PREVIEW AND SQUAD NEWS – MIDDLESEX WOMEN VS WARWICKSHIRE AND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
Middlesex Women travel to the Midlands this weekend to take on Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire, in the penultimate weekend of the ECB County Championship season.
Having won their previous two County Championship outings, against Kent and Somerset, and following a comprehensive 7 wicket victory against Surrey in the annual London Cup fixture during the week Middlesex take momentum into the game, seeing this weekend as a great opportunity to put some points between themselves and the team below them.
Sunday sees a trip to the Edgbaston Foundation Ground in Birmingham for a game that both sides would love to take a victory from. Warwickshire are yet to register a win this season, having achieved the rare feat of two ties from their four games. With a strong batting line up, spearheaded by England’s Amy Jones and Jenny Gunn, and a cluster of KSL experience within the side, early wickets will be key to Middlesex’s chances. The spin of Emma Albery, Sophia Dunkley & Beth Morgan contributed 6 wickets in last week’s victory over Somerset and will be crucial again if the Middlesex seamers can make early inroads. Middlesex’s batters themselves are building momentum, especially Maia Bouchier who top scored last week with 76, and captain Naomi Dattani who smashed 52 off only 34 balls in the London Cup.
On Monday the squad will travel to Welbeck CC, near Mansfield, to take on Nottinghamshire, another team looking for points to break away from a cluster of sides in the middle of the Division 1 table. They themselves tied with Warwickshire last time out, falling short of chasing down a target of 161. As a side Nottinghamshire are reliant on Sonia Odedra with both bat and ball, keeping her quiet will be vital for Middlesex.
What is for certain, post this weekend, is that the ECB County Championship Division 1 table will really have taken shape, setting things up for the final round on Sunday 3rd June. Two wins for Middlesex will see them heading towards the top three whilst easing any relegation fears.
Regular updates and live scores can be found by following @MiddxCCCWomen on Twitter.
Middlesex have named the following squad for this weekend’s two clashes…
Naomi Dattani (captain)
Emma Albery
Maia Bouchier
Hayleigh Brennan
Sophia Dunkley
Bhavika Gajipra (Notts fixture only)
Gayatri Gole
Iqraa Hussain (wicket-keeper)
Natasha Miles
Beth Morgan
Rebecca Tyson (Warks fixture only)
Fran Wilson
Katie Wolfe
Warwickshire
Middlesex Women - do not use
