3rd place in National Schools U15 T20 Competition

Canford U15 Cricket girls finish 3^rd in National Finals

After the success of Canford’s cricketing girls at U18 level where the team finished National Runners Up back in July the U15’s travelled to Rugby School for their own Finals Day. Confidence was high despite the break since their last game as the girls readied themselves for the challenge of meeting the three other regional winners.

The draw pitted Canford in the semi-finals against Greshams School from Norfolk who represented the Midlands. Having won the toss and deciding to bowl the Canford girls fielding was soon put under pressure by some big hitting from Greshams. A couple of wickets stemmed the flow of runs and the game seemed evenly poised approaching the latter stages of the innings. However, 95 runs from the hard hitting Greshams No 4 batter, aided by some missed Canford chances to take her wicket, meant Canford would be chasing a big total of 175. Not impossible, but it would need the girls at their very best to chase it down. Unfortunately early wickets meant we were always behind the run rate and despite an outstanding 60 from Daisy the girls fell 45 runs short of the target finishing on 130.

With a place in the final denied the challenge was for the girls to pick themselves up for the 3^rd / 4^th place Playoff against St Lawrence College, Kent who had lost their semi-final to eventual national champions Repton. Canford again won the toss and this time decided to set the opposition the target.

Despite the early loss of top scorer from the last match Daisy the Canford girls plundered runs from all of the Kent schools bowlers without ever completing breaking free. Poppy and Captain Izzy both accumulated excellent half centuries as the team set a strong target of 160. The bowling and fielding looked to have stepped up a level from the semi finals and at the halfway stage St Lawrence still needed another 100 runs and we starting to lose wickets. However, seemingly determined to keep the travelling Canford parents on the edge of their seats a couple of really big overs brought the opposition right back into the game. With three overs to go 20 were needed at just over a run a ball. A couple of tight overs from Reeve and White left St. Lawrence needing 13 off the last over to win. Up stepped Caitlin who delivered a maiden over with the game on the line to leave Canford victors by 12 runs.

Although frustrated with not making the final the girls again showed their character and ability to finish as the 3^rd best team in the country. Added to the U18 Girls National runner up position it cemented Canford’s reputation as one of the very top schools in girls cricket in 2023 and leaves all involved in the programme looking forward to the future.

Canford U15 Girls Team:

Izzy, Poppy, Daisy, Penny, Emily, Delilah, Caitlin, Ellie, Matilda, Annabel, Ruby, Alice