Bears Women v Essex (h): Metro Bank One Day Cup preview

Warwickshire Bears Women take on Essex at Edgbaston Stadium as they look to return to winning ways in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

2026-09-02T16:15+01:00

It marks the third successive home fixture in the competition for the Bears, and with only three games remaining, every match is becoming a must-win.

Here’s all you need to know before play gets under way at 10:30am on Thursday 3 September…

How things stand

The Bears fell to a 70-run defeat last time out against table-topping The Blaze but were in a strong position mid-way through their chase. There were several stand-out performances despite the loss, with the returning Issy Wong picking up five wickets and Phoebe Brett taking two wickets, while captain Katie George struck a brilliant 89 from 113 deliveries.

The defeat, coupled with Somerset’s win over Durham, saw the Bears drop to fourth in the table. After the remaining games have been played, the team top of the table will advance straight to the final, with the teams in second and third place respectively going head-to-head in an elimination match. With two teams clear at the top, the Bears will be looking to climb to third, with matches against Essex (9th in the table) on Thursday, Surrey (5th) and Durham (6th) to come.

Opposition insight

Essex have endured a difficult run of form and arrive at Edgbaston looking to pick up a first win in six in the competition. They currently sit bottom of the table with three wins and nine defeats from their 12 games.

Last time out they lost be eight wickets to a strong Somerset side. Jodi Grewcock top scored for Essex with the bat, striking 87 in a 179-run third wicket stand with Sophia Smale (83), which was the highlight of the day for the Chelmsford side.

In Grewcock, they have the played with the fourth highest run total in the competition, with her 512 runs so far coming at an outstanding average of 64.

Last meeting

The Bears won by five wickets when the teams met earlier in the season at Chelmsford. An impressive bowling display from Warwickshire saw them dismiss Essex for 157, with Em Arlott, Georgia Davis, Hannah Baker, Amu Surenkumar and Charis Pavely all taking two wickets each.