Durham Cricket (women) vs Birmingham Bears (women) (match 18, league one – ‘double header’ fixture) at Banks Homes Riverside Chester-le-Street, on Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Mady Villiers (on three-year Durham Cricket contract, with 20 England caps-to-date) put on an impressive show of batting, chalking-up her season’s-best score [85*not out runs (from 56 balls).] Openers Davina Perrin and Meg Austin added 62 for Bears’ first wicket, followed by a match-winning ‘fifty’ from in-form Nat Wraith [56 runs (from 36 balls).] The match came to a climax with two runs needed for Bears’ victory, when Charis Pavely struck the winning ‘four’ during the penultimate over. Post match, Dani Hazell lauded Mady Villiers for stepping-up after Suzie Bates early dismissal. Having ‘created opportunities’ it was undeniable that ‘missed chances,’ (with catches and run-outs) cost DC the game. Coverage supported ‘Pride’ inclusivity campaign. Andy Sixsmith (host) and former Durham cricketer Ashley ‘Ash’ Thorpe (with detectable Australian accent) from ‘Park View Academy’s Cricket Development Centre,’ in partnership with Durham Cricket. With studio guest Polly Starkie (Social media co-host ‘Noughtie Child Podcast’ and ‘HerGameToo’ cricket ambassador.) Also with DC Head Women’s Coach Dani Hazell, giving her post-match opinion to Ash Thorpe, pitch-side: please see below.
Durham Cricket women wearing yellow with blue trim over blue, with yellow pads; *Skipper Hollie Armitage *[Nat Wraith keeping wicket for Bears]; *With international player Suzie Bates NZ; & Katherine Fraser Scotland; *Suzie Bates was bowled with her middle-stump flattened by Issy Wong, for a third-ball ‘duck’; *Leah Dobson ‘miscued’ and was caught at ‘mid-wicket’ by Laura Harris, from Issy Wong;*By 6 overs ‘power-play’ 43/2; *Attempting a ‘reverse-scoop’, Hollie Armitage was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ by Hannah Baker; *By mid-way 66/3; *Mis-timing a ‘square-cut,’ Bess Heath went ‘leg-before’ to Hannah Baker;*Mia Rogers was bowled ‘through-the-gate’ by Emily‘Em’Arlott, with both bails sent flying;*Top-scorer Mady Villiers who made ‘fifty’ was undefeated; Durham batting: Mady Villiers85*not out(56); Bess Heath27(18),Hollie Armitage15(16), Katherine Fraser12*not out(12), Bears women bowling: Issy Wong 2/19, Hannah Baker 2/22, Emily ‘Em’ Arlott 1/32;
Bears women wearing ’sky’ blue diamond cheque with yellow trim over dark blue; with yellow helmets and black caps; *skipper Georgia Davis *[Bess Heath keeping wicket for Durham Cricket] *with international player Laura Harris (Australia) *without Katie George or Abbey Freeborn; *Meg Austin was caught by Hollie Armitage from Katie Levick; *After 6 overs ‘power-play’ 62/1 (vs 43/2); *Davina Perrin was caught one-handed at ‘square’ by Dobson from Katie Levick; *Natasha ‘Nat’ Wraith stumped by Bess Heath, from Mady Villiers; By mid-way 89/2 (vs 66/3); Bears batting: Nat Wraith56(36), Davina Perrin49(31), Charis Pavely30*not out(24), Meg Austin 22(17); Durham bowling Katie Levick 2/30, Mady Villiers 1/36;
Match result: Birmingham Bears (women) 165/3 (@8.8 runs-per-over, from 18.2/20 overs/target 163 from 20 overs) beat Durham Cricket (women) 162/5 (@8.1 r-p-o from 20/20 overs) by seven wickets with ten balls remaining
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#mea763843-e7d6-4e05-8e54-3ee6259cd254
*BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225307 & SKY Sports@url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/durham-women-v-bears-women/scorecard/dde1a4f9-4c47-5843-807c-2ec21424e51d
*Full match free-to-air, courtesy of Durham Cricket Club (nv play) via YouTube [03h58m21s] @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiiCixUYR9U
*’Second half, we only really have ourselves to blame’: Dani Hazell post match on Bears defeat courtesy of Durham Cricket Club (nv play) via YouTube [02m53s] @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgHYC1cMblg
*Upcoming League one fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2024/11/27/vitality-blast-fixtures-for-season-2025/
*Upcoming League two fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2024/11/27/vitality-cup-league-two-fixtures-for-season-2025/
