Stingers Soft Ball v Emmbrook & Bearwood Womens Softball

Stingers Frustrated as Rain Forces Abandonment at Emmbrook

Sonning Stingers Soft Ball's WSB Division 1 fixture against Emmbrook & Bearwood on 14th August was abandoned before the Stingers could bat, with both sides sharing the points after a curtailed evening at Emmbrook and Bearwood CC.

Captain Rita Green won the toss and elected to field first, backing her bowlers to restrict the home side on what proved to be a challenging evening. The decision appeared well-founded as the Stingers' attack made early inroads into the Emmbrook batting order, though the hosts managed to compile a competitive total of 61 for 2 from their 12 overs.

Emmbrook captain Lucy Prismall led from the front with the bat, top-scoring with 14 runs from 14 balls, including two boundaries, as she set the tone at the top of the order. Lindsay Brown contributed a brisk 9 from 10 deliveries, while Julie Daniels was the other notable performer with 12 runs from 18 balls before being dismissed. Further down the order, Katleen Nixon added 6 from 15 balls before also falling, and Darshna Modha chipped in with 5 from 9 deliveries.

The standout bowling performance for the Stingers came from Michaela Herrett, who delivered a miserly spell of 2-0-5-1, conceding just five runs from her two overs while claiming a wicket. Sudaf Waheed was equally impressive, returning figures of 2-1-4-1 — the only bowler on either side to claim a maiden over — providing real control through the middle of the innings.

Grace Phillips bowled tidily with figures of 2-0-11-0, while Rebecca Malhi sent down three overs for 15 runs. At the other end, skipper Green (2-0-15-0) and Anneli Page (1-0-9-0) found conditions more difficult, with extras proving costly — 18 in total, including 10 wides and 6 no-balls, supplementing the Emmbrook score significantly.

With the home side having posted 61 for 2, the Stingers would have fancied their chances in the chase, but the match was abandoned before they could begin their innings. The result saw both teams awarded five points apiece, a frustrating outcome for a Sonning side whose bowling unit had worked hard to keep Emmbrook in check and would have been confident of overhauling the target.

Sarah Wonham, keeping wicket for the Stingers, and the rest of the fielding unit will take some positives from the bowling performance, particularly the disciplined spells from Herrett and Waheed, even if the abandonment denied them the opportunity to complete the job with the bat.