Middlesex Women will travel to Hove tomorrow to face Sussex Sharks, aiming to secure qualification for the Tier Two Vitality Blast Finals Day at the end of July.
Head Coach, Marc Broom, has named a squad of 13 for the clash, with three changes from the side that defeated Gloucestershire last time out. Rachana Cambampaty, Georgia Irving, and Lauren Turner all return, replacing Anisha Dissanayake, Olivia Kibler, and Sarah Pearson.
After five matches, Middlesex are currently second in the Tier Two South standings, level on points with Glamorgan in first, who lead on Net Run Rate. A win against Sussex this weekend would mathematically guarantee a place at Finals Day on 26 July in Northamptonshire.
Following a week off, Middlesex will be looking to carry the momentum from their record-breaking 40-run victory over Gloucestershire at Radlett two weeks ago.
It was an outstanding batting display, as Middlesex posted 201/1 – their second-highest T20 total ever, and their highest against another first-class county. Openers, Issy Routledge and Finty Trussler, starred in a record 167-run partnership – the highest in Middlesex Women’s T20 history. Trussler’s 90 set a new individual T20 scoring record for the side, while Routledge’s unbeaten 80 moved her into second on the all-time list.
With the ball, Middlesex produced another all-round display to dismiss Gloucestershire for 161 in 19.3 overs. Routledge also matched a club record with four catches – only the second time this has been achieved in Middlesex Women’s T20 history.
Routledge and Trussler both return to the squad, alongside Irving, who hasn’t featured since the defeat to Gloucestershire a few weeks ago. While that match ended in a loss, she delivered a strong display with the bat, hitting an impressive 33 off 20 balls – a valuable contribution in a challenging chase.
The last time Middlesex and Sussex met was in the opening match of the Vitality Blast, at Lord’s, which resulted an eight-wicket win for us. Sussex posted 102/7, which Middlesex chased down in 15.2 overs. Riva Pindoria starred with a match-winning half-century, while Anaya Patel returned exceptional figures of 4/18 – both are named in this weekend’s squad.
Since then, Sussex have registered two wins from four, against Gloucestershire and Kent, alongside two defeats to Glamorgan. They sit third in the standings, eight points behind Middlesex. Against Kent, they were particularly impressive, restricting them to 95/9, with Jazz Westley claiming 3/12. Rachel King then hit a half-century to help Sussex reach the target inside just 11 overs.
MIDDLESEX SQUAD V SUSSEX SHARKS
Play is scheduled to get underway at 15:00, ahead of Sussex Men v Hampshire Hawks at 19:00 – with both fixtures included in one ticket.
Our hosts will provide a live stream, and you can stay updated throughout the match via our social media channels and the Match Centre on the Club’s website.
Sussex Sharks Women
Middlesex Women
