Wales Women Seeking T20 Promotion

21st July 2016 | Mallory Gray

Wales’ Senior Women recorded yet another impressive victory over the weekend in the penultimate round of the National Twenty20 competition.

Having beaten Essex and lost to current leaders Somerset in Bath two weeks ago, the girls needed a victory over Worcestershire (their only game of the weekend) in order to keep their promotion hopes alive.

On a cloudy but humid day in Aberdare, captain Claire Thomas won the toss and elected to bat first. Openers Lauren Parfitt and Gabby Basketter provided yet another solid start, but Thomas provided a real captain’s innings of 41 not out on a slow, low wicket and large boundaries in order to boost the innings.

After their 20 overs, the women posted 106-5, and due to the conditions, the team maintained full confidence in their bowling attack.            

It was an ideal start as both openers were removed within the first two overs, with Ffion Wynne (2-4) and Anwen Morgan (1-6) claiming a wicket each to leave the visitors in immediate trouble at 2-2. Worcestershire’s batting line-up simply had no answers for the accuracy and discipline of Wales’ bowling and fielding, as Rebecca Struthers picked up 3 middle-order wickets and Thomas added figures of 2-5 to her impressive batting.

Only one of Worcestershire’s batsmen managed to reach double figures, a true reflection of Wales’ ruthless performance, as extras was the second highest scorer with 7! Wynne claimed the final wicket with the run out of Waters, meaning the visitors managed a miserly 38 all out.            

As the girls travel to Southampton this weekend, victories over both Hampshire and Staffs would put them in perfect position for a promotion to Division 1 for the T20 rounds next year. It would be a fantastic achievement and a real challenge for the girls to play amongst the highest standard of women’s cricket in the country.