After a breakout campaign in the T20 Blast with Essex, Esmae MacGregor has been picked up as a Vitality Wildcard in The Hundred with Manchester Originals, a reward she calls “unexpected” but one she’s “very excited” about.
MacGregor was one of the standout bowlers in the competition, claiming 21 wickets at an average of 13.4, and striking once every 11 balls.
While Essex endured a difficult campaign, the seamer’s relentlessness earned her a deserved Hundred call-up, where she’ll join the likes of Deandra Dottin, Lauren Filer and Sophie Ecclestone in the north west.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity to play with some more experienced players,” MacGregor said. “It’s unexpected from the start of this year, but I’m really grateful for it.
“It’ll be about learning from those with great experience. It’s a new challenge that will take me out of my comfort zone, but I think it’ll be great.”
👏 Sensational reflexes! https://t.co/G1bTc6QIbg pic.twitter.com/qZsNVbNVph
— Essex Women’s Cricket 🏏 (@EssexWomen) June 15, 2025
Throughout the competition, MacGregor has picked up several notable scalps, including both Harris sisters, Suzie Bates, and Alice Capsey, among others.
By attacking the stumps with aggressive lines, MacGregor claimed plenty of wickets bowled, while her consistent lengths also tempted batters to go aerial down the ground, often resulting in catches at mid-on and mid-off.
“From a personal point of view, it’s very much about keeping it simple, and I think finding my line and length and just chipping away at that, and kind of being able to build pressure and wickets, luckily for me, have come along with that. But it’s just about keeping it simple and not trying to do too much.
“They’re [slower balls] a big part of T20 cricket. But I always say, ‘make sure your basics are good first, and then you can build on that’. I definitely think about my skills, but not too much.”
MacGregor narrowly missed out on finishing as the Blast’s leading wicket-taker, falling just one short of Millie Taylor, despite playing five fewer matches due to injury and Essex’s failure to reach Finals Day.
“It’s not always been in T20 where I’ve excelled. I think being able to play, being in this squad, has been great, and just getting that time out on the pitch has been really beneficial. Traditionally, it’s been the longer format that I’ve been better at, but this year, T20 is coming into its own.
“You can take aspects from both parts of the game and adapt. Obviously, each situation is different, but it’s about having the skill set to be in different situations, and I think they’re both so comparable that it’s, it’s not been too difficult.
“I think it helps that we play fifty-over all together first, and then you move on to the T20 block. There are challenges: in the longer format, you’ve got to kind of stay strong for longer.”
A product of the Sunrisers academy, MacGregor made her professional debut in 2023 against the Southern Vipers. With the regional structure transitioning back to counties, she signed for her home side, Essex, 18 months later.
“Being an Essex Girl growing up, it’s not too different. But I think we’ve, we’ve transferred over really well, and it’s been a great setup. We’ve got a great group of girls here. It’s been really positive in moving forward the women’s game.”
Essex have a very young side, led by 21-year-old Grace Scrivens, but MacGregor’s seam-bowling partners, Eva Gray and Kate Coppack, have played a lot of high-level cricket, and MacGregor credits them for her success.
“They’ve both got so much experience, and it’s great to bounce ideas off. We’ve got Stevo as well, who has come in, and he’s got so much knowledge.
“As a group, we always try and catch up and see what’s working and what’s not. Even on the pitch, we’re discussing how much swing there is and what we’re thinking. Bouncing ideas around is great. They’re really valuable to have, and I’ve definitely learned a lot.”
