Superb success for County Ladies as Sam and Emilia shine

Pembrokeshire Ladies (299 for 4) beat Cardiff Ladies (129 all out) by 170 runs

 
Umpires: Ian Hudson & Clive Rees
Scorer: Ian Milsom
Venue: Cardiff Cricket Club
 
Pembrokeshire Ladies started a seven-week run of Sunday matches with a huge win over Cardiff Ladies at their superb ground on the outskirts of the city – and there is no doubt that their mix of youth and experience in adapting to the needs of competing at this very high level, alongside all the travel it entails.
 
In the batting stakes they had huge performances from Emilia Wilson and skipper Sam Rossiter, who played in the County Ladies’ team at Pontarddulais over 30 years ago, and has a few hundreds to her name in Men’s Cricket, ably assisted by Emilia, who played some delightful strokes and then bowled her powerful opening stint with the ball.

Emilia and Sam show class – as did the skipper and Ava afterwards

 
This dynamic duo came together after Finola Scale had departed with the score on 29 and proceeded to put on a superb partnership of 140 runs before Emilia was caught and bowled by  Melanie Edwards, who had started off as keeper but then became the seventh bowler tried by skipper King, just when she seemed assured of a deserved century, having stroked 13 boundaries in her 81 off only 88 balls.
 
Rachel Morgan added 11 runs before she was also bowled by Edwards as part of her eventual 2 for 46 spell of seven overs – but No 5 Ava Midgley proved the perfect foil for skipper Rossiter, who really went on the attack as  Ava cleverly gave her the strike as often as possible so that this partnership added another fine stand of 104 until the talented teenager was caught and bowled by Anne Williams just before the close, when Rossiter had really shown her batting skills with an effortless 131 not out from only 102 deliveries, with 16 fours and four big sixes, with Fflur Davies finishing on 1 not out at the other end and such was the pressure on the Cardiff team that they conceded a massive total of 44 extras!

County bowlers match their batters’ display

 
Cardiff knew they needed a good start to have any chance but Ava struck a big blow in her first over when she trapped opener Williams lbw for a four-ball duck and even worse was to follow when home captain King was run out, without scoring, after some quick thinking by Lucy Johnson, to leave them on a dire 5 for 2.
 
Edwards (16) and Tracy Gregory (15) settled things a little but then Chloe Lewis bowled the home captain and had Bryony Evans caught behind by Finola Scale for another duck, Lucy Johnson bowled Gregory before Cardiff finally found a partnership with Harrington (45) and Elias (32) adding 51 for the sixth wicket before Harrington was run out by Emilia Wilson for 45, including eight fours.
 
It was the beginning of the end for Cardiff because although Elias battled well for her 32 not out (four boundaries in 45 balls) there was little support from the tail as Fflur claimed a deserved wicket and Ava bowled the final two batters to finish with fine figures of 3 for 24.
 
Although understandably delighted by such an impressive victory, skipper Rossiter was also quick to praise everyone for their fielding performances, especially by excellent youngsters like Phoenix Phillips and Maddie Potter, who didn’t get the chance to show their excellent potential with bat or bowl, who are sure to feature for many years in the county set-up.




 
Our picture shows the county team on the day:
Back Row: Sam Rossiter; Finola Scale; Bobby Neale; Chloe Lewis; Emilia Wilson; Maddie Potter; Rhiannon Morgan
Front Row: Ava Midgley; Phoenix Phillips; Fflur Davies. Lucy Johnson
 
SCORECARDS:
 
Pembs Ladies’ Batting:
Finola Scale b S Mackay 9
Emilia Wilson ct & b M Edwards 81
Sam Rossiter not out 131
Rhiannon Morgan b M Edwards 11
Ava Midgley ct & b A Williams 22
Fflur Davies not out 1
Extras 44
Total (for 4 wickets) 299
 
Cardiff Ladies’ Bowling:
J Harrington 6-0-24-0; S Mackay 7-0-49-1; A Ananth 7-0-49-0; A Williams 6-0-41-0; R Elias 2-0-23-0; B Evans 5-0-42-0, M Edwards 7-0-46-2.
 
Cardiff Ladies’ batting:
A Williams lbw b Ava Midgley 0
M Edwards b Chloe Lewis 16
L King run out 0
T Gregory b Lucy Johnson 15
I Harrington run out 45
B Evans ct Finola Scale b Chloe Lewis 0
R Elias not out 32
L Bannister b Fflur Davies 1
A Ananth b Ava Midgley 4
S Mackay b Ava Midgley 7
Extras 9
Total (all out) 129
 
Pembs Ladies’ Bowling:
Emilia Wilson 7-3-16-0; Ava Midgley 8.2-3-24-3; Lucy Johnson 6.4-o-24-1; Chloe Lewis 4-0-20-0; Fflur Davies 4-0-28-1; Bobby Neale 2-0-15-0.