Hampshire edge out Essex in low-scoring tussle at Chelmsford

Freya Davies and Bex Tyson starred with the ball as leaders Hampshire defended a total of 101 to win by four runs in a game reduced to 17 overs-a-side by rain at Chelmsford.

Davies returned figures of 2 for 15 and Tyson 2-20 in a heroic fielding effort by the visitors which meant Essex fell short of a target of 102, finishing 97 for 6, Sophie Munro top-scoring with an unbeaten 28.

Earlier, Maia Bouchier and Freya Kemp both made 31 before the visitors crumbled from 59 for 1 to what looked an under par 101 for 7, Esmae MacGregor was the pick of the home attack with 2 for 17.

It was no surprise Grace Scrivens chose to bowl first when play finally began at 3:30pm, MacGregor soon backing up her captain's decision by castling Rhianna Southby, but ecstasy turned to agony for the Scottish seamer in her next over when Bouchier struck a glorious straight six.

At the other end Kemp reverse lapped Abtaha Maqsood for three before dispatching Munro to the fence twice in three balls. The stand reached 49 before MacGregor switched ends to have Bouchier caught at mid-off as part of a wicket maiden to signal the start of the collapse.

Kemp cracked Scrivens square for four only to fall later in the same over trying to cut one too close to her before Maqsood accounted for Abi Norgrove. Eva Gray and Jo Gardner combined brilliantly to run out Nancy Harman and the slump continued as Naomi Dattani holed out in the deep.

Skipper Georgia Adams, dropped on one by Scrivens struggled to find any fluency in the death overs as the visitors closed on 101 for 7.

Essex stumbled out the blocks with Scrivens chewing up 12 balls for two before skying Daisy Gibb to Bouchier at mid-on. Jo Gardner, promoted to open produced a solitary boundary as the rate climbed above 7.

Pressure told as Gardner lofted Adams to Bouchier at deep mid-on and Jodie Grewcock perished to an even better grab by Dattani out on the fence from the bowling of Tyson.

Gray's promotion up the order came to nothing as she perished trying to clear the ropes and as Hampshire continued to apply the squeeze, Sophia Smale's attempts to get creative floundered as she too holed out attempting an ambitious switch-hit.

Flo Miller, dropped on 10 scored the first boundary in 61 balls and Munro caught the mood with two in one over from Mary Taylor leaving 27 needed from the final three overs.

Dattani was similarly carted to the fence, but Davies returned to trap Miller lbw and though Munro kept things interesting 14 from the last over proved too many.