Report: South Central Counties Cup, Round One

The South Central Counties cup began its second year on Thursday 1^st June as Oxfordshire played Dorset at Kingston Bagpuize CC, and Sussex hosted Berkshire at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy.

On Friday 2^nd June, Buckinghamshire hosted Hampshire at Uxbridge CC.

Sussex v Berkshire

At the BACA ground, visitors Berkshire batted first and made the most of the conditions as the sun beat down across the south coast.

Former Viper Ariana Dowse scored an unbeaten run-a-ball 118 which included 11 fours, and Holly Rider and Ava Lee both made half-centuries.

Vipers Academy spinner Millie Taylor was the pick of the Sussex bowlers with 3-67 from her ten overs, with Hope Mullins taking the only other wicket to fall as Berkshire concluded their fifty overs on a mammoth 322-4.

The home side started slowly in reply, as Ava Lee and Kali-Ann Docherty decimated their top order with the former picking up 4-14 from seven overs.

Poppy Tulloch was also in the wickets for Berkshire, taking 3-4 in just 19 deliveries, as Daisy Gibb top scored for the prawns of Sussex with 21.

Having finished third in 2022, Berkshire have made a strong start to this year’s campaign, as they ended up winning by 199 runs.

Oxfordshire v Dorset

At Kingston Bagpuize, now with their shiny new pavilion, the hosts Oxfordshire batted first but didn’t quite have the same luck as their neighbours Berkshire.

Tidy bowling from the Dorset attack restricted Oxfordshire to 141 all out in 42 overs, with captain Abi Currie top scoring with 28.

The wickets were shared amongst the visitors, with Lauren Dean (2-17), Caitlin Chissell (2-31), and Megan Bishop (2-42) all picking up a couple each.

In reply, Dorset lost an early wicket as Honor Murray ran opener Leah Cutler out for just four, but from thereon in, it was plain sailing for the visitors.

Skipper Victoria Pack scored seven boundaries on her way to 44 before she was caught by Vipers Academy’s Abi Norgrove off the bowling of Charlbury CC’s Chloe Westbury, and fellow Academy teammate Caitlin Chissell was on her way to a half-century, only for Dorset to run out of runs to chase, as she finished on 47* with the visitors getting over the line by eight wickets with 20.3 overs to spare.

Buckinghamshire v Hampshire

On a beautifully sunny day at Uxbridge, Buckinghamshire batted first against a strong Hampshire side containing four Southern Vipers and Vipers Academy players, and the visitors had the exactly the start they wanted, as Sophie Mitchelmore pinned Isabella James lbw first ball.

Vipers wicket-keeper Chloe Hill was then rapped on the pads by Clover Crosse, and the home side found themselves on 14-2.

Abbie Whybrow and Cara Duggan began to rebuild with a partnership of 39 before the former was caught behind off the bowling of Caitie Croft for 15, and Duggan went soon after for 23.

Rosie Lloyd and Amber Drewe set about steading the ship for Bucks, with the latter making 45 before she was bowled by spinner Eve O’Neill.

Then, it was the turn of Hampshire captain Charlotte Taylor to join the party, as she took the final three wickets to claim figures of 3-25 off her ten overs, as Buckinghamshire were bowled out for 186 with an over to spare.

Bucks would’ve felt well and truly in the game when Mia Clark was run out by Maisie Taylor for a single in the fifth over, but from that point, it was all about the Hampshire batters.

Opener Ashneet Chahal and the experienced Dani Ransley put on 164 for the second wicket, bringing up the 150 partnership at quicker than a run-a-ball.

Ransley secured her fifty off just 47 balls in the 20^th over, hitting nine fours along the way, whilst Chahal kept the scoreboard ticking over as she finished on 47*.

The Hampshire number three eventually went for 83, bowled by Natasha MacBean, who quickly picked up the wicket of Charlotte Taylor for four, but Hampshire needed just five runs to seal the deal.

Just six balls after Taylor’s dismissal, the Rose and Crown had won with seven wickets in hand and 17.4 overs to spare.

The South Central Counties Cup continues on Wednesday 26th July with the following matches:

• Berkshire v Oxfordshire – Falkland CC, Newbury
• Dorset v Buckinghamshire – Kilmington & Stourton CC
• Hampshire v Sussex – Lord Wandsworth College

For the full list of South Central Counties Cup fixtures, please follow the link below.