Beverley Town Cricket Club’s Ladies team journeyed to Bilton Grange near Harrogate to play Bradford Ladies in not so pleasurable weather conditions, it was cold and damp. Sarah McDowell, taking over the Captains duties from Louise Todd won the toss and decided to bat first.
Sarah opened with Beth Smith and after a slow start with fast accurate bowling of Kennedy Nuttall (15) and Rebecca Newark (14). From over 6 Sarah and Beth hit the ball around the pitch with gay abandon, no place was safe and boundaries flourished from the bat.
Just before drinks with the score on 68 Beth was brilliantly caught by Charlotte Preston low to her right for 20. Amy Halloran and Helen Craig gave a small contribution and then Charlie Cooper came to the crease and with Sarah put on a stand of 54.
Charlie was beautifully bowled for 16 by an in swinger from Rebecca Newark knocking leg stump out of the ground. Hannah McCoid took over and helped push the score along but they were steadily running out of overs. Sarah tried for a quick single but was run out from a terrific throw by Yvonne Bains for 67.
Megan Siddown came in and from the off was taking no prisoners and with Hannah took the score to 150, an impressive score considering that the girls were batting in the rain and mist with a soggy ball.
On resuming after lunch, Amy Halloran started extremely well having only one run conceded off her stint of 4 overs, good, accurate and fast bowling; she was accompanied by Beth Smith with her swing style equally as accurate and took the first wicket with the score on 2.
On the changeover Ailish Ward came into the attack, and did she ever, knocking over the middle peg of Caroline Middleton in her second over and the score on 23. Bradford was steadily getting a foothold on the score and the runs crept up as the weather started to improve and the clouds disappeared and out came the sun.
Katie Thompson and Kennedy Nuttall took hold of the middle order bowling hitting the ball to the four quarters, the fielding by Beverley was again superb great stops by hand, foot and even body kept the score down, this gave way for opportunities for run-outs and it was only the quickness of the Bradford players between the wickets kept them secure. This pair put on 56 until Kennedy was bowled by a dipping Yorker from Helen Craig.
Amy Halloran returned to bowling duties and struck a blow for Beverley with Sophie Kneeshaw taking a high difficult catch from her bowling.
Abi Moriarty, her first taste of action this year bowled really well and took the wicket of Yvonne Bains, who doggedly held up one end, and was caught behind by Sarah McDowell.
Then it was a nail biting finish, runs were getting on and overs and balls were coming down and in the last two overs it was anyone’s match. Sue Haley and Ann Miller put on 19 for the ninth wicket and in the last overs Sue was stumped by Sarah McDowell and her replacement Jane Thompson was run out with four to get in three balls.
All in all a good close match which both sides enjoyed, Beverley seems to be really enthusiastic this year, everyone egging each other on and having an atmosphere of ‘we can win’ instead of the washout of last year’s efforts. Good undertaking and standard of cricket by both sides, well done!!
Beverley Ladies XI 150 for 5 (40 overs)
Beat
Bradford Ladies XI 146 all out (39.4 overs)
By 4 runs
