Under-15 Girls finish season as County Championship runners up

Sussex Under-15 Girls have finished the season as ECB National County Championship runners-up after a 104-run defeat to Yorkshire in the final at Grantham CC on Wednesday.

Sussex Cricket’s Women & Girls Development Officer, Charlotte Burton reports on the match…

On what started as an overcast day up in Grantham, Sussex won the toss and elected to field first.

Sussex started well with Buckle taking the first wicket with her second over, bowling opener, Watson for two. Sussex were not giving too much away in the first few overs and it was Eagle who exploited the pressure by claiming the second wicket with Fox caught by captain McCaughan for 12.

It wasn’t long before Kemp cleaned bowled Goldthorpe for two, leaving Yorkshire 49/3 off 12.

Yorkshire then started to get on top of the bowlers with the bonus of a few wides, a couple of misfields. Their hundred came up in the 22nd over.

It was leg spin bowler, Spooner, who made the breakthrough, removing Hall for 37, and off spinner Dow followed that up with a wicket in her first over with a catch by Spooner at mid-off to remove Diggles for 17 and Yorkshire were 136/5.

Yorkshire began to build another partnership but it was leg spinner McCaughan who took the sixth wicket in the 32nd over to remove Hay for seven.

With four overs remaining Yorkshire were 185/6 until an great bit of fielding from Sweet on the boundary removed the key wicket of Baines who scored a good 63. Another run out from Young removed Stokoe for 4, followed by an outstanding catch from Sweet at mid-on off the bowling to remove Lindley for 4 in the last over, meaning Sussex restricted Yorkshire to 211/9 off their 40 overs.

McCaughan finished on 2/30;  Buckle 1/13; Dow 1/15; Kemp 1/24; Eagle 1/28.

Sussex’s reply started solidly despite some good bowling from Yorkshire, however McCaughan was trapped LBW for eight in the sixth over and Sussex were 21/1. Mendis and Sweet started to build a small partnership with Mendis playing some lovely cover drives before she was caught at point for 15.

Spooner followed soon after getting caught at mid-on for nought, as did Young who played on to the spinner and Sussex were 39/4. Sweet and Angel began to strike the ball hard but with some tight bowling and some good fielding from Yorkshire the ball was hard to get away.

Angel got caught for 10 at square leg and Kemp followed soon after bowled for one. At the halfway point Sussex were 66/6 and needed a big innings from someone. Sweet got bowled trying to come down the wicket soon after drinks and again another wicket tumbled soon after; Eagle out lbw for one.

Anderson and Buckle put on a decent tenth wicket partnership and got us over the hundred mark, but it wasn’t meant to be and we were bowled out for 104 after Anderson was caught at cover for 20.

Sussex head coach, Ian Cox said: “Despite not winning the final the girls have done Sussex proud, to win their league, reach finals day is an achievement in itself. Sussex have come second in the country!

“All 15 players have played a major role in this season and it has been great to see each of them develop and step up to the mark when needed.

“The girls will take a lot from this season and I am sure they will look to do one better next year. It has been a brilliant season and there is a lot to celebrate, the girls have worked hard all year and it has shown on the pitch and I have enjoyed working with each and every one of them. Well done girls on a great season!”