Hampshire Hawks thump Essex in front of record women's T20 crowd

Bouchier hammered 92 off 53 balls, and McCaughan 68 off 39 in a brutal batting display on a stunning batting track.

The 215 that Hampshire racked up was only better by three Hampshire Men scores and Australia Men at Utilita Bowl, and eclipsed the 197-run high in a women’s match at the ground.

Lauren Winfield-Hill, on loan from Yorkshire, thumped 69 but couldn’t prevent Essex from falling to a 25-run defeat in front of 4,378 spectators – a highest for a non-Hundred or international women’s match at the Bowl.

“It was great to bat with Ella. We’ve worked really hard as a pair, and our styles work really well together. We kept it really smart," said Bouchier, who fell just short of a century.

“We have batted well together all season. Whether it is 50-over or T20s we just work seamlessly.

"We calm each other down a little bit and level ourselves out. If I’m not going, then she is going, and we play around each other nicely.

“I’m chuffed to put in a decent total on that wicket. It was a flat pitch, so we had to then bowl really well. I’m happy to contribute to my team and that’s all I can ask for.

“I’m amazed at all the records. We are chuffed as a team to set those records. Hampshire Hawks is just one club now, so it is great that we can all work together.

“I’m really pleased with my start to the season. I didn’t get selected for the England series against West Indies but it has been a great chance to just focus on Hampshire and getting those big scores.

“I was obviously disappointed not to be named in those squads, it is England and you want to be playing, but the chance to play all these games is brilliant. I have to move on, park it and work really hard.”

Having been stuck in by Essex, it took four balls for the first boundary – McCaughan tickling around the corner – and for the following 19.2 overs, the ball barely left the perimeter.

Hampshire were without overseas Charli Knott due to visa issues, having left the country after the first Metro Bank One-Day Cup block.

McCaughan was the initial trailblazer for the innings, with her off-side timing particularly strong, as Bouchier rotated the strike.

But Bouchier ended the 78-run powerplay with three fours off both Kate Coppack and Eva Gray. Bouchier and McCaughan had strike rates over 200 from the first six overs.

Maddie Penna and Grace Scrivens slowed things for the two overs out of the powerplay, but only temporarily, as the batters prioritised pushing runs over boundaries.

Bouchier reached her half-century first in 31 balls, her 11th in T20s, before McCaughan reached the milestone for the second time in 28 deliveries.

Bouchier then turned up the power. Boundaries flowed off her bat in 360 degrees, including a rarely seen switch hit.

In her innings, she had more fours than dots, before adding to a huge six over the long mid-wicket rope.

The first-wicket reached 158 runs, higher than any partnership during the Charlotte Edwards Cup era, before McCaughan was undone by a slower ball from Esmae MacGregor for a career best 68.

Bouchier fell one shy of her best of 93 when Grace Scrivens bowled her, but the last four overs didn’t see a massive slowdown.

Freya Kemp’s first appearance of the summer returned 20 off 13, with Georgia Adams 22 off 13.

Winfield-Hill copied Bouchier and McCaughan’s approach by thrashing a fifty in 26 balls, but it couldn’t keep up with the required rate.

Wickets fell regularly at the other end. Scrivens skied to mid on, Lissy MacLeod pinged to long on and Cordelia Griffiths picked out deep midwicket.

Winfield-Hill was starved of boundaries out of the powerplay and scored just one boundary after reaching her half-century.

The frustration caught up with her as she was excellently caught at short fine leg for 69. Australian Penna whacked a quartet of sixes over square in a scintillating 17-ball 38.

But it wasn’t enough as she and Jo Gardner fell in the death overs, with Bex Tyson picking up three for 40.