Ashford beat Purley Redoubtables by 10 wickets

Women’s Cricket Southern League, Wostrack Division, 2nd August 2015 Purley Redoubtables 79 Ashford 81 – 0

Ashford beat Purley Redoubtables by 10 wickets
Women’s Cricket Southern League, Wostrack Division, 2nd August 2015

Purley Redoubtables 79 (Sue Hobkinson 16*, Hannah Merchant 5-2-10-3)
Ashford 81 – 0 (Rhianna Southby 51*, Anna Spencer 4-1-12-0)

Ashford got back to winning ways with a comprehensive ten wicket win, which saw their performance back to the high standards set earlier in the season, with both bat and ball. Huge credit must be given to Purley for going ahead with the game, despite having only eight players, a great example for this year’s ECB campaign to “Get the Game On”.

Purley chose to bat first, and got off to a positive start, both openers finding the boundary early on, but Ashford have learned to be patient in these situations and just keep to their game plan. Katie Brown was asked to open the bowling, and soon made an impression, taking the first two wickets with only 24 on the board. Hannah Merchant then came on at the other end, and bowled an exceptional spell, striking three times in just five overs. None of the Purley bats had been able to get settled at the crease, but Sue Hobkinson steadied things, and another 34 runs were added before the next wicket fell, Jenny Tippell finding success in her second spell. Ashford backed up their bowlers in the field, Katie Butler and Angharad Purser taking good catches, and the whole side willing to chase down every ball. Tippell made short work of the tail, and Ashford would need 80 runs to secure victory.

Rhianna Southby was promoted to open the Ashford batting to try to boost their run rate, and when the second delivery disappeared to the boundary her intentions were clear. Hitting the ball cleanly and with confidence right from the start, the runs were soon flowing. Her Skipper Becky Halls was happy to play the supporting role from the other end, giving Southby licence to go on the attack, and when the Ashford 50 came up in the twelfth over she was already on 32. Purley tried hard, but with so many gaps in the field they were just not able to contain Ashford. Fittingly it was Southby who hit the winning runs, her tenth boundary also bringing up her third fifty of the season, off only 43 deliveries.

With three matches to go, Ashford are still challenging at the top of the league. If they can maintain the form they showed today, they must surely have a good chance of success.