Match Report: Kent Women vs. Sussex Women
Maxine Blythin smashed 94 runs, ‘keeper-batter Jemima Spence scored 66 on debut and stand-in skipper Megan Belt took 3/21 as Kent Women ran out resounding winners over Sussex Women by 110 runs in their second Women’s London Championship (WLC) match of the season.
Kent’s captain Megan Belt won the toss and elected to bat on a blazing hot day and a good wicket at The Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells. Kent sent youth product Megan Sturge and Kent Women debutant Jemima Spence in to open the batting.
Cassidy McCarthy opened the bowling for Sussex from the Pavilion End. Kent were off the mark on the second ball with Megan Sturge playing through the leg side, as the batters hurried through for a quick single. After capitalising on a couple of no balls and some quick running, Kent Women finished the first over 7/0.
After some consistent Sussex bowling, Megan Sturge was dismissed for four, edging up into extra cover off Burt’s bowling picking out Ella McCaughan. Breaking the opening partnership of 18.
Maxine Blythin came in for The Horses at three and looked positive at the crease.
After several dot balls bowled by the Sussex attack, a calculated late cut shot from Jemima Spence saw Kent reach the 50 mark in the 14th over.
As drinks were run on, the scoreboard read 59/1. The ball after drinks was bowled and The Horses’ batters showed positive intent, a lofted shot into the deep brought up Spence and Blythin’s 50 run partnership.
Blythin hit her 50 and after a quick raise of the bat got straight back into it, hitting three fours in one over.
Jemima Spence brought up her debut half century in her first women’s game, aged 14, with a push into the leg side and a well run single. Shortly after Spence and Blythin’s 150 run partnership was achieved in the 42nd over with a well-executed pull shot to pierce the gap on the boundary.
In an attempt to build up the score in the remaining overs, Jemima Spence picked out mid-off fielder and departed the field after a good innings for 66, breaking the 166 run partnership, and left the field to a rousing ovation from her new teammates. One brought another, as Emily Spooner ran back in and Maxine Blythin’s wicket fell with a diving catch by Burt at extra cover for a well-deserved 93.
In came Susie Rowe, shortly followed by Phoebe Franklin. Both of them striking immediately.
Susie Rowe headed back to the pavilion after being caught out by Sussex Captain at mid-wicket to Spooners’ bowling yet again. With 3 overs to go and 197 runs Ryana MacDonald-Gay headed out to the crease.
The new pairing of Franklin and MacDonald-Gay took a hold of the end of The Horses innings with some exceptional running and powerful shots clearing the boundary rope. However, Franklin found the hands of Sussex’s mid-on fielder and so Alexa Stonehouse made the walk out to the middle. MacDonald-Gay hit the boundary for the last time and Kent closed on 228/5.
Thirty minutes later The Horses crossed the line ready to defend 228. The ball was handed to Sydney Gorham who delivered a yorker with her first ball. With some well executed shots the opening over ended on 8/0 as the ball was given to Alexa Stonehouse at the Railway End.
With pressure built at the other end by a maiden from Gorham, in the 3rd over Alexa Stonehouse brought Spence into the game behind the stumps dismissing Sussex’s first batter. Stonehouse picking up her first wicket for the women’s team.
As per Kent’s tradition of good fielding, the second wicket fell with Phoebe Franklin taking a ‘superhuman’ catch diving to her right at point, Stonehouse’s second of the game and her women’s 50-over career.
Finally it was Sydney Gorham’s time to strike after bowling two maidens. With a controlled slower ball The Horses went up in shouts appealing for LBW. As the 10th over was completed, and the skipper looking towards the first change, the opening bowling partnership ended at 27/3.
With drinks nearing, Emily Spooner heaved a ball from Darcey Carter out to the woman in the deep, Phoebe Franklin, who caught the high ball comfortably at deep mid-wicket. The wicket brought the spinners into the scorebook. As the water came on Kent had kept Sussex to just 47 yet had taken 4 wickets with some astounding moments of fielding and tight bowling.
Hannah Jelfs struck after some tidy but wicketless bowling from both ends. Her back of the length delivery clattered into the stumps dismissing Taylor who had just begun to look settled. An important breakthrough for the Horses to bring in Sussex’s lower order.
As organised fielding and bowling saw the run rate increase past 7 an over the Sussex captain was dismissed for 32 bowled by Franklin and caught by MacDonald-Gay. She held a good catch that was crucial for the Kent team as Green was looking good and settled out in the middle.
Nerves rose for Sussex batters as an appeal on the first ball of Megan Belt’s over was given not out, only for her to hit the stumps dismissing Burt two balls later. The Sussex number 8 walked out to the crease only to leave it after 1 ball as Belt struck again this time dismissing Harvey, LBW, for a golden duck. Just an over later and Belt was after the Sussex batters again dismissing McCarthy for just 11 runs.
Returning back to the attack Sydney Gorham with yet another slower ball dismissed Sussex’s number 11 Gentry, seeing The Horses home. Kent walked off the pitch victorious in their second game of the Women’s London Championship, Sussex were all out for 118 falling short of Kent’s 228 by 110 runs.
Another amazing win for The Horses at The Nevill Ground with the sun shining down on the players and the rhododendrons lining the boundary.
By Ella Lockhart
The Horses remain unbeaten in 2021 and now top the WLC table after two matches, although they have played one match more than Sussex and Essex in third and second respectively.
Kent Women’s next WLC match is on Thursday 3rd June at The Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells against Middlesex Women.
