Hursley Park win inaugural Kia Summer Smash after beating Sessay in thrilling final

Emily Windsor was the star performer as The Kia Oval was illuminated by a fine showcase of women's on a warm September afternoon

windsor200901-min

The Kia Oval: Sessay 82-6, Hursley Park 83-4 - Hursley Park won by six wickets

Emily Windsor’s class told as she carried Hursley Park to the inaugural Kia Summer Smash title on a glorious autumnal day at the Kia Oval.

Windsor, the Hampshire and Young Vipers batsman, was the standout performer of the day with 39 in the semi-final win over Plympton and 42 not out to almost single-handedly overcome Sessay in the final run-chase, to sneak home by six wickets with two balls to spare.

It meant that Sessay’s Emeralds were denied the chance to join their men in lifting a national club competition: the club near Thirsk are also two-time winners of the National Village Cup, which is also run by The Cricketer Magazine.

The day marked the crescendo of the first year of the Kia Summer Smash – a groundbreaking T10 women’s club tournament run by The Cricketer which involved festivals held across four regions during the summer. The prize for winning the regional festival was the chance to compete against three other strong teams at the Kia Oval.

VISIT THE KIA SUMMER SMASH WEBSITE

Sessay were up against after being reduced to 11 for 2 in the third over. But Abi Glen (34) and Adrianna Darlow (24) launched a recovery with a partnership of 57.

Sessay finished up on a competitive 82 for 6, with Hursley Park’s Charlotte Taylor starring with 2-12 with the ball.

Glen made that total look imposing when she yorked Abby Evans with the third ball of the Hursley Park reply and then Sophie Mitchelmore with the sixth. That left the Southampton side 2 for 2 and with a mountain to climb.

But the contest was not over so long as skipper Windsor was at the crease.

She and Charlotte Taylor joined forces and left Hursley Park, the Southern Festival champions, a fighting chance with a recuperative 52-run stand for the third wicket.

watson200901-min

Sessay has earlier strolled into the final

Daisy Stokoe was struck for six by Windsor, but held her nerve to have Taylor caught at square leg, leaving 29 needed off the last three overs. It looked like bragging rights might go to Yorkshire.

It was all on Windsor, and she showed ingenuity and power with some deft touches behind square and a glorious off-drive as the shadows lengthened.

Earlier, Windsor’s authoritative unbeaten 39 led her side to victory over the Western champions Plympton in the first semi-final.

It was Plympton’s task to be the first side to judge a good total on a fast Oval outfield and short straight boundaries. The bedrock of their innings was a second-wicket partnership of 60 between Imogen Beasley (29) and Emily Edgcombe (38 not out).

 

Edgcombe was strong through the off side and Beasley targeted the long-on boundary as she struck two sixes off an Evans over.

Plympton ended up on 83 for 2 from their 10 overs.

Evans was soon exacting her revenge against the Plympton bowlers with some crisp ball-striking as she and Windsor sprinted along at 10 an over.

The drop of Evans, on 28, at cow corner just when Hursley Park had reached 50 proved pivotal.

Windsor innovated nicely with dabs behind square as they put on an opening partnership of 69 in 7.1 overs, ended when Evans holed out at long-on for 30.

Windsor finished the job with three balls to spare.

oval200901-min

A sun-kissed Kia Oval played host to the finale of the competition

Berkswell, the Midlands champions, were put to the sword by Sessay from the North in the second semi-final.

Sessay racked up 99 for 1 in their 10 overs. Jess Watson, the former England Under-19 women’s captain, did the bulk of the damage in a first-wicket partnership of 93 before Darlow was run out for 17. Watson finished on a highly impressive 61 not out as Sessay ensured Berkswell needed to score at 10 an over.

They were unable to do that as Sessay kept the scoring rate under control, though Bethan Ellis did hold the innings together with an unbeaten 39. Sessay ran out winners by 31 runs.

All in all, there were encouraging signs from the top level of women’s club cricket as the ECB embark on a far-reaching restructure of the women’s game in 2020, which is aimed at providing more professional opportunities to high-level English women cricketers.

Semi-final results:

Plympton 83-2, Hursley Park 84-1 - Hursley Park won by nine wickets

Sessay 99-1, Berkswell 68-2 - Sessay won by 31 runs

Comments

LATEST NEWS

STAY UP TO DATE Sign up to our newsletter...
SIGN UP

Thank You! Thank you for subscribing!

Edinburgh House, 170 Kennington Lane, London, SE115DP

website@thecricketer.com

Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.