EWA look good against the boys

England Women's Academy v Wiltshire U15 Boys

Played at Calne Cricket Club on 19^th June 2014

EWA completed a convincing victory by 33 runs over a young and rather inexperienced Wilts U15s. Having been sent into bat EWA made a poor start losing Georgia Adams to her first ball, and the second of the match. But skipper Jess Watson (34) and Amara Carr (59) soon got to grips with the pacey Wiltshire openers taking the score onto 73, before Watson tried to hit the Wiltshire off-spinner over the top but only found mid-off. Sophie Luff (24) joined Carr and they used their experience to steal singles and turn ones into twos to keep the score ticking along nicely. Carr perished trying to up the run rate as she missed a sweep and was adjudged lbw with the score on 123 after 30 overs. Georgia Hennessy (4) was comprehensively bowled after a very brief stay, but this brought the hard-hitting Hollie Armitage to the crease. She crashed the pitched up ball over extra cover and the short ball through wide long-on as she hit a run-a-ball 41. But she, Luff and Scutt fell in quick succession, and at 182/7 the EWA innings was in danger of petering out. But the tail, led by Steph Butler (21), wagged nicely in the closing overs to take EWA to 231/9 at the close of their innings.

In reply Wiltshire made a solid start with 43 off the first nine overs, but Freya Davies (2/46) then made the important breakthrough having Wade, the Wiltshire skipper, caught at mid-wicket by Watson. The end of the powerplay saw the introduction of spinners Cecily Scutt (2/34) and Steph Butler (2/22) and the Wiltshire batsmen found it hard to find the boundary with pace off the ball. Scutt had opener Samuel well caught behind by Carla Rudd, and Twine lbw soon after missing a sweep. Butler then had Tuttle well held by Carr at mid-on from a skied leg-side hoik, and Wiltshire were in trouble at 82/4 after 22 overs. Elliott, Jacques and West rebuilt the Wiltshire innings, but Butler had Elliott caught by Carr, and Hollie Armitage’s leg-spin (3/28) did for both Jacques and West, after Jacques had deposited her for two 6s in her first over. Late hitting from Vaz saw the Wiltshire total make it to 198 in the last over when they lost their final wicket and EWA completed a job well done.

Martin Davies

20/VI/14