Middlesex Women beat Somerset Women by 1 wicket in a thrilling Division 1 contest at Teddington Cricket Club on Sunday. After Middlesex won the toss and elected to field Somerset found batting hard work during a chilly first hour. Both Holly Huddlestone and Ria Raval took early wickets and reduced Somerset to 47 for 5 before Izzy Imlach scored a fighting 40 runs for the visitors. Somerset were eventually bowled out for 145 with Millie Pope’s penetrating spell yielding her an impressive 4 wickets for 29 runs.

With 50 overs with which to chase their target Middlesex’s response was measured and calm, captain Izzy Westbury opened the innings and top scored with 43 despite a hostile early spell from the England fast bowler Anya Shrubsole. The ECB Women’s Cricketer of the Year showed her calibre by firing out Middlesex’s low order later in the day and triggering a batting collapse that brought the game right down to the wire. It was a nervous end to an exciting contest for the crowd which included local MP Tania Mathias and players from our very own cricket club Bushy Park Girls. With just one wicket remaining it was left to the experience of Beth Morgan, who won the Ashes with England in 2008 and the 2009 World Cup, to secure the victory with a boundary. It was not just the result that impressed Morgan but playing in the heart of Bushy Park, “This is the perfect setting for cricket!” she said after Middlesex triumphantly left the field.

The Organising Committee (Natalie, Andrea and Jo) would like to offer a huge thank you to everyone that helped at the Middlesex v Somerset game on Sunday. Whether you baked a cake, built a marquee, served tea and coffee, slaved over a hot BBQ, sold raffle tickets, bought raffle tickets, dismantled a marquee, acted as a car park attendant, sold sweets in the tuck shop, made up the guard of honour.  We had some truly amazing feedback from the Middlesex and Somerset players and their families, with Anya Shrubsole and Izzy Westbury, the Somerset and Middlesex captains respectively taking to twitter after the game to show their appreciation.