Ladies hit the top

Please find below the match report for Sunday’s game. Thanks for offering to put it on the website for me.

Ashton-on-Mersey 86-7, Chester Boughton Hall 120/0

Chester Boughton Hall Ladies are top of Division 1 in the Cheshire Women’s Cricket League having started the season with a hat-trick of wins.

In a game reduced to 32 overs per side after a late start due to rain, Ashton-on-Mersey won the toss and put the visitors in to bat.

Openers Lorna Starkey and Maeve Sparkes grafted on what was a slow outfield; the pair both carried their bats, as the Chester side’s innings closed on 120/0 off 32 overs.

Captain Starkey took the leading role in the century partnership, hitting a superb 79 not out, including 10 fours. Sparkes kept her company with an undefeated 26.

Starkey entrusted the new ball to youth and pace as teenagers Sammi Short and Hannah Snape opened the attack. Both bowled superbly and Short (1/15) was rewarded with the valuable wicket of opener Vicki Dean trapped LBW for 2.

Chester’s bowled and fielded superbly. The wickets were shared between the bowlers as Snape (1/20), Starkey (1/14), Annette Axon (2/15) and Lauren O’Reilly (2/13) ensured that wickets fell regularly as Ashton-on-Mersey’s innings closed on 86-7 off 32 overs.