The top two teams in the MCA South U12 Boys League finished their season with an all out Battle Royale at Teddington CC last night (09/07/2018). Richmond had already won the league but Bushy Park Girls weren’t going to be snuffed out without a few fireworks of their own. As another day of high temperatures ebbed away the heat burned strongly in the batting blades of both teams. It was Richmond who ran out worthy winners, largely due to a brilliant century from their No.5 batsmen.
Bushy Park Girls won the toss and chose to field. Jess Low (3overs/2wickets/24runs) and Paige Goodwin (2o/1maiden/16r) opened the bowling knowing that Richmond have been the only team to beat them this year. Both had exceptional second overs, Low striking first, dispatching Richmond’s No.1 and No.3 batsmen in the space of 3 balls. Goodwin (P) cast aside her nerves and bowled a beautiful maiden to back up her partner. Simrat Khaira (2o/8r), Eve Abbott (4o/1m/2w/32r) and Molly Bartlett (2o/10r) kept the pressure on. Khaira is one of the emerging players this season, no U15 cricketer has bowled more overs than her. It was wonderful to see Eve Abbott back in bowling action after a difficult season with injury. She started with a fast and straight maiden over. In Abbott’s second over Imogen Higgins displayed her fielding prowess. A lightning throw from the boundary hitting the wicket with a direct hit. By the end of the 9th over Richmond were 69 for 3.
Richmond came out fighting like the league champions they are. Bushy Park Girls fought hard in the remaining overs but there was little they could do to contain Richmond’s Thomas Tabor at No.5. He hit six Sixes and twelves Fours in his innings of 106*. The girls had never come up against a batsmen of his calibre or confidence before yet they kept plugging away. Edie Proud (1o/24r), Imogen Higgins (2o/23r), Emily Bryce (2o/24r) and Erin Goodwin (2o/25r) all threw themselves into the breach, and they can all hold their heads high. Abbott came on for a second spell, momentarily halting the progress of Richmond by bowling two batters in her third over. Yet nothing could halt the Richmond juggernaut and they reached 203 for 5 in 20 overs. As always a special mention to wicketkeeper D’Cunha who kept brilliantly with a cool head under intense pressure.
With such a daunting target to reach Bushy Park Girls would have to attack every ball as they opened their innings. There was no point in bowing out on a whimper, it’s just not the girls’ style. Captain Molly Bartlett opened the batting with Paige Goodwin, and they took the fight to Richmond. Bartlett sweetly carved the first ball to the boundary but the do or die attitude took its toll in the second over. Bartlett was first to go followed by an attacking Goodwin (P). Edie Proud and Jess Low came together and quickly fought back against their opponents. Low’s innings was bristling with aggression and strength. She dispatched two enormous sixes that rocketed into the dying light of the evening sky. Boundaries were coming thick and fast as she put Richmond to the sword. Eventually Low’s innings of 32 runs from 15 balls ended as she picked out the fielder at Square Leg.
Kerrie-Ann D’Cunha and Amy Coppin took up the baton from Proud and Low. Both striking the ball hard and fast to the boundary. D’Cunha hit a sparkling 15 in just two overs at the crease. Simrat Khaira pushed for those extra runs to keep up with the scoring rate but fell valiantly in the 10th over. Bushy Park Girls had to dig in now, and the rearguard action of Imogen Higgins (16) and Erin Goodwin (24) brought some stability. Together they pushed the BPG total beyond the 100 mark, both played well against an accurate and hungry Richmond attack. All the girls were unselfish in their approach, playing for the team and keeping in good cheer as their target stretched out of reach. The handy Emily Bryce came in at the end to flash a quickfire 6* and together with Eve Abbott they reached 126 all out (19.5 overs).
Both Richmond and Bushy Park Girls served up champagne cricket for their supporters. BPG’s total was some distance below their visitors but was still the highest total scored against Richmond in the league this season. Richmond finished top of the league on 70 points, with Bushy Park Girls on 53 points (4 wins, 2 lost, 1 tie).
Congratulations to Richmond and batsmen Thomas Tabor on a fabulous win and the MCA South U12 Division 2 title.
Thank you to Ted and Alok for umpiring, for Ian and Alban for scoring. As always thanks to Dawn for managing the girls and to all the parents for supporting. The girls have been a real credit to the club and to the MCA South league, playing the game in a good spirit and with some fantastic cricket for us to savour.
It was a battered and bruised BPG that faced Hampton Hill CC last night (27/06/2018) in the scorching summer sun. After a few last-minute replacements, the girls took to the field a player short and with two players injured but determined.
After not being able to bowl due to an ankle sprain, Jess Low was provided with a runner (thanks to Ruby Oakley) and stepped up to open the batting with Paige. The girls began as they meant to go on, with boundary after boundary interspersed with a single here and there. Both Jess and Paige’s run rates were high, scoring 18 in the first over alone. Paige was bowled in the 5th over, but not before she had reached 23 in a sparkling display. Jess and her runner hung in for a few more balls, but were then run out in the 6th over, with Jess on 25.
As Bushy Park Girls entered the second half of their MCA South Boy’s League campaign they had already amassed one win, one loss, one abandonment and one tie. Last night (12/06/2018) they faced a Chiswick & Whitton Boys side who were depleted in number but strong in spirit. Bushy Park Girls won with a dominant team performance, capturing a togetherness that will sustain them in the weeks and months to come.
Molly Bartlett is in somewhat of a purple patch, and her recent maiden 50 has propelled her to the top of the Bushy Park Girls’ rankings, once again she was imperious. Carrying her bat through the BPG innings and finishing just four shy of another half-century. She opened alongside a new partner Iris Saunders who wasn’t going to play second fiddle to Bartlett’s classy strokes. Saunders hit a belligerent 17 before being bowled in the 6th over. This sparked a collapse in the BPG ranks. Credit should go to Chiswick & Whitton’s young firecracker Ellis Madle, whose first ball accounted for Saunders. His second saw off Edie Proud and third Paige Goodwin. An excellent hat-trick, all clean bowled.
Bushy Park Girls CC took the early spoils last month against Ealing CC but it was the turn of the West London outfit to flex theirs muscles in this U15 MCA Girls League encounter. On a balmy sunny evening at Teddington CC (18/05/2018) BPG came up against a powerful Ealing side that included their county and U15 stars. Although Bushy Park Girls fought hard it was the Ealing empire that came away worthy winners.
Once again there will be top class county cricket for supporters to enjoy this May in Bushy Park. In recent years Middlesex Women have hosted Somerset CC (2016) and Warwickshire CC (2017) in the Royal London Women’s One-Day Cup. This year they will be playing the feisty white roses from Yorkshire in the leafy surroundings of Teddington CC (Bushy Park) on Bank Holiday Monday 7th May.
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.
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.
Captain Ella lost the toss and was asked to bat. Molly and Kerri-Ann opened the innings and got their side off to a solid start against the tight bowling of Phoebe and Iris. The latter two combining to take a wicket (Caught Phoebe Bowled Iris) to leave the Wonders on 22 (net 17) after the first pair completed their 4 overs.
After a night of General Election ups and downs it was Bushy Park Girls who ended yesterday (09/06/2017) as the obvious strong and stable team to lead us into the coming months. Playing at home (Teddington CC) they entertained Ealing CC in a top of the table clash that saw Bushy Park Girls come out as comfortable winners in an enjoyable match.
Thank you to Ealing for a very enjoyable match in the Bushy Park sunshine. Thanks to Alban and Bruce for umpiring, and to Jim and Cormac for scoring. The next match in the Girls League will be a month away against Richmond (AWAY) on the 7th July 2017.
The opening match of the summer season against Wembley CC saw the Under 13 Bushy Park Girls’ secure a good win yesterday (30/04/2017). The start of a new season gives us the opportunity to see how our players have developed over the winter and it seems they have grown in stature and confidence in that time. Players like Ruby Wilkinson, Simrat Khaira, Kate Middleton, Evie Davies, Emily Bryce and Edie Proud are now the leading lights of the under 13 squad. It was also a chance to see two new players Lizzie Eakins, who has come up from the under 11s and Kerrie-Ann Dcunha (Captain/Wicketkeeper) who is new to the club.
Bushy Park Girls summer training started in the wind, rain and chill of Teddington Cricket Club last night. Thank you to more than 20 girls who braved the elements for a fantastic opening session. Under 13s start at 5pm and finish at 7pm, while the Under 15s train from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, but be aware during these early weeks training will finish earlier at sunset.
The evening started with 30 minutes of fitness and agility work to brush away the Easter cobwebs under the supervision of Support Coaches Lauren Avery and Bronnie Polley. Head Coach Dave Waldron then worked with the larger group of 15 girls on batting and bowling while Nick Attenborough took 6 girls aside to work on more technical aspects in the nets.
Bushy Park Girls Cricket Club 