Gloucester Women vs Derbyshire Falcons at Bristol (Seat Unique Stadium) on Sat 19 April 2025 (10h30)
Following a rain-delayed start, twelve overs were docked, reducing the match to thirty-eight overs per side. Commentator observed ‘brilliant fielding.’ Both sides built three key batting partnerships. Liv Daniels played a skipper’s innings for the hosts, with two opening partnerships chalking-up 33 with Jess Hazel, continuing with Emily Geach. Together with Issy Patel, Geach’s second partnership added a run-a-ball 49 runs. A closely contended match unfolded. Derbys’s stand-out batter Lara Shaw staged two ‘fifty’ partnerships, firstly with fellow opener Jessica Couser posting 57; followed by a second ‘fifty’ partnership with Tash Allen posting 54. Commentator rightly highlighted a ‘critical moment’ in the match once Shaw departed with top-score [74 runs (from 71 balls)]. With Falcons ‘hopes fading away’ following their middle-order batting-collapse, Megan Pittman did well to retain strike to narrow the gap, closing defiantly with two ‘fours’ and ‘six’ from last 3 balls. Commentators were Toby Reynolds (Cricket writer at Sports Gazette) and guest. Weather: ‘grey cloud cover,’ 12C.
Gloucester innings: Glos wearing yellow and black with yellow shoulder stripes; *Skipper Olivia ‘Liv’ Daniels *[Megan Pittman keeping wicket for Falcons] *’Early breakthrough’ came when opener Prarthana Reddy went for a golden ‘duck:’ caught ‘perfectly’ at ‘backward point’ by Harriett Parkin, from Rhiannon Knowling-Davies’ ‘full-toss.’ *Bea Willis was bowled by Caitlin McDonald’s ‘yorker,’ said to be ‘poorly’ delivered but took the wicket; *Alice Hill chipped an edge, caught at ‘mid-off’ by Natasha ‘Tash’ Allen from Caitlin McDonald; *‘Looking to sweep,’ Jess Hazell went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Gemma Rose; *After 19 overs (mid-way) 83/4; *’Swiping off-side,‘ skipper Olivia ‘Liv’ Daniels* came ‘down-wicket’ but stumped by Megan Pittman, from Adrianna Darlow’s final over; *‘Swiping’ leg-side, Charlotte Phillips went ‘leg-before’ to Harriett Parkin’s ‘full-toss’; *Attempting a hesitant second-run, Emily Geach was ‘run out’ at the striker’s end by Jessica Couser’s throw to Megan Pittman; *Caitlin Belcher was caught at ‘long-on’ by Sophia McCollum, from Caitlin McDonald; *Isobel ‘Issy’ Patel was caught short of ‘cover’ by Adrianna Darlow, from Rhiannon Knowling-Davies; *Attempting second-run, Alice Bird was ‘run-out’ by Harriett Parkin’s throw to Rhiannon Knowling-Davies receiving at the non-striker’s end leaving Katie Dolman ‘not out’. Gloucester batting: Emily Geach 38(42), Olivia ‘Liv’ Daniels* 38(60), Isobel ‘Izzy’ Patel 32(32), Jess Hazell 22(29), Bea Willis 16(14), Alice Hill 11(31); Falcons bowling: Caitlin McDonald 3/46, Rhiannon Knowling-Davies 2/49, Adrianna Darlow 1/27, Harriett Parkin 1/34, Gemma Rose 1/42;
Falcons innings: Falcons wearing dark blue with light blue leg stripes; *Skipper Adrianna Darlow *[Jess Hazell keeping wicket for Falcons] with Lara Shaw (Blaze Academy Loan) *Opener Jessica Couser went aerial, caught at ‘mid-on’ by Prarthana Reddy from skipper Daniels; *After 19 overs (mid-way) 98/1; *Natasha ‘Tash’ Allen played ‘impressively’ until bowled ‘top-of-off-stump’ by Charlotte Phillips *Critical moment when ’stand-out batter’ Lara Shaw made ‘fifty’ but missed a ‘square-cut’ and was stumped by Jess Hazell, from Alice Hill; *Taking a ‘high risk’ to accelerate the score, Ella Porter 5(19) went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Alice Hill; *Skipper Darlow was ‘short-lived,’ when bowled by Alice Hill; *Facing scoreboard pressure, Rhiannon Knowling-Davies went aerial, caught at ‘long-on’ by Alice Bird, from Alice Hill; *Harriett Parkin was ‘run out’ by Prarthana Reddy’s throw to Charlotte Phillips, receiving at the non-striker’s end; *Following a tactical bowling-change, S McCollum went went plumb ‘leg-before’ for a golden ‘duck’ from skipper Daniels; *Play was briefly interrupted during the closing stage when batter Caitlin McDonald became injured, was unable to continue and retired ‘not out’; *With ‘hopes fading away’ Megan Pittman reduced the run deficit to single-figures by scoring two ‘fours’ and ‘six’ from last 3 balls leaving Gemma Rose ‘not out.’ Falcons batting: Lara Shaw 74(71), Megan Pittman 39*not out (39), Jessica Couser 29 (51), Natasha ‘Tash’ Allen 20(21), Rhiannon Knowling-Davies 13(10); Glos bowling: Alice Hill 4/49, Olivia ‘Liv’ Daniels 2/37, Charlotte Phillips 1/33;
*Match result: Gloucestershire Women 206/10 (@5.4 runs-per-over from 38/38 overs); beat Derbyshire Falcons Women 197/8 (@5.1 r-p-o, target 207 from 38/38 overs); by 9 runs
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via NV Play at URL: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_scorecard#m62d37045-3074-4c78-a355-fbf09e13f88b & Also BBC Sport at URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225577
*Full match free-to-air courtesy of Glos Cricket TV (NV Play) via YouTube [starting 01:45:20/from 06h48m50s] @url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpLVXh9R1YA
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