Esmae MacGregor ka Jalwa
20 saal ki right-arm medium pacer Esmae MacGregor ne gazab ka spell daala, 3.2 over mein sirf 8 run deke 4 wicket jhad diye. Unhone Somerset ki batting ko tabaah kar diya, jisse wo 14.2 over mein 84 run pe hi dher ho gaye. MacGregor ne apni pace aur control se Chloe Skelton ka wicket mid-off pe pakadwaya, aur Somerset ki innings khatam ki, kyunki Olivia Barnes chot ke wajah se khel nahi saki. Unhone Amelie Munday ko bhi mid-on pe out kiya aur powerplay mein 4 wicket leke Somerset ko jhatka diya. Ye MacGregor ke T20 career ka sabse badhiya performance tha, jo Sunrisers ke saath 2023 mein professional contract aur 2025 mein Essex ke saath signing ke baad unki badhti shohrat ko dikhaata hai.
Lauren Winfield-Hill ka Dhamaka
Batting mein, Yorkshire se loan pe aayi Lauren Winfield-Hill ne 25 ball mein 42 run thok ke Essex ko solid shuruaat di. England ke liye 100+ match khel chuki Winfield-Hill ne Chloe Skelton ke against back-to-back chauke maare. Somerset ne toss jeet ke bowling chuni, par Ellie Anderson ke Grace Scrivens ko jaldi out karne ke bawajood, Winfield-Hill ne mauka nahi chhoda. Unhone Lissy Macleod ke saath 33 ball mein 45 run ki partnership banayi. Alex Griffiths ne unhe bowl kiya, par tab tak wo Essex ko strong position mein la chuki thi.
Essex ki Bowling ka Raaj
MacGregor ke saath leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood ne bhi 2 wicket 16 run mein leke Somerset ko dabav mein rakha. Somerset ki batting bikhar gayi, sirf Fran Wilson (25 off 19) hi double figures mein pahunchi. Bex Odgers ko Kate Coppack ne caught behind kiya aur Emma Corney ko Grace Scrivens ne out kiya, jisse powerplay mein Somerset ka game khatam ho gaya.
Somerset ka Bura Haal
Somerset ne pehle bowling ka faisla kiya, aur Ellie Anderson (3/19) aur Amanda-Jade Wellington (2/21) ne Essex ko 149/7 pe roka. Par unki batting flop ho gayi, MacGregor aur Maqsood ke saamne tik nahi paye. Olivia Barnes ki chot ne unka chase aur kamzor kiya, aur Fran Wilson ke alawa koi nahi chala.
Aur Contribution
Essex ke 149 run mein Jo Gardner (20 off 22) aur Sophia Smale (22 off 18) ne death overs mein chhakke lagaye. Smale ne field mein bhi catch pakda, apni all-round kaamyaabi dikhai. Somerset ke Olivia Barnes ne Macleod ka shandaar catch liya aur Griffiths ne Winfield-Hill ko out kiya, par Essex ke middle aur lower order ne solid total khada kiya.
Match ka Scene
Ye jeet Essex ke liye bada statement thi, jo T20 mein pehle inconsistent rahe hain. Naye coach Chris Silverwood aur captain Simon Harmer ke under, aur Winfield-Hill jaisi experienced player ke saath, Essex ne apni strength dikhai. MacGregor ke liye ye match bada breakthrough tha, jinhone apne last 10 matches mein 44 fantasy points ka average rakha hai. Unke 12 T20 matches mein 17 wicket ho chuke hain Essex ke liye.
Somerset ke liye ye haar unki Essex ke against kamzori ko dikhati hai, jinke against wo dono recent T20 match haar chuke hain. Heather Knight aur Wellington jaisi players ke bawajood, Chelmsford ke balanced pitch pe wo Essex ke bowling ke saamne fail ho gaye, jahan average first-innings score 131 hai.
Essex Women ne Somerset ko hara ke 2025 Vitality Blast Women’s mein apna dum dikhaya. Esmae MacGregor ke 4/8 aur Lauren Winfield-Hill ke 42 off 25 ne match ko one-sided kar diya. Essex ki team is jeet ke saath momentum banayegi, aur MacGregor aur Winfield-Hill unki future ki ummeed hain. Fans Essex ke agle home Vitality Blast T20 double-header against Somerset dekh sakte hain, tickets unki official site pe milenge.
