Yorkshire Women rounded off their pre-season tour of Abu Dhabi with a thrilling, last-ball 40-over defeat against Essex today, with the Chelmsford side only just chasing down a target of 255.
Captain Claudie Cooper’s side posted 254-6 thanks, in the main, to in-form duo Rebecca Duckworth with 71 from number three and Sterre Kalis 61 from four. Both players have been in the runs during the last 10 days, while opener Erin Thomas also contributed a valuable 42.
Ami Campbell boosted Yorkshire’s total with a middle order 26 before Essex openers Sophia Smale and Lissy Macleod set their side up nicely with 52 and 40 apiece.
They shared a century opening partnership, only for Yorkshire’s bowlers to hit back superbly and set up a thrilling finale, which concluded with Essex winning by three wickets.
All six Academy players on tour played once more for the White Rose; Holly Garton, Fran Lonsdale, Amelia Love, Elicia Pollard, Lucy Randle-Bissell and Emma Wrightson.
Essex slipped from 135-2 to 236-7, and they needed seven off the last over.
Leg-spinner Garton returned the pick of the figures, with 2-27 from six overs, while fellow spinner Ria Fackrell also struck twice and Randle-Bissell and Love once apiece.
New ball seamer Beth Langston was miserly without striking, conceding only 25 from her seven overs against her birth county.
Garton bowled opener Macleod and Ariana Dowse, the latter for 25.
This was the last of five game days for Yorkshire on tour before returning to Headingley on Friday, with their season proper starting on April 19.
They won one and lost two in the Abu Dhabi Women’s T20 competition, reaching the final of that competition, while they pushed Tier 1 sides Surrey and Essex close in their pair of 40-over matches over the last couple of days.
It has all added up to a hugely encouraging 10 days in the Desert for head coach Rich Pyrah and his squad.
