Ashford lost to Ansty by 152 runs

Women’s Cricket Southern League, Wostrack Division, 12th July 2015

Ansty 233-8 (Megan Janman 81, Abigail Freeborn 80*, Jenny Tippell 8-4-25-3)
Ashford 81 (Rhianna Southby 24, Megan Janman 5-2-11-3)

League leaders Ansty were the visitors to Short Lane on Sunday, and they won a comprehensive victory over second placed Ashford. The scoreline would suggest a one sided contest, but that was far from the case for the most part. With clouds threatening, Ashford Skipper Becky Halls asked Ansty to bat first, and they found Jenny Tippell’s opening spell almost unplayable. Time and again she beat the bat, and was rewarded by hitting the stumps twice in her first four overs, without conceding a run. Her partner at the other end, Hannah Merchant, was bowling just as accurately, and was unlucky when an edge from Megan Janman flew to the slips but couldn’t be held, something Ashford would come to rue later in the game. With a lightning fast outfield, high scoring was expected, and when Ansty reached the ten over mark on 23-2, Ashford felt they were on top of things. The Ansty bats, however, knew the value of patience, and began to increase their run rate, getting up to 85 by the 20 over drinks break. Ashford’s bowlers did very little wrong, but Ansty showed the quality of their middle order batting, all of them hitting the ball cleanly, and able to manoeuvre it through the gaps, no matter where Halls positioned her field. Ashford fielded valiantly, chasing everything down, but they couldn’t stop Ansty’s acceleration. Janman, dropped at the start of her innings, went on to get 81 before Merchant was finally rewarded with her wicket, and Abigail Freeborn batted beautifully with the lower order, finishing unbeaten on 81. The innings was not without its highlights for Ashford. A quite brilliant pick up and throw by Jenny Tippell at square leg was finished off by ‘keeper Rhianna Southby, who had to take the ball then dive to hit the stumps to complete a run out. Southby was in the action again to give Yolandi Maynier the second of her three wickets, stretching wide to her right to take the ball, then spinning round to whip off the bails for a stumping.

A daunting task, but with the fast outfield, and this season’s form with the bat, Ashford still felt they were in with a chance. They made a brisk start, Rhianna Southby again opening the batting with intent, and she and Becky Halls looked untroubled , taking the score to 32 after nine overs. Quite possibly the critical moment of the game came in the next over. Halls, with four fifties under her belt already this season, struck a powerful shot right out of the middle of the bat, only to see Ellen Burt dive to take an outstanding low catch. Southby was also caught, in the very next over, and from there it was an uphill task for the home side. Four more wickets fell as the middle order tried to keep in touch with the ever increasing required run rate, leaving Ashford at 53-6, and Ansty must have been hoping for victory before drinks. With runs no longer a priority, the Ashford tail managed to hold out until the 29th over, Nicky Sawyer getting her first league run for the club.

A well deserved win for Ansty, who will extend their lead at the top of the table. Ashford must now regroup, and rediscover the form with the bat which has put them in the position to challenge this season. A development league game next Sunday will give them the chance to work on a few things before they host Ickenham on 26th July.