A composed chase led Ipswich School to victory with 12 balls to spare at Arundel Castle in the final of the U17 Girls T20 National Cup
Ipswich School clinched a comfortable 8-wicket victory over Forest School in an exciting climax to the U17 Girls T20 National Cup at Arundel Castle on June 29.
The competition is organised by Eclipse Cricket Consultancy and sponsored by Smile Group Travel. Paul Davidge, director of Eclipse said: "Smile Group Travel have consistently shown their unwavering support for girls' and women's cricket, and this event was no exception."
Having won the toss, Ipswich School elected to field first and managed to restrict Forest School to a total of 129 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Forest School's opening batters, AM Surenkumar and H Howson, provided a solid start, both contributing valuable runs. The former scored an impressive 46 runs off 42 balls, including six boundaries, while Howson matched her with 46 runs off 41 deliveries, featuring five fours.
However, their partnership was broken when Ishani Soni dismissed Surenkumar – the first wicket of a sensational hat-trick that ripped the heart out of the batting side.
From there, Forest School struggled to rebuild momentum, with wickets falling at regular intervals. A Luscombe remained unbeaten on 17 runs off 17 balls, helping her team reach a total of 129 runs.
Ipswich School's bowlers put up an excellent display, led by the superb Soni, who ended with three wickets for 20 runs in her four overs. Evie Booker also made an impact, taking one wicket for 27 runs. Despite a few wides conceded, the Ipswich bowlers managed to keep the scoring rate in check and restricted Forest School's batting lineup.
In response, Ipswich School displayed a dominant batting performance, chasing down the target with 12 balls to spare.
Forest School's bowlers tried their best – and started perfectly by removing Petra Tweedy with the first ball of the innings – but struggled to contain the impressive Ipswich batters.
Eliza Goodwyn kickstarted the chase with 24 runs off 21 balls before Bella Johnson and Evie Booker did the rest. Johnson scored 43 runs off 43 deliveries, with Booker scoring an impressive half-century, smashing 54 runs off 43 balls. In an undefeated partnership worth 93, the pair showed great composure and skill in the chase, securing the victory comfortably.
It was a commendable performance by Ipswich School, both with the ball and the bat, with captain Bella Johnson lifting the trophy.
"The support from Smile Group Travel has been instrumental in encouraging the development of girls' and women's cricket," said Paul Davidge. "This initiative by Smile Group Travel not only provides touring opportunities but also contributes to better preparation during the pre-season.
"Their commitment to promoting and nurturing women's cricket is commendable, and it has undoubtedly had a positive impact on events like the U17 Girls T20 National Cup."
The U17 Girls T20 National Cup was sponsored by Smile Group Travel - specialists in women and girls cricket. For more information visit: www.smilegrouptravel.com
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