With just two games left of the Boys League season for Bushy Park Girls CC every match increases with anticipation and importance. Hampton Hill and BPG rest near the top of the MCA West U12 Division 3 table and the match last Thursday (29/06/2017) was a contest that both were desperate to win. As dusk descended on Bushy Park it was Hampton Hill who won the match due to a superb display of bowling and fielding that squeezed the life out of a plucky BPG side.

Hampton Hill won the toss and chose to field, and by Jove they executed their game plan with purpose and precision. Bowlers kept to a tight line, swinging the ball and leaving the BPG batswomen with many a ‘play and miss’. There were still some gallant and hard fought performances from the Bushy Park Girls. Emma Sloan and Paige Goodwin opened the batting and look largely untroubled, accumulating 19 runs in 7 overs before Sloan was bowled for 14, a season’s high score. Goodwin followed in the 9th over with a dogged 5, all scored in singles. The powerhouse of the BPG innings was Abigail Avery (23*) who alongside Captain Ella Waldron (11) pushed the score to 42 in the 12th over before Waldron fell to a smart caught and bowled.

Jess Low smacked a quick-fire 8 and after she was out taking one too many risks the Hampton Hill bowlers crashed into the BPG middle order with Molly Bartlett and Evie Davies succumbing to some fine direct bowling. Both Georgia Dobson (4) and Isabel Jenner (2) sacrificed their wickets to run outs trying to reach a challenging team total. Leaving Eve Abbott (1*) and the ever reliable Abigail Avery to edge the final score to 81 for 8 in their 20 overs. You have to applaud Hampton Hill for their performance in the field, it was the finest bowling display that Bushy Park Girls has seen all season.

Like their opponents Bushy Park Girls bowled well in reply but the swinging ball was proving difficult to control. It was a challenging time for wicketkeeper Molly Bartlett who adapted well as the HHCC innings progressed. Early skirmishes and chances didn’t go BPG’s way yet they gallantly plugged away. Jess Low (3-0-6-0) was as miserly as ever, and Ella Waldron was full of fire (3-0-16-1) taking the first Hampton Hill wicket in the 6th over of the match at the end of an aggressive spell. Abigail Avery (2-0-14-0) and Erin Goodwin (2-0-6-1) were first change bowlers with the Pocket Rocket once again bagging a wicket, her 17th of the season.

As Hampton Hill reached their 50 in the 11th over they seemed to be cruising but Bushy Park Girls fought back with wickets from their next four bowlers, showing the strength and depth in the side. This all-round increase in skill and competitiveness is largely due to the tireless work that Head Coach Dave Waldron (and Nick Attenborough) put in to training on Monday nights. Eve Abbott (2-0-16-1) was the first bowler to strike from this quartet, followed by a good catch from Erin Goodwin off the bowling of Evie Davies (1-0-9-1). It wasn’t long before Goodwin (E) was at it again, taking a catch from a Emma Sloan (2-0-8-1) delivery and finally Isabel Jenner (1-0-1-1) came to the party with a scudding over that bamboozled the Hampton Hill batsman and gained her a handy LBW. Unfortunately it was all in vain as Hampton Hill reached their target of 82 at the end of the 16th over.

Congratulations to Hampton Hill and good luck in your remaining fixture against Teddington Town next Friday. Thank you to Dave and Mark for umpiring, and Rob, Gavin, Sam, Ellie and Alban for scoring. Well done to all the girls, whatever happens in your last fixture against Ashford on Monday you have already exceeded all expectations in the Boys League.

Full BPG Stats HERE