Stingers Soft Ball v Crowthorne & Crown Wood Womens Softball

Stingers Fall Short in Berkshire Women's Softball Final Against Crowthorne & Crown Wood

Sonning Stingers Soft Ball suffered a disappointing defeat in the Berkshire Women's Softball Final on 26th September 2021, as Crowthorne & Crown Wood proved too strong on the day, winning convincingly to claim the title.

Crowthorne & Crown Wood batted first and set about building a commanding total in the pairs format. With a starting score of 200, the home side added steadily throughout their innings, losing just two wickets along the way. Their disciplined batting saw them post a total of 62 runs from their allocation, with the Stingers struggling to make regular breakthroughs despite the efforts of captain Sharon Fleming and her squad of eight.

The Stingers' bowling unit found it difficult to contain the Crowthorne batters, with only two wickets falling during the first innings. The lack of regular dismissals allowed the home side to accumulate runs without significant pressure, and their total always looked like it would be a challenging one to overhaul in this format.

In reply, the Stingers' batting innings never gained any real momentum. Crowthorne & Crown Wood's bowlers were relentless, claiming eight wickets as Sonning could only manage 29 runs from their time at the crease. The constant loss of wickets meant that partnerships were virtually impossible to build, and the required run rate climbed steadily beyond reach.

Sharon Fleming, leading the side as both captain and wicketkeeper, would have hoped for a stronger showing from her batting lineup, which included Frances Howson, Elinor Longridge, Rachel McCabe, Melissa Pengraeve, Grace Phillips, Kimberly Thompson-Drew, and Sudaf Waheed. However, the Crowthorne attack proved too penetrating, and the Stingers were unable to mount a meaningful challenge to the target.

The margin of defeat — 33 runs and eight wickets lost compared to just two conceded — underlined the dominance of the home side on the day. For a final, the Stingers will have been disappointed not to have put up a closer contest, particularly after reaching this stage of the competition.

It was a tough end to the season for the Stingers in what was nonetheless a commendable achievement to reach the Berkshire Women's Softball Final. Crowthorne & Crown Wood fully deserved their victory, having outperformed Sonning in every department of the game.