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Finals Day glory for Somerset Women
Somerset Women claimed a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Cricket Wales in the final of the Women’s County T20 competition.
Having overcome Devon by seven wickets in the semi-final at Taunton Vale Sports Club, Somerset lined up against Cricket Wales, who beat Cornwall in their semi-final, at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
The hosts won the toss and elected to field.
Cricket Wales slipped to eight for two in the fourth over with Emily Edgecombe taking both wickets. However, Lauren Parfitt (62) and Beth Gammon (45) added 106 for the third wicket as the visitors finished on 117 for four from their allotted overs.
Edgecombe was the pick of the Somerset attack, claiming four for 12 from her four overs.
Somerset openers Daisy Jeanes and Nat Wraith shared a stand of 60 before Wraith was stumped for 39 from just 22 balls.
None of the momentum was lost with Wraith’s departure and Niamh Holland picked up where her teammate had finished.
Jeanes (44 not out from 34 balls) and Holland (25 not out from 17 balls) steered Somerset over the line with eight overs to spare.
After the victory, Captain Emily Edgecombe said: “It’s been a challenging summer because of the weather, but we’ve gone out there and taken everything that we do in practice on to the pitch. I’m so proud of everyone.
“We bat all the way down and we were confident that we could reach the target that we’d been set. Nat, Niamh and Daisy are so good and they were striking the ball really well. On a personal level, it was nice to get some wickets and hopefully we can carry this form into the 50-over season.
“It was really nice to have a good crowd here today and it was a great opportunity for the players to play at a ground like this.”
Somerset Pathway Coach & Women and Girls Lead, Kieran Peters added: “I’ve been so impressed by how this group have managed themselves over the last few weeks. It’s difficult when you haven’t had the chance to play together, but I’m really proud of how we took the game to the opposition in both games today.
“We are really clear on how we want to play our cricket and credit has to go to the girls for transitioning so well from indoors to outdoors.
“I would also like to thank the ground staff who did an unbelievable job at Taunton Vale, and of course to Scott Hawkins and his team for getting us out here at the Cooper Associates County Ground. It was a really good deck and it allowed us to go out there and play our cricket.
“I’m so proud of everyone. To see them run on to the field in the same kit as the men and play quality cricket is something that we’re really proud of and we want to continue pushing forward.
“The Cooper Associates County Ground is a great place to play cricket and it certainly makes a difference for us to be out here from a motivation perspective.”
