Girls’ cricket was on show on Saturday 20th May with a fixture on the 1st XI pitch against an Essex Development XI. The visitors were the more experienced cricketers, but the College girls have been working hard and steadily improving in recent years, and both sides combined to make a thrilling T20 match which was won by Essex on the last ball.
Essex had made 113-6 in their 20 overs, restricted in the second half of the innings by tight bowling from Lottie Riley and Georgie Cantrell. Coral Langridge took two important wickets in her 4 overs. Pip Morgan and Emily Lewis got the College off to a great start in their innings, while stylish shots from Abby Gooderham and Lottie Riley moved the target ever closer and gave hope of a win. Lottie’s 24 from 21 deliveries was particularly impressive and important. The pressure began to tell towards the end of the innings, though, with runs coming less freely, and the match came down to the final ball – with 3 required to win, the College were only able to snatch a single and had to cede to their strong and composed opponents.
It was a tense and hard-fought match with real quality from both sides, and an excellent advert for the continued growth of the women’s game.
