Match Reports: Hampshire Women vs. Kent Women
Kent Women started off their defence of the ECB’s Women’s County T20 South East Group with two victories against Hampshire at Totton & Eling CC on the outskirts of Southampton.
Before play began at 11:00 for two T20 double-headers, ‘keeper-batter Sarah Bryce was awarded Kent Women Cap 55 by the captain for the day, Alice Davidson-Richards.
Match One: Kent Women (89/0) def. Hampshire Women (88/9) by 10 wickets
With Davidson-Richards’ first job of the day completed, the all-rounder then completed her second obligation by winning the Toss and electing to field.
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Phoebe Franklin made the first breakthrough of the match, bowling Hampshire opener Ella Chandler for just 5 runs from 10 deliveries.
After two tight overs from Kirstie Gordon and Alexa Stonehouse, Davidson-Richards then bought herself on to bowl to devastating effect.
After enacting a run-out to remove Maia Bouchier for 10 on the first ball of her spell, ‘ADR’ then bowled Emily Windsor & Charlotte Taylor for first-ball ducks in her final two deliveries of the fifth over – before sealing her hat trick when she returned to bowl the seventh, Megan Belt taking the catch to see the end of Alice Monaghan.
With the hosts struggling at 32/5, the Horses made further progress – a further Davidson-Richards wicket to see the end of Chissel for a two-ball duck.
Hampshire ‘keeper Anna Dowse was bowled by the returning Franklin for 21, before Darcey Carter helped hoover up the hosts’ tail – removing Alex Avoth (0) & Gemma Lane (2) to leave Hampshire on 88/9 after 20 overs.
Newly-capped Sarah Bryce opened the batting with Franklin for Kent, and the pair motored to a 50-run partnership in just 27 deliveries. By the end of the powerplay, Kent only needed a further 23 runs for victory, and their target of 89 came for the loss of no wickets in the ninth over.
Bryce finished on 45 not out in 29 balls, whilst Franklin amassed 33 from 22.
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Match Two: Kent Women (129/3) def. Hampshire Women (127/8) by 7 wickets
If Match One was a one-sided affair, then Match Two was more even as Kent were set a competitive target of 128 after again winning the Toss and electing to field – this time Kirstie Gordon taking on captaincy duties.
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As per the first game, Phoebe Franklin struck with her first over with the ball, seeing the end of Maia Bouchier (18) with a well-taken caught and bowled.
Alice Monaghan added 19 runs before she was dismissed by Alexa Stonehouse, and a gritty opening innings from Ella Chandler saw her make 33 before Stonehouse took the catch from Kirstie Gordon’s left-arm spin.
Gordon would lead her side by example, finishing with figures of 3-12, with three wickets for Stonehouse (3-27) and wickets for Kalea Moore & Franklin.
Hampshire would set Kent 128 to win, and that target was reduced by 8 straight away as Sarah Bryce hooked and expertly timed six through midwicket off a no ball from Gemma Lane.
Despite losing Bryce for 17 and Megan Sturge for 21 off 20, Kalea Moore showed her all-round abilities by hitting back-to-back fours over extra cover to announce her arrival to the middle, batting at four.
At 118/3 in the 16th over, Phoebe Franklin fell short of a half century after being run out by Charlotte Taylor for 48, but Moore & Stonehouse saw Kent over the line at 129/3 in the 17th over.
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Kent Women sit at the top of the pile in the South East Group after two wins from two, with Sussex and Surrey having shared wins at Wimbledon CC.
The Horses’ net run rate of 3.29 will also bolster Kent’s chances of retaining the Women’s County T20 in 2022.
The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence will once again host a full England Women’s One-Day International (WODI) match in 2022, with a Royal London WODI against India under the lights in Canterbury on Wednesday, 21 September.
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Entry to England vs. India is FREE for all valid 2022 Kent Members & Ticket Bundle holders, and this fixture will count as one day of any Six Pack or Six Pack Plus Ticket Bundle.
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