Grace leads Women’s victory charge

August 4, 2026

AN unprecedented counter-attacking 89 not out off only 46 balls from Grace Poole led Suffolk to a seven-wicket Metro Bank One-Day Cup win over Cricket East in Peterborough, writes Jack Oastler.

All six bowlers took wickets to restrict the hosts to 149 all out, with Amelie Clarke’s 3 for 30 the stand-out performance, before an unbroken partnership of 125 between Poole and  – spanning just 12 overs – helped Suffolk recover in style from an early wobble.

The team arrived with good recent memories of the ground. On their last visit in 2025, the side put up a county record 50-over total of 297 for 5.

That kick-started a dominant run in the longer format: they came close to that score in a win over Northumberland last month, before crushing Cumbria last week.

After the home team chose to bat, the early momentum yo-yoed back and forth. Twelve runs from Maddy Reynolds’ first over wasn’t the ideal Suffolk start.

A wicket at the end of Poole’s first over, however, was. Cricket East captain Holly Reeder seemed unfazed, adding a third boundary, but Reynolds (pictured above) strung together a couple of tight overs before Reeder found her fourth. The honours were about even by the end of the powerplay, with the hosts 44 for 1.

Amber Bradnam started well, conceding just five in her first three overs and bowling Reeder for 29. Sophie Hughes backed her up in a fluctuating 14th over: sandwiched between two boundaries for Iman Akbar was the wicket of Lottie May Taylor, caught by Charlotte Anderson.

Bradnam claimed her second – Eliza Aldridge bowled for 10 – to end a promising stand of 26, and leave the hosts 84 for 4.

Back-to-back boundaries from Olivia Fox heralded a switch from Suffolk captain Clarke, and she picked the right bowler as Bradbury saw off Akbar with her fifth ball. Hughes took the catch to end a fighting innings on 35.

Clarke then brought herself on, with even more success: Anjali Mistry was caught by Anderson with her third legal ball, before the dangerous Fox was pinned lbw with her tenth.

Her third wicket came in her fourth over – Connie Keeping caught by Hughes for seven – to reduce Cricket East to 133 for 8, with 22 overs left to be bowled.

Despite some much-needed resistance in the form of ninth-wicket pair Emerson Tucker and Grace Tarling, who took 14 off a Clarke over, the innings didn’t have long left to run.

Reynolds had been brought back to knock over the tail, and did exactly that in the 31st over, taking the last two wickets – both bowled – in four balls to finish with 2 for 23.

Suffolk’s target was a nice round 150 – and, for the second week in a row, felt well below-par.

Cricket East began their bowling innings determined to test that theory. Clarke found an early boundary but couldn’t add to it, dismissed lbw at the end of the second over.

Anderson went four, four, out from the next three balls, before Alice Brand fell for four.

Poole joined Bradbury at 25 for 3, looking to add some calm. However, she began with consecutive fours, before a six greeted Vedika Somal, and was a sign of what was to come. Three fours from Akbar’s next over took the all-rounder to 33 from 17 balls.

Not wanting to be left out, Bradbury struck back-to-back boundaries to take Suffolk to the half-way mark in the ninth over. The fifty partnership had taken just four overs in all. From a precarious position, one carefully-judged counter-attack meant Suffolk were suddenly well on top.

Poole raced to her half-century in just 29 balls, and showed no signs of slowing down – the 13th over cost 17, the 14th cost 15. The only thing keeping the all-rounder from a magnificent hundred was that all of a sudden, there weren’t enough runs left to score.

Not one for an anti-climax, Poole entered the 17th over needing 10 to win and duly got them in two balls, depositing the second over the fence to finish unbeaten on 89 off just 46 deliveries.

Meanwhile Bradbury, unbeaten on 24, got a front-row seat to possibly the best Suffolk innings in memory as the visitors romped home in just 16.2 overs.

A third win from three games means Suffolk are in a strong position at the top of the league, with two games left to play, both at Sudbury CC.

Suffolk could claim the title with victory in their next match against Lincolnshire on Sunday, August 16th.

Scorecard

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