Middlesex Women made it two wins from two to continue their flying start to the season, claiming a nail-biting 11-run victory over Glamorgan in their second Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash at Newport Cricket Club yesterday.
After a strong showing with the bat – topped by a brilliant 66 from Finty Trussler – we were tasked with defending a competitive 289. It came down to the wire, with skipper, Saskia Horley, holding her nerve in a dramatic final over. With Nicole Reid absent, and Katy Cobb run out in the closing moments, Middlesex emerged triumphant after a tense finish.
Glamorgan won the toss and elected to field, sending Issy Routledge and Pippa Sproul out to open for Middlesex. They got us off to a positive start, building the total to 75 without loss, taking full advantage of Glamorgan’s early extras. Routledge was eventually bowled in the 12th over for 18, bringing Finty Trussler to the crease.
Trussler and Sproul quickly built a strong partnership, with the scoreboard ticking over steadily, as they both approached 50 runs. Sproul played fluently but fell just short of a half-century, caught for 45.
By the halfway mark of the innings, Middlesex had laid a strong foundation at 157/2, with Trussler accelerating beautifully. She brought up her first half-century of the season off 62 balls, anchoring the innings superbly before being caught for an excellent 66.
In the later stages, Georgia Irving and Riva Pindoria kept the momentum going, scoring steadily. As wickets began to fall in the final ten overs, Katie Wolfe added a valuable late burst, finding the boundary several times to push the total up.
Middlesex were eventually bowled out for a solid 289, with just four balls left in the innings.
So, the defence began – with patience at first. Glamorgan proved tough to break down early on, but the breakthrough came in the ninth over when Sonali Patel had Daisy Jeanes caught by Hannah Davis for 18. That opened the door, and a flurry of wickets followed. Patel struck again shortly after, bowling Isla Thomson for 9, before Davis and Wolfe got involved to leave Glamorgan wobbling at 62/4 inside 15 overs.
Emma Jones, on loan from Surrey, provided Glamorgan’s biggest resistance, frustrating Middlesex. It was Saskia Horley who broke the crucial partnership, bowling Gemma Porter for 25 to swing momentum back in our favour.
From there, the wickets kept coming. Issy Routledge showed her skills with the ball, taking two important scalps in quick succession, before Hannah Davis struck again - bowling Erin Vukusic for 8 – to claim our eighth wicket, leaving Glamorgan requiring 59 off 38 balls.
Still, the hosts fought back bravely. Their run rate climbed rapidly, keeping the result in the balance as Middlesex searched for a breakthrough. Heading into the final two overs, Glamorgan needed just 15 to win. Routledge stepped up, delivering a crucial penultimate over that conceded just a single run, crushing Glamorgan’s momentum at the perfect time.
With 14 needed off the final over, Horley took the ball. Katy Cobb was run out off the second ball, and with Nicole Reid unable to bat, we sealed a thrilling 11-run victory after a heart-stopping conclusion.
A brilliant all-round team effort – solid partnerships with the bat, sharp spells with the ball, and calm heads under pressure when it mattered most.
Two wins from two – the perfect start to our Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign continues.
Glamorgan Women
Middlesex Women
