Lancaster secured a fine 80 run win over York at Roses to maintain their winning run against the White Rose and gain valuable points to the overall total.
With good weather, but a rather soft wicket to play on, York won the toss and put Lancaster in to bat first. Taking to the field, Harriet Stone and Emma Fletcher set out to give a solid start against York’s opening bowlers. Having entered the BUCS league for the first time this year since 2002, this was only their second ever game as a team, previously playing York at a Roses friendly game last year and happily annihilating them in the process. This being said the team did not seem complacent. New year, new team.
The batters started well, putting on an average of six an over off the first few, using some clever running and manipulation of the field. After a strong partnership, Fletcher was caught and bowled by a York spinner for 10 runs, bringing captain and last year’s Roses superhero Ellie Bourne to the crease, hoping to match her previous year’s performance of 89. The new partnership started comfortably, but a well-placed York field caused frustration on the part of the batters and six overs later a safe catch form the York mid-off saw Bourne out for 20 runs. Lancaster’s number four Alice Gibbs joined Stone in the middle and together they brought the score past 100 for the team, making use of the short leg-side boundary with some superb sweep shots for four. The pair had a great partnership, both not-out with Gibbs making 18 and Stone putting on 67, bringing the score to 173 for 2 after the innings of 30 overs.
In the second innings Lancaster were confident with their score. Opening bowlers Katy Davies and Ellie Bourne started well with three overs each, keeping the York batters well below the needed run rate of almost six an over. Davies took the first two of four total wickets, including a high catch taken by Rosie Dymond. Second change bowlers were Emma Fletcher and Alice Gibbs, also bowling very well and aided by some spectacular boundary fielding from Dymond, saving run after run almost single-handedly. Five more bowlers were used by Lancaster as the score was being kept far from the target needed, still being well under 100 with 10 overs to go. More wickets came from a good spell of bowling, plus a brilliant catch behind from wicket keeper Louise Balloch, sending yet more York batters back to the clubhouse. York finished their overs with a score of 93 for 7, meaning that Lancaster won comfortably by 80 runs, gaining a total of four points for Lancaster and keeping up the tradition of beating York at women’s cricket since 1984.
