Chissell and Watson steer Foxes Women to victory against Gloucestershire

After being put into bat, Gloucestershire Women quickly moved into the ascendency as the Foxes bowlers failed to create pressure, seeing the hosts to 126/2 at drinks. However, a flurry of wickets brought the hosts back into the game and despite Brewer’s attempts to stabilise the innings, the visitors only managed 230 from 45.2 overs before being bowled out.

Leicestershire lost three wickets during the first powerplay, leaving them 52/3 and already struggling after only 10 overs. Chissell and Watson came together with the score at 113-5 and after that the victory never looked in doubt. Gloucestershire’s level dipped and the pair put on 112 runs together to take the Foxes to a comfortable 5 wicket win.

Thick cloud loomed over Uptonsteel Grace Road as home skipper Lucy Western won the toss and elected to field first.

Gloucestershire started strongly with the bat - the Foxes unable to take any wickets in the first powerplay as the hosts put 48 runs on the board.

Ahearne however had struggled to score freely, and she eventually hit a leading edge straight to Chissell, falling to Thanawala for 11.

Leicestershire were unable to build pressure as Halliday capitalised on a plethora of poor deliveries on her way to a half century, bringing up the milestone by dispatching a half tracker through the leg side. She did meet her end not long later though thanks to a brilliant diving catch from Thanawala at cow-corner – the opener removed by Sheikh for 55.

By drinks, Gloucestershire had moved to 126/2, setting themselves up for a strong total. Macleod continued to press on as she brought up her fifty in 53 balls.

In the thirty third over, Teekasingh made the breakthrough by bowling Macleod for 57, providing the hosts with a way back into the game. Chissell removed Start for 5 in the next over thanks to a great catch from Davies at extra cover before Teekasingh picked up another an over later by bowling Geach for a duck. She was back in the action in the following over, running Patel out for 1 as the visitors slipped to 177/6 with 15 overs remaining. Teekasingh picked up her fourth wicket in the thirty seventh over, producing a perfect yorker to bowl Daniels for 5.

Brewer remained constant throughout the chaos, batting herself to 44 before coming unstuck to a Phillips slower ball with just under seven overs remaining. She found some reverse swing a couple of balls later to bowl Charlie Phillips for a duck; she took the final wicket in her next over, dismissing Gloucestershire for 230 in 45.2 overs.

After her heroics with the ball, Teekasingh couldn’t back it up with the bat as she was caught behind by Ahearne off the bowling of Phillips for 1 at the start of the second over.

Phillips picked up a second thanks to a superb catch from Geach as Weston lofted a drive straight back down the ground, departing for a streaky 9. Captain Western edged a cut through to Ahearne part way through the tenth over, falling to Phillips for 12.

Halfway through the sixteenth over, Thanawala was bowled by Daniels attempting to tuck the ball down towards fine leg for 25.

Davies looked comfortable with bat in hand and played the hosts back into contention, but she mistimed a Patel delivery and chipped a drive straight to Daniels at mid-off, falling for 36.

At drinks, the Foxes only required a further 97 runs to win.

Chissell and Watson continued to guide Leicestershire towards victory – their partnership surpassing fifty in only 58 deliveries. By the forty third over, the pair had cruised to a century stand and put the hosts within touching distance of victory.

Neither Chissell or Watson would make their own half centuries, ending on 46 and 44 respectively but they won't be too concerned as their great partnership meant victory was secured by 5 wickets with 6.4 overs remaining.