Solid start to season by Ashford women

9:33am Wednesday 23rd April 2008

Ashford 98-5 (G Bonham 41 not out, N Wells 10-1-27-2) beat Spencer 84 (N Wells 42, J Tippell 7.5-1-13-4, G Bonham 6-0-27-3) by 14 runs

Ashford managed to field only seven players for the first Women's Cricket Southern League Division Four match of the season, but a strong team performance saw them win by 14 runs.

Put into bat, Ashford's openers Gill Bonham and Alison McCreedy looked comfortable from the start, until a rush of blood from McCreedy left her standing watching as she was stumped off a wide.

Runs were hard to come by for the home side duo to a slow, lush outfield, and some excellent close fielding by Spencer.

Fiona Grant, Jenny Tippell and Liz Kinsman built valuable partnerships with Bonham, and Bethan Evans gave good support to ensure the innings lasted the full 35 overs.

Bonham carried her bat for an unbeaten 41, giving the Ashford bowlers something to work with.

Early wickets were the key, and Tippell made the perfect start, hitting the stumps with her first delivery.

Supported by McCreedy at the other end, they soon had Spencer in trouble at 19-4.

A runout claimed the fifth wicket before Nat Wells steadied the ship.

Gill Bonham bowled well to claim three wickets in her six overs, but it was Tippell's second spell that proved decisive, bowling Wells for 42, and finishing off the Spencer innings, the final catch safely taken, appropriately, by Bonham.

On Sunday (2pm), Ashford will look to continue their successful start when they welcome Wokingham to Short Lane.

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