Today (04/06/16) we welcomed touring side South Wiltshire U13 to our part of the world on the banks of the River Thames. Playing on the Ditton Field the girls were just a river’s width away from Henry VIII’s Palace at Hampton Court. South Wiltshire ran out winners in the end with a mature and well measured run chase, reaching their target of 74 in the 16th over of their innings.

South Wilts CC won the toss and put Bushy Park Girls in to bat. Captain Molly Bartlett and Vice-captain Paige Goodwin opened the batting for BPG  but soon lost the latter to a run out in the 2nd over. Bartlett is a tenacious and accumulative batswoman who was determined to build a platform for her team. Emma Sloan was unlucky to be bowled by a looping delivery before both Edie Proud and Kate Middleton put up a dogged resistance in the middle order . Some urgency was injected into the denouement by Jessamy Low and Simrat Khaira with Low top scoring for BPG with 13 runs. Some good shots from the Bushy Park Girls were caught in the dewy outfield and this was reflected in the final total of 73 for 5 in 20 overs.

South Wiltshire U13 batted well against some accurate BPG bowling and it wasn’t until the midway point before their momentum took them away from the home side. Everyone bowled at least one over with Antonia Adams (1 over/5 runs) making a solid debut for the team. Low (3 overs/6 runs) and Goodwin applied the pressure in the first 5 overs which resulted in a run out from the golden arm of Evie Davies in the field. BPG President Natalie Raja was also impressed with the fielding from Emma Bridge, who swooped around the boundary like a hawk. Sloan (1 over/3 runs) is a player who has been working hard in the winter nets and we expect to see a little more from her in the coming months but it was Khaira who took the solitary wicket and the plaudits, clean bowling their opener for a steady 10 runs.

Congratulations to South Wiltshire on a good win and a safe journey home to Salisbury. Thank you to umpires Ben Bartlett and David Proud, and to all the supporters and parents who gave up their time to attend the match.