In the regional semi-final, we won the toss and chose to bat first. Despite working hard throughout the innings, we couldn’t quite post the total we had hoped for.

Maddie led the way with the bat, producing a composed innings of 43 from 39 balls, which included 8 boundaries at a strike rate of over 110. Poppy (10) added valuable runs, but with wickets falling at regular intervals we found it difficult to build meaningful partnerships. We eventually closed on 71 all out, a score that left us short of where we wanted to be.

Defending our total, the girls showed great spirit in the field. Poppy took a smart catch off Phoebe’s bowling to remove I Akbar for 10, while Naveah picked up the wicket of J Carter for 7. However, Berkswell were guided home by an excellent 45 not out from F Stokes, reaching the target with five wickets in hand.

Although the result didn’t go our way, I’m super proud of the girls again this year. We are a team without a single player at the top end of the age group, yet we’ve made it all the way to the regional semi-final, bowing out just two games short of a Lord’s final.

We’ll pick ourselves up and turn our focus to our next league fixture against Eccleshall/Little Stoke on Tuesday, as we continue to build on the fantastic progress the team has made this season.