WILTSHIRE Cricket and Wiltshire Senior’s Cricket have come together to launch a senior county women’s team – and they say Wiltshire is the first county to do so!
The club played its first game at the Westbury Cricket Club on Saturday 9th September against East Anglian Veteran Ladies in a friendly 40-over red-ball match, with the new team losing by 62 runs.
Wiltshire Seniors proposed the launch of a women’s senior team in the Wiltshire Cricket five-year plan for 2020 to 2024. The game last Saturday was a trial game and Wiltshire Cricket has more games planned in 2024 as they are already in discussion with other counties about following their lead.
Tim Mynott, chair of Wiltshire County Seniors’ Cricket Club said, “We already run six men’s teams – two at 50+, two at 60+ and two at 70+ and we are delighted that we are able to be involved in the creation of a women’s team as well – we hope this is just the start of something great.”
Pete Sykes, chief executive of Wiltshire Cricket said, “A lot of Wiltshire clubs have thriving women’s sections and have put a lot of effort into developing the facilities to encourage more women and girls to play cricket. We are keen to see this extended to more women, regardless of age, and the creation of the seniors’ team is a big step forward.”
Match report
Saturday 9th September. Friendly. Wiltshire Seniors Women XI 142/All out (28.4) East Anglian Veteran Ladies 204 / 4 (40). East Anglian Veteran Ladies won by 62 runs.
With the merciless sun beating down from a cloudless sky, high noon in Westbury saw Wiltshire losing the toss and being asked to bowl first. Wiltshire players were clearly ecstatic at the prospect of running around for two or three hours in 30-degree heat and what felt like around 101% humidity.
It took 13 overs before Cath Possamai had East Anglian Veteran Ladies (EAVL) opener, Jan Godman, stumped by keeper Lisa Sullivan, but there were already 81 runs on the board. Possamai had further success in her next over, clean bowling Felicity Radford, and when Wiltshire captain Vix Hathway had Suzanne Shaw caught at short mid-wicket by Jules Caton, EAVL had progressed to 120-3.
Marilyn Smith climbed to an impressive 68 off 90 balls before Caton induced her into a soft shot, snaffled by Tina Foley. 174-4, but it was to be Wiltshire bowlers’ last success of the day. EAVL finished on a daunting looking 204-4 off their 40 overs.
At 79 without loss in the 12th over of the Wiltshire innings, it looked as though Wiltshire were going to make short work of their target. However, openers Possamai, bowled by Melanie White, and Caton, narrowly run out, both fell in consecutive deliveries. Caton on 47 came agonisingly close to a first landmark score for the team.
White’s next over was equally productive for the visitors with Tina Foley lbw and Katherine Binks caught behind by Karen Elliott standing up to the stumps.
Lisa Sullivan was very unlucky to clip a bail off with her own bat before Tracey Barrow and Vickie Hathway steadied the ship. They moved the score from 96-5 on to 139 before Barrow spooned a ball from Marilyn Smith for Jan Godwin to take the gentlest of catches at square leg.
Shaw and Smith then pinned Wiltshire down and allowed only one more run from the bat, and a couple of extras, before Vickie Hathway was bowled by Suzanne Shaw for a gritty 31. With the score on 142, one Wiltshire batter absent and another feeling unwell, the run chase was over in the 29th over.
Jules Caton, for her 47 runs and bowling figures of 1 for 25, was Wiltshire’s player of the match. Credit and thanks to umpires Tony Horn and Ted Mackenzie for a long time stood in the heat, and to the scoring team of Paula Smith, Chloe Sopp (who intends to be bowling leg breaks for England in a few years’ time) and Nigel Hill.
At the end of a very hot afternoon at a delightful location the result was secondary to the fact that we had achieved our 2018 ambition. The players enjoyed a match played in a superb spirit, and the talk was all of persuading other counties to follow Wiltshire’s lead and put-up teams for Wiltshire to play more matches against next season.
Westbury CC were excellent hosts, further evidence of their commitment to promoting women’s cricket. Our thanks also to Karen Elliott of EAVL, without whose efforts the game would not have happened, and to Sam Dent at Wiltshire Cricket, who was instrumental in pulling together our team.
Match report by Nigel Hill, secretary of Wiltshire County Seniors Cricket Club.
