Runs-a-plenty in deepest Wilts for progress in the National Women's Club T20 competition

Our Ladies travelled deep into Wiltshire to the bucolic village of Potterne, where a charming ground with temptingly small boundaries awaited us. We won the toss and chose to bat first, and openers Gabby Dunnage and Finty Trussler put on 52 in 5 overs, with Gabby hitting two 6s into the adjacent field. When Finty was lbw this brought Lucia Kendall (on her 14th birthday) to the crease, and the Gabby/Lucia partnership a lot of people have been looking forward to developed into a monster, with powerful shots to all corners of the ground. Both reached their centuries in the same over, and the partnership was worth 180 runs in just 13 overs when both retired not out. Gabby hit 16 fours in addition to the two 6s in her 100 not out, and Lucia hit 19 fours and two 6s in her 105 not out. The Potterne ladies fielding was courageous, putting their bodies on the line to get in the way of the fusillade of shots. We lost a couple of quick wickets once Gabby and Lucia retired, but then batted through to set Potterne a very challenging 250 to win.

Lucy Counsell was back to full fitness, and bounding in at pace she took two wickets in her first over, to catches by Caity Smyth and Rebecca Moore. Potterne skipper Hannah Morgan at the other end was showing particular liking for the backward square boundary, which she ended up clearing 5 times. She put on 51 for the third wicket before her partner was bowled by Lucy in the 10th over, and Lucy repeated the feat with her next ball. In her following over Lucy took her first ever 5 wicket haul through a catch by Gabby, to finish with 4-1-11-5. Whilst Hannah battled gamely on, wickets now started to fall regularly at the other end – a cool run out by Rebecca, a smart stumping by Caity off Gabby, a clean bowled by Gabby and a catch by Nicole Blaxland off Emily Parekh. That left Potterne on 125-9, with Hannah 96 not out, 1.3 overs left and their no 11 coming to the crease with a runner, having got in the way of a Gabby drive earlier. Everyone at the ground and on the field was willing Hannah to get her century, and with some obliging field placing from our team she managed it with three balls to spare – the first Potterne lady to hit a century!

So a pretty memorable match – three centuries, 379 runs scored in 40 overs, and a very hospitable and picturesque club to visit; we hope to meet them again.