Derbyshire Falcons vs Worcestershire Rapids (women) (match 21-L2 – stand alone fixture) at Queen’s Park Chesterfield Cricket Club on Saturday 28 June 2025 (14h30)
Clare Boycott’s (pictured) captaincy chalked-up Rapids womens’ first win in this year’s competition, having marked Chesterfield Borough Council’s ‘BRM Chesterfield festival of Cricket’ (28June – 6July) with a ‘very good score.’ Key to Rapids’ success when batting was a ‘very effective partnership’ between Ruby Davis [69 runs (from 46 balls)] who hit eight ‘fours,’ and Bryony Gillgrass 40(29.) When bowling, Bryony Gillgrass went on to take a 5-fer [taking 5 wickets/conceding 19 runs]; with team-mate spinner Flora Bertwistle taking 3/32. Falcons batters were said to ‘falter’ during their final five overs when Rapids bowled them out. Commentators sat inside pitch-side tent were Freddie Cardy (Gooner Fanzine) with Allyson Byrne (Women’s Cricket Chat, ex Lancs & Cheshire women.) Weather: mainly sunny 22C.
Rapids women wearing light blue front/mid-hooped back uppers, over lower black; *skipper Clare Boycott *[Megan Pittman keeping wicket for Falcons] Amy Wheeler (Blaze academy); *Swinging across-the-line, Ebony-Jade Tweats was bowled ‘off-stump’ by Francesca Clarke; *Clare Boycott was stumped by keeper Megan Pittman, from Maria Andrews; *After 6 overs power-play 52/2 & by mid-way (10 ov) 92/2; ‘Needing to break the Davis-Gillgrass partnership,’ Bryony Gillgrass was steepled to ‘mid-off,’ caught by Adrianna Darlow, from Gemma Rose; *Sophie Beech was stumped by keeper Megan Pittman, from Maria Andrews; *Ruby Davis was caught at ‘mid-wicket’ by Natasha ‘Tash’ Allen, from Rhianna Knowling-Davies; *Amy Wheeler was caught at ‘mid-wicket’ by Jess Couser, from Rhianna Knowling-Davies; Rapids women batting: Ruby Davis 69(46), Bryony Gillgrass 40(29) Sophie Beech 28(19) Clare Boycott 12(13); Falcons women bowling: Maria Andrews 2/35, Rhianna Knowling-Davies 2/45, Francesca Clarke 1/26, Gemma Rose 1/40;
Falcons women wearing dark blue with light-blue leg stripes and blue helmets; *skipper Adrianna Darlow; [Liv Gough keeping wicket for Rapids] *with Maria Andrews &*Lara Shaw (Blaze academy loans) & *Ellie Nightingale (Yorks academy loan); *After 6 overs power-play 73/0 (vs. 52/2) *Lara Shaw was caught at ‘mid-off’ by Jess Beach from Bryony Gillgrass; *Mis-timing a ‘sweep’ Ellie Nightingale went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Bryony Gillgrass for a ‘golden duck’; *Level-pegging by mid-way (10 ov): 94/2 (vs 92/2); *Mis-timing a ‘sweep’ Jess Couser was bowled ‘middle-and-off’ (elsewhere ‘middle-and-leg’) by Bryony Gillgrass; *Natasha ‘Tash’ Allen was caught at ‘mid-off’ by Jess Beach, from Bryony Gillgrass; *Ella Porter was caught behind by keeper Liv Gough from Bryony Gillgrass; *Next over Megan Pittman was caught at ‘cover,’ by Clare Boycott, from Flora Bertwistle’s first ball; *Mis-timing a ‘sweep’ Rhianna Knowling-Davies went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Flora Bertwistle; *Adrianna Darlow was bowled ‘middle-and-off’ (elsewhere ‘off’) by Flora Bertwistle coming round-the-wicket; *Francesca Clarke was caught at ‘backward point,’ by Clare Boycott, from Jess Beach for a third-ball ‘duck;’; *Finally, Maria Andrews was caught at ‘backward square‘ by Ebony-Jade Tweats from Amy Wheeler; Falcons women batting: Jess Causer 65(42), Lara Shaw 32(23), Megan Pittman 17(13), Maria Andrews 17(16); Rapids women bowling: Bryony Gillgrass 5/19, Flora Bertwistle 3/32;
Match result: Worcestershire Rapids (women) 187/6 (@9.3 runs-per-over, 20/20 overs) beat Derbyshire Falcons (women) 158/10 (@8.1 runs-per-over from 19.1/20 overs, target 188 from 20/20 ov.) by 29 runs with 5 balls remaining
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m7377c8ad-103d-4ee9-bad2-7d91526292fc
*BBC Sport @url:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225363 SKY @url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/derbyshire-falcons-women-v-worcestershire-rapids-women/scorecard/02acdd6c-e27d-50d8-b8b0-45a17579372d
*Full match free-to-air, courtesy of Derbys Cricket (nv play/Vertu) [03h10m56s] via YouTube @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbEK2Vnz8-Y&t=12s
*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/
