On a glorious evening, when many others were stuck indoors watching England win a penalty shoot-out (4-3, after a 1-1 draw with Columbia), the RCC u13 girls and parents travelled to Teddington CC to play old friends Bushy Park Girls (a combined side drawing players from the five clubs around the park - Teddington CC, Teddington Town CC, NPL CC, Hampton Hill CC and Hampton Wick Royals CC). This was the 2018 title decider, as both teams were unbeaten going into the final league game of the season.

Bushy Park Girls vs RCC Gu13 – MCA Girls’ League (West Area)
(Standard, 11-a-side, 20 overs)
3/July/18
RCC Issie D, Rhianna, Poppy S*, Charlotte, Emily, Alessia†, Annabel, Orla, Tilly, Evie, Jemima
RCC 195-3 (20 overs) Poppy S 33rtd, Charlotte 33rtd, Issie D 30rtd, Rhianna 30rtd
BPG 93-6 (20 overs) Tilly 2-9, Charlotte 1-0, Evie 1-8, Jemima 1-12, 1 run-out (Poppy S)
Manager MBS, Umpire RS, Scorer ID

Having won the toss, captain Poppy decided to have a bat which given the glorious evening sunshine seemed like a very wise move. Issie and Rhianna (a new recruit from the hockey club) opened well with a boundary coming off each of the first four overs and the score moved quickly to 32/0. The change of bowlers didn’t make an impact and the girls kept going at a steady rate with Issie being first to retire for 30 (from 30 balls) after 9 overs, which brought Poppy to the middle. It didn’t take her long to get going and with several drives through the off side for four, she was soon the second batsman retired for 33 (off 22), soon followed by Rhianna for 30 (off 38).

Charlotte and Emily were now in the middle and as BPG brought back their openers for the last four overs, they eventually got the breakthrough with Emily bowled with the score on 158. Alessia (another recruit from the hockey club) was caught trying to hit over the top, followed by Annabel (a third hockey club recruit) bowled in the 19th over, to leave the score at 173-3 after 19 with Orla coming in at #8. The final over went for 22 as Charlotte hit out to retire on 33 and bring the total to 195-3.

After a quick tea interval, Jemima (u9) opened the bowling and RCC quickly picked up the first wicket when Poppy ran-out BPG's county opener. Jemima picked up a wicket by bowling their #3 in the fifth over and after Issie had taken a good catch off Evie’s bowling, BPG were 20-3 after six. Poppy rotated the bowlers, even giving wicketkeeper Alessia a couple of overs!

Tilly took a good catch off her own bowling and had a second wicket two balls later when Charlotte took a catch at cover to leave the score at 62-4 off 12. BPG’s #4 and #7 batsmen then took their time to move the score up to 93 off the next eight overs before Jemima took a great diving catch at cover-point to give Charlotte her first wicket off the final ball of the game.

A very happy team of RCC u13 girls had won the Middlesex (West Area) League for the first time, and no-one was unhappy to have missed the football!