Worcestershire Rapids women vs Derbyshire Falcons women – (match 34, league two) at Wolverhampton Cricket Club, Wolverhampton on Sunday 17 August 2025 (10h30)
Rapids women proved their worth to qualify for the up-coming semi-finals in fourth place, sending Falcons to a ‘crushing’ defeat. Previously, Falcons suffered a similar scenario when at the start of the season, Yorks women posted what turned out to be a record score (facing 381/6 from match 11, on 3 May.) On the day, Rapids closed just one run short of Yorks’ record score. Rapids skipper Clare Boycott – pictured [112runs (from 108 balls)] scored her career-best maiden ‘ton,’ with 14 ‘fours’ and one ‘six.’ That more than compensated for her earlier slow strike-rate when scoring 75 (vs Foxes match 10.) Partnered by Gwen Davies [78 (from 79 balls], the pair posted a ‘solid foundation’ of 150 runs inside their first 25 overs. Rapids chalked-up another 156 from their final 17 overs with their sights set on boosting their net-run-rate (needed to pip Yorks at the post to keep Rapids qualification aspirations alive), with Sophie Beech and Bryony Gillgrass both passing ‘fifty,’ plus late cameo from Ebony-Jade Tweats for 21. Turning to Falcons reply, crucial wickets were lost to Jess Beach who bagged a 4-fer [taking four wickets/conceding 23 runs.] That included Megan Pittman’s 50(from 66) wicket. Finally Pagan Hardwick 27(from 17) showed spirited resistance with six defiant ‘fours’ until losing her wicket to Gwen Davies’s first ball, to seal Rapids women’s emphatic win.
Rapids women wearing light blue front, mid-hooped back uppers over lower black with light-blue helmets; *skipper Clare Boycott [Megan Pittman keeping wicket for Falcons]; *Wales international Gwenan Davies (& Warwickshire loan) *After ten overs power-play: 51/0; *By mid-way (25 ov) 150/0; *Next ball Gwen Davies went ‘leg-before’ to Adrianna Darlow ; *Clare Boycott was caught aerial at ‘long-off’ by Natasha ‘Ash’ Allen, from Harriett Parkin; *Going for a second run, Bryony Gillgrass was ‘run-out’ by Harriet Parkin’s direct-hit to the striker’s end, from Pagan Hardwick;*Poppy Davies was caught aerial at ‘cow corner’ by Harriett Parkin, from Rhiannon Knowling-Davies, for a third-ball ‘duck; *Ebony-Jade Tweats was bowled by Pagan Hardwick;*Mis-timing a ‘ramp’ Sophie Beech was caught behind by keeper Megan Pittman, from Rhiannon Knowling-Davies; Rapids women batting: Clare Boycott112(108), Gwen Davies78(79), Sophie Beech69(60), Bryony Gillgrass65(39), Ebony-Jade Tweats21(10); Falcons women bowling: Rhiannon Knowling-Davies 2/78, Adrianna Darlow 1/26, Harriet Parkin 1/60, Pagan Hardwick 1/71;
Falcons women wearing dark-blue with light-blue leg stripes and blue helmets and blue numbers; *skipper Adrianna Darlow *[Liv Gough keeping wicket for Rapids] *with Scotland international Ella Porter, *Lara Shaw (Blaze academy loan) *also with Ellie Nightingale (Yorkshire academy loan); Debutante Millie Gray; *Lara Shaw was bowled by Hannah Hardwick for a third-ball ‘duck;*Natasha ‘Ash’ Allen was bowled by Jess Beach; *After ten overs power-play: 45/2 (vs 51/0); *Ella Porter went ‘leg-before’ to Flora Bertwistle;*Ellie Nightingale was caught aerial at ‘backward square’ by Gwen Davies, from Emily Churms ; *Adrianna Darlow went ‘leg-before’ to Flora Bertwistle; *By mid-way (25 ov) 93/5 vs 150/0; *Millie Gray, was caught at ‘extra-cover’ by Gwen Davies, from Flora Bertwistle ; *Megan Pittman was caught at ‘extra cover’ by Bryony Gillgrass, from Jess Beach; *Rhiannon Knowling-Davies went ‘leg-before’ middle-and-off to Jess Beach for a second-ball ‘duck; *Mis-timing a ‘drive,’ Harriet Parkin was caught by Liv Gough, from Hannah Hardwick ; *Mis-timing a ‘pull,’ Pagan Hardwick was caught at ‘deep-square’ by Poppy Davies, from Gwen Davies’ full-toss; Falcons women batting: Megan Pittman50(66), Harriet Parkin35(52), Pagan Hardwick27(17), Ellie Nightingale24(31), Millie Gray14(46), Natasha‘Tash’Allen12(19); Rapids women bowling: Jess Beach 4/23, Flora Bertwistle 2/35, Hannah Hardwick 2/41, Emily Churms 1/55, Gwen Davies 1/0;
Match result: Worcestershire Rapids women 380/6 (7.6 runs-per-over from 50/50overs) beat Derbyshire Falcons 210 ‘All out’ (@ 4.5 r-p-o from 46.1/50overs; target 381 from 50/50ov,) by 170 runs with 23 balls remaining
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#ma6397bda-791c-4e71-958e-145ac1a5c1a9 & also Worcestershire CCC @url: https://wccc.co.uk/matches/worcestershire-women-vs-derbyshire-women-wolverhampton-cc-17-august-2025-3/?tab=m_scorecard *BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225610 & SKY Sports@url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/worcestershire-rapids-women-v-derbyshire-falcons-women/scorecard/a496c23b-6b14-5c47-9f67-847fc0a6f7a7 *Upcoming League one fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/05/22/metro-bank-league-one-fixtures-and-results-up-to-may-2025/ *Upcoming League two fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/05/25/metro-bank-league-two-fixtures-and-results-up-to-may-2025/
