In a dazzling showcase of precision and power, Ella McCaughan etched her name in the history books by becoming the first player to score a century in the Women’s T20 Blast, leading Hampshire Hawks to a resounding 42-run triumph over Essex at Chelmsford. On a sunlit afternoon that saw England coach Charlotte Edwards watching from the stands, the 22-year-old opener unleashed a masterclass of strokeplay, crafting an innings of 106 off 60 balls to guide her team to a formidable total of 195-2.
McCaughan’s spectacular knock included 16 boundaries and featured a record 173-run partnership with Australian batter Charli Knott, the highest stand in the competition’s history. After surviving an early scare on four when she was dropped behind by Lauren Winfield-Hill off a top-edge, McCaughan capitalised on her reprieve to reach her fourth half-century in five games off just 34 balls, eventually surpassing Maia Bouchier’s 92—the previous best score in this season’s tournament.
With poise and persistence, she moved to 90 with a single off Esmae MacGregor and ensured she retained strike for the penultimate over. A reverse sweep for four off Sophia Smale then took her past Bouchier’s milestone.
Speaking about her innings after the game, McCaughan said, “I didn’t really expect to make a hundred to be honest. Things are going well and I’m trying not to overthink it, keep my game simple and it seems to be working. I’m not trying to hit big sixes, I’m playing the same way as I usually do, but just with a bit more intensity in T20 and staying present.”
She reached her century—her maiden in T20 cricket—with a single from her 57th ball and departed shortly after, caught at long-on by Smale off Grace Scrivens in the final over. That ended her epic 173-run partnership with Knott, whose own resurgence was just as significant. The Australian, who had managed only 37 runs in her previous three outings, finished unbeaten on 72 from 55 balls, laced with seven boundaries. Freya Kemp added a late flourish with a boundary to finish not out on 5 from two balls.
Essex had opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Their decision paid early dividends as Bouchier was dismissed for 4 in the second over. However, Winfield-Hill’s missed stumping of Knott on 9, and her earlier drop of McCaughan, proved costly.
Set a daunting target of 196, Essex began brightly in the powerplay, racing to 46 without loss. Scrivens and Winfield-Hill struck regular boundaries. But their momentum stalled when Winfield-Hill was dismissed for 18 in the seventh over. Scrivens continued briefly, but her innings ended on 29 from 28 deliveries when she misjudged a drive.
Lissy Macleod’s explosive cameo kept Essex in the hunt temporarily, hammering 30 from just 18 balls with six crisp boundaries. But her dismissal—run out by a direct hit from Freya Davies—sparked a collapse. Cordelia Griffith was dismissed by Knott’s athletic effort on the boundary, Penna was trapped in front for 1 by Taylor, and Essex crumbled to 90-5.
As Essex fought to avoid conceding a bonus point, Jo Gardner and Smale attempted a revival, adding 42 runs in just 25 balls. But Adams, the Hawks skipper, had other plans. She struck twice in the 18th over—removing Smale lbw for 24 and having Gardner caught at long-off by Kemp for 18—before sealing the bonus point in the final over. With 11 runs to play to clinch it, Adams induced a mistimed shot from Eva Gray, who skied it to extra cover to finish with remarkable figures of 4-26.
Essex ended their innings on 153-8, falling well short of the target and sliding below Hawks in the table. With the victory, Hampshire leapfrogged Essex into fourth place, sitting just three points behind the top three Bears, having played one game fewer.
In a contest full of momentum swings and missed chances, it was McCaughan’s composure and class that stood head and shoulders above the rest—an innings that didn’t just make history but signaled her growing stature in England’s domestic game.
(Quote sourced from BBC)
