Stingers Soft Ball v Emmbrook & Bearwood Womens Softball

Captain's Knock from Rita Green Powers Stingers to Convincing Cup Victory

Sonning Stingers Soft Ball captain Rita Green produced a superb unbeaten 38 from just 17 balls as her side posted 125 for 2 before restricting Emmbrook & Bearwood to 74 for 5 in this WSB Cup encounter at Wokingham CC on Sunday.

Emmbrook & Bearwood won the toss and opted to field first, a decision that would prove costly as the Stingers' batting line-up fired on all cylinders. Openers Frances Howson (13 off 12 balls) and Elizabeth Van Deventer (15 off 12) gave the innings a solid foundation, both finding the boundary rope with Van Deventer striking two fours in a brisk start.

The middle order kept the scoreboard ticking over, with Michaela Herrett contributing 7 and Hannah Brooks adding 3, before Siobhan Davis injected real pace into the innings. Davis cracked 23 off 14 deliveries, including two fours and a six, ensuring the momentum never slipped away from the Stingers.

It was Green, however, who truly took the Emmbrook & Bearwood attack apart. Batting at number seven, the skipper smashed four fours and two sixes in a devastating display of clean hitting that left the opposition bowlers with nowhere to hide. Lucy Prismall's three overs proved the most expensive, conceding 30 runs, while Nicci De Bromhead went for 27 off her three. None of the seven Emmbrook & Bearwood bowlers managed to take a wicket as the Stingers lost just two wickets across their 16 overs, with 16 extras further boosting the total.

Chasing 126 to win, Emmbrook & Bearwood never looked likely to threaten the target. Opener Nicci De Bromhead hit a four in her 8 off 9 balls but was among the five batters dismissed, while Deepa Ravi top-scored with a patient 9 from 15 deliveries at the top of the order. Captain Lucy Prismall offered the most resistance with 12 off 12 balls, but the required run rate climbed steadily beyond reach.

The Stingers' bowling effort was a well-shared affair, with Michaela Herrett and Elizabeth Van Deventer leading the way. Herrett claimed 2 for 18 from her three overs, while Van Deventer was equally effective with 2 for 13 from three overs, the pair combining to apply consistent pressure through the middle overs. Frances Howson was economical with figures of 0 for 10 from three overs, and captain Green continued her excellent afternoon with a tidy 0 for 11 from her three-over spell.

Emmbrook & Bearwood's innings was hampered by the loss of regular wickets, with Hollie Culham (3 off 17 balls) and Anna Alborough (4 off 16) finding run-scoring particularly difficult against disciplined Stingers bowling. The hosts finished on 74 for 5, falling 51 runs short in what proved a comprehensive cup victory for the Stingers.