group in the middle of the table and it’s really tight at the top, so there are opportunities to make a really good claim to play finals cricket this summer. Essex are a quality team and we know we’re going to have to play our best game and to keep our season alive.
“We’re all super happy that Emma Corney is back in the squad because she’s done a lot of work to be in this position. She’s had some practise matches and found form pretty early on, which is really pleasing, but credit to the work that she’s done and also the Sports Science & Medicine team. They’ve spent many hours together ensuring that this could become a reality.”
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you are planning to attend the match, all the information you need can be found on the official Essex CCC Website.
NEXT MATCH
Somerset’s next match is the quarter-final of the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup when we take on Hampshire Hawks at Utilita Bowl Nursery Ground on Sunday August 23rd.
