Kent Under 11 Girls  67 All Out (21.3 Overs) (Charlotte Henderson 12)

Surrey U11 Girls 68-4 (18.3 overs) (Rochelle Beeson 1-1, Lizzie Neal 1-3, Stella Gowans 1-10)
Run outs (1):    Stella Gowans        Catches: Lizzie Neal.

Result:  Kent Under 11 Girls Lost by 6 Wickets

What a disappointment compared to last week.  Although we made Surrey work hard for the runs, we did not post a high enough total to defend.

We were put in and Lizzie and Molly started brightly enough, carrying on where they left off last week.  We had 12 on the board in no time but then Lizzie did not get hold of one and was caught at mid on.  Molly was bowled in the next over, beaten going back. 

After that we never really established any decent partnerships and there was a regular procession of batsmen to and from the crease.  Surrey bowlers were slow and steady and we did not apply ourselves against their accuracy on a slow pitch.

Rocky swung across a straight one, and Charlotte made a start this time and we were hoping she was going to go on, but she too was out in similar fashion to Lizzie.  Izzy scratched around for a while and uncharacteristically missed a lot down the leg side.  She was eventually run out, narrowly, but would have got home had she backed up better.

At the drinks interval we still had wickets in hand and felt that we could reach 100, but it was not to be as we found ways to give our wickets away too easily producing the worst collapse of the season.  Lottie, keen as always, picked the wrong leg break ball to have a go at and was bowled.  Maddie, sporting a new bat, failed to use it and was LBW, impatiently swinging across the first ball she received.  Morgan made an encouraging start but was caught and bowled, again, pushing through instead of dead batting it.  Stella poked one up to cover as we generously continued to give Surrey catching practise.

Bobbie and Sophia put on 12 useful runs for the last wicket but the girls did not take heed of the captain’s advice to bat out the overs and Sophia was run out taking an unnecessary risk with four precious overs still remaining.

With only 67 to defend we needed a good start and Rocky duly delivered with a wicket in the first over.  Izzy kept it tight from the other end and Surrey only had three runs after four overs.  Sophia bowled too short, which proved expensive.  Surrey had some good batters and played patiently.  Although we beat the bat on numerous occasions, our faster pace bowling was easier to play.  A few shots went in the air but nothing went to hand, and the home side inched their way to our score.

Lizzie had their miniature star batsman caught and bowled, and hopes were raised for a while.  Stella ran out their hard hitting No. 5 at the bowler’s end, when it was probably easier to have caught the ball at mid on instead.  No matter – it was another wicket and we were still in with a chance, though the odds were lengthening. 

Everyone had a bowl, rightly so at this age level, but we could not match the accuracy of our opening pair, nor that of our opponents, and in spite of great encouragement from captains Stella and Lizzie, Surrey hit the winning run in the 19th over.

It has to be said it was disappointing to lose in this manner.  In future, we need to show more patience in batting and not give our wickets away when there is plenty of time left to the innings.  I hope we can learn from the mistakes we made in this match.

The full scorecard can be seen here.

We are off to the Arundel Festival this week and there is no match next weekend.  Our next Saturday match is on 7th August against Macknade Boys at Selling Cavaliers CC.  Before that, we will be the Guard of Honour on Ladies Day during Cricket Week at Kent CCC, Canterbury on Wednesday 4th August.