Stingers Soft Ball v Emmbrook & Bearwood Womens Softball

Stingers Edge Past Emmbrook & Bearwood in Tight One-Run Victory

Sonning Stingers Soft Ball claimed a narrow one-run victory over Emmbrook & Bearwood in their Berkshire Women's Softball Performance Group 2 fixture on 11th June, posting 64 for 1 before restricting the hosts to 63 for 2 in a contest that went down to the wire.

After Emmbrook & Bearwood won the toss and opted to field, the Stingers set about building their total in the 12-over encounter. Elinor Longridge was the standout performer with the bat, top-scoring with 10 off 12 balls, including the only two boundaries of the Sonning innings. She set a positive tone at the top of the order and gave her side the early momentum they needed.

The Stingers' innings was heavily bolstered by a generous helping of extras, with 46 runs coming from wides, no-balls and penalty runs. The Emmbrook & Bearwood bowling attack struggled for accuracy throughout, conceding 25 wides and 10 no-balls across their 12 overs. Lucy Prismall was the sole wicket-taker for the hosts, returning figures of 1 for 10 from her two overs in what was the tidiest bowling spell of the innings.

Captain Sharon Fleming contributed 3 off 7 balls, while Gill Bailey added 4 from 11 deliveries as the Stingers batters rotated consistently without any individual making a substantial score beyond Longridge's effort. The collective approach, combined with the considerable extras tally, proved sufficient to set a competitive target.

In reply, Emmbrook & Bearwood found run-scoring similarly challenging against the Stingers' bowling attack. Katherine Brickley provided the biggest threat with a brisk 11 off 9 balls, striking two fours as she attempted to drag her side over the line from number seven in the order. Jenny Partridge chipped in with 6 from 10 balls and Maxine Fishlock made 5, but contributions were too sporadic to overhaul the target.

Elinor Longridge completed an impressive all-round display by picking up the key wicket in her two overs, conceding just 6 runs in the process. Amberley Taylor was also economical, returning figures of 0 for 7 from two overs, keeping the pressure on the Emmbrook & Bearwood batters during a crucial middle period. The Stingers' bowling was not without its own issues — 24 wides were conceded — but the discipline was marginally better than their opponents had managed.

With 33 extras supplementing the hosts' batting efforts, the match ultimately came down to fine margins. Emmbrook & Bearwood's batters managed 35 runs from the bat compared to Sonning's 28, yet the Stingers' significant extras advantage in the first innings proved the decisive factor. The single-run margin secured three league points for Sharon Fleming's side in what was a fiercely competitive afternoon of softball cricket.