Stingers Soft Ball v Emmbrook & Bearwood Womens Softball

Stingers Secure Narrow Victory in Tense Run Chase Against Emmbrook & Bearwood

Sonning Stingers Soft Ball claimed a hard-fought two-run victory over Emmbrook & Bearwood in the Berkshire Women's Softball Performance League on 9th July 2023, chasing down 71 to win with a total of 72 for 3 from their 12 overs.

Captain Sharon Fleming won the toss and elected to field, a decision that proved shrewd as the Stingers' bowling attack managed to restrict the hosts to 70 for 4. Freya Spafford was the standout performer with the ball, claiming three wickets from her two overs for just 12 runs. Her ability to take regular wickets disrupted Emmbrook & Bearwood's momentum through the middle of the innings. Siobhan Davis complemented her superbly at the other end, bowling with excellent control to return figures of 2-0-5-1, including a maiden over — the only one of the match.

For the home side, captain Deepa Ravi top-scored with a brisk 15 off just eight balls, striking three boundaries to get her team off to a positive start at the top of the order. Laura May matched that total with 15 of her own from eight deliveries, hitting two fours in an enterprising knock at number four. Swati Kirve added a useful 8 from 12 balls lower down, but a lack of substantial contributions from the rest of the batting line-up meant Emmbrook & Bearwood could only post 70 — a total that always looked as though it might be just below par.

The Stingers' reply got off to an encouraging start through opener Elinor Longridge, who struck 13 from nine balls with two boundaries, setting the tone for the chase. Fleming then led from the front at number three, cracking two fours in her innings of 12 off nine deliveries to keep the scoring rate ticking along nicely.

The middle order wobbled slightly, with Katie Barrows, Sarah Wonham, and Freya Spafford each contributing 3 runs apiece, and the Stingers lost three wickets during the innings. Lindsay Brown picked up a wicket from her single over for Emmbrook & Bearwood, while captain Deepa Ravi proved equally effective with the ball as she had been with the bat, returning tidy figures of 2-0-9-1.

It was the lower order that ultimately steered the Stingers home. Melissa Pengraeve played a composed innings of 10 from 11 balls, finding the boundary once and accumulating steadily. Grace Phillips chipped in with 7 off 11 deliveries, while Siobhan Davis added a handy 6 from seven balls to ensure the target was reached. A generous 16 extras from the Emmbrook & Bearwood bowling attack, including 14 wides, also proved costly for the hosts.

The victory earned the Stingers three league points, with contributions spread across the squad both in the field and with the bat demonstrating the team's depth and collective resilience under pressure.