Following on from their surprise win at the Oxfordshire Under 13 Lady Taverners festival Banbury’s Under 13 Girls side, including four year 5’s, travelled to Eversley Cross on the Hampshire/Berkshire border on a gloriously sunny day on Wednesday 3rd August for the Regional Finals of the competition.
We were drawn in a group with Buckingham, St. Just (Cornwall), Bridgewater (Somerset) and no-show’s, St.Cross (Hampshire). The format of the day is 8 overs per innings with 2 runs for a wide/no ball but no extra ball until the final over and batsman retiring when they reach 20.
In our first game, against our geographical neighbours, Buckingham, they managed 51 for 3. In reply, Emily Ong continued where she left off at the Oxfordshire finals by retiring 23 not out. We reached our target in the 7th over but then a hat-trick, meant Emily returned for the final few balls. We finished on 54 for 6.
In the next game against St. Just we managed 88 with Chloe Whinmill and Emily Ong retiring. Their reply was hindered when we removed their star openers early on and they never really got going after that, falling short on 72
In our final league game, against Bridgwater, we made hard work in the field allowing them to get 75. In reply, we lost the previously unbreakable Emily off the 2nd ball of the innings but she was replaced by captain Charlotte Boland kept the ship steady and duly retired. Tamara Moon, kept a cool head and picked off runs slowly. Requiring 21 to win off the final over she and Charlotte Hayes, let the wides score eat into the total required and eventually scambled the winning runs off the final ball, to finish on 77.
In the final, we faced local side Finchampstead (Berkshire) containing five County Under 13’s. Put into bat we started disastrously and were 3 for 3 after 2 overs. Thankfully, our start bat returned to form and retired again. Eventually we finished on a credible 49. In reply their batsman were intent on taking it to our bowlers and attacked them at every opportunity, reaching their target in the 5th over.
Well done to all of the Banbury Girls (and loanees) who got us to this stage. It was a remarkable achievement, especially considering the number of year 5’s in the side and just goes to show what you can achieve if you put your mind to it.