EWA remain unbeaten

The England Women's Academy team made it four wins out of four this season as they comfortably beat a strong Loughborough University MCCU team, which included England's Anya Shrubsole and Fran Wilson, plus the Academy's own Georgia Adams and Paige Scholfield. For Loughborough it was a great chance to warm-up before their BUCs final at Lords next Tuesday against Exeter University.

EWA players Sophie Luff, Steph Butler, Aylish Cranstone, Freya Davies, Alex Hartley, Evelyn Jones, Emma Lamb, and Carla Rudd were joined in the EWA team by EWDP U19s Emily Arlott, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Katie George, and Cordelia Griffith.

Invited to bat Loughborough were soon in trouble at 13/2 as opening bowlers Freya Davies and Katie George each picked up a wicket (Marie Kelly and Adams), but Wilson (55) and Shrubsole (36) then added 76 for the third wicket before Shrubsole was out lbw to Hartley. Scholfield then entered the fray and looked to be in good touch, but with the score on 124, she lost her partner as Wilson advanced down the wicket to Hartley (2- 30) and was bowled. Just six runs later Scholfield too was gone, lbw to Ecclestone trying to force a full-length ball to the legside, and from here the Loughborough innings imploded as they lost their last seven wickets for just 29 runs. Chief destroyer was Davies, returning at the start of the batting powerplay to claim three wickets in 19 balls for just six runs to finish with figures of 4-29 and bowl out Loughborough for 153.

Freya Davies drives another ball to the boundary
(picture courtesy of Don Miles)

But things did not look good for the EWA as they slipped to 13/3 as Lamb, Dunkley and Cranstone were all removed, and when Griffith (33) and Jones went in quick succession the score had only moved on to 71/5. Loughborough looked to be in control. But EWA skipper Luff (38*) was solid in her defence and knew she had plenty of time.

Initially she and Carla Rudd (13) took the score beyond 100, but the decisive, and winning, partnership was with Davies (25*). Together they added an unbeaten 45 as the EWA cruised past the required score in just the 36th over with four wickets still in hand.

The EWA next take on Whitgift School on Tuesday, the same day as the BUCs final which will mean that again several U19s are likely to be given the chance to show what they can do.

A full scorecard is available here.

MD
20/VI/15