Worcestershire Rapids women vs Sussex Sharks women – match 15, L2 – at Visit New Road Worcester on Saturday 3 May 2025 (10h30)
Sharks women bagged their first win, seizing the advantage to bowl out Rapids women, who were unbeaten before the match; previously beating Yorkshire by a wide margin. Batting first, Sharks openers banked eighty runs. Mollie Adams [104*not out runs (from146 balls)] made top-score, chalked-up her first ‘ton’ and carried her bat. Rapids were comfortably ahead by mid-way 134/3 (vs 88/1.) Tables were turned by Sharks once Rapids scored 200, needing another fifty runs to win. Having broken Rapids’ first wicket opening partnership, seamer Anna Buckle returned to bag four-out-of-five of Sharks remaining wickets using textbook swing-bowling technique. Anna Buckle finished with a maiden competition ‘5-fer’ [taking 5 wickets, conceding 27 runs.] Bizarrely, Sharks closed with a lower run-rate, having bowled-out Rapids batters to win the match.
Sharks women: wearing pink with front black chevron uppers over lower black; *Skipper Chiara Green *[Chloe Hill keeper for Rapids] *with Mollie Adams from Vipers Academy (six counties); *After 10 overs power-play 45/0; *Breakthrough came during the 20th over when Phoebe Wilkinson was ‘run out’ from Bryony Gillgrass’ throw from ‘mid-wicket’ to Clare Boycott receiving at the non-striker’s end; *After 25 overs Sharks 88/1; *Ivy Collis was bowled ‘off-stump’ with bails flying by Flora Bertwistle’s spin; *Attempting to ramp, Rachel King was caught aerial at ‘cover’ (mis-reported elsewhere as caught on opposite side) by Clare Boycott, from Emily Churms 22(21); *Taking a ‘swipe’ Chiara Green was bowled through-the-gate by Phoebe Brett’s spin; *Setting-off prematurely, Jasmine ‘Jazz’ Westley was ‘run out’ by Ruby Davis throw to bowler Clare Boycott receiving at the non-striker’s end; *Daisy Gibb was ‘not out’; *Mollie Adams carried her bat; Sharks women batting: Mollie Adams104(146), Phoebe Wilkinson37(67), Chiara Green24(25), Rachel King22(21), Ivy Collis15(34); Rapids women bowling: Phoebe Brett 1/31, Emily Churms 1/34, Flora Bertwistle 1/40;
Rapids women: wearing light blue front, mid-hooped back uppers over lower black; *skipper Chloe Hill *[Mollie Adams keeping wicket for Sharks]; *with Gwen Davies (Wales) *Gwen Davies and Clare Boycott opening partnership banked 40 runs without loss until Clare Boycott was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ by Anna Buckle; *After 10 overs power-play 44/1 (vs 45/0); *Skipper Chloe Hill was bowled through-the-gate ‘middle-and-off’ by Chiara Green; *Top-scorer Gwen Davies who scored ‘fifty’ was bowled ‘off-stump’ by Chiara Green coming around-the-wicket to the left-hander; *After 25 overs Rapids seemed comfortably ahead on 134/3 (vs 88/1) with drinks taken; *Bryony Gillgrass went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Eve O’Neill; *Ruby Davis went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Daisy Gibb; *Amy Wheeler was bowled by Anna Buckle; *Two balls later, Emily Churms was bowled by Anna Buckle for a second-ball ‘duck;’ *Phoebe Brett went aerial from a top-edge, caught at ‘point’ by Chiara Green, from Daisy Gibb’s seam; *Sophie Beech lofted to ‘mid-wicket,’ caught by Daisy Gibb, from Anna Buckle; *Finally next over, Jess Beach was bowled ‘off-stump’ with bails flying from Anna Buckle (5-fer); *Flora Bertwistle was ‘not out;’ Rapids women batting: Gwen Davies53(72) Bryony Gillgrass29(27), Amy Wheeler27(24), Jess Beach21(33), Ruby Davis19(32), Clare Boycott17(17), Chloe Hill10(25); Sharks women bowling: Anna Buckle 5/27, Chiara Green 2/24, Daisy Gibb 2/45, Eve O’Neill 1/53;
*Match result: Sussex Sharks women 250/5 (@5 runs-per-over, from 50/50 overs) beat Worcestershire Rapids women 221/10 (@5.2 runs-per-over, from 41.4overs/target 251 from 50 overs)by 29 runs (with 50 balls remaining)
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_scorecard#c39cfaf83-ff45-4d8d-8ad8-682869d75201_m8096cd9c-7d55-4a59-ac27-2d06dc8f4cb0
BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225590#SUS & SKY Sports@url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/worcestershire-rapids-women-v-sussex-sharks-women/scorecard/24307a9e-c3d9-559a-ad3d-eee2241e9881
*Full match free-to-air, without commentary, courtesy of Worcester CCC (Vertu) [06h44m49s] via YouTube @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b128YaJmqyI
*Upcoming League one fixtures @url: http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/03/04/metro-bank-league-one-fixtures-for-2025/
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