Bedford's women cricketers make it three wins in a row

Matches are played with batting pairs, each pair facing four overs and each team beginning their innings with 200 runs on the scoreboard, runs being added as for the traditional format but with 5 runs being deducted for any loss of wicket.

Should a wicket fall, the runs are subtracted but the batter remains at the wicket until all four overs have been played, giving everyone in the team a fair chance of participation whatever their skill level.

When the newly-formed women’s hard-ball team began this season, they were playing a super 6 format. As player numbers increased, they moved to super 8s and, in Saturday’s fixture, a team of ten was fielded for the 20-over match.

Bedford won the toss and opted to bat, setting a total of 323 for Kettering to chase. Kettering’s opening bat got off to a quick start, knocking up several boundaries and bringing her an early tally of 25.

The runs were balanced out, however, by the second bat being caught out twice from the bowling of Poppy Clarke, and bowled once by player of the match Eloise Taylor, for no runs.

Kettering’s ensuing batters made a gallant effort to reach the target, though wickets from Bedford’s captain, Lucy Sellers, and Halima Abdu cancelled out many of the runs they gained from the bat.

Into the final over, Kettering required 16 runs to gain a victory, their quest however was scuppered by another tight over by the Bedford captain, taking a further wicket with her first ball and this, along with efficient fielding by the Bedford players, restricted Kettering to just four additional singles.