Stingers Soft Ball v Emmbrook & Bearwood Womens Softball

Stingers Cruise to Dominant 50-Run Victory as Davis Shines With Ball and Bat

Sonning Stingers Soft Ball produced an emphatic all-round display to defeat Emmbrook & Bearwood by 50 runs at King George's Field on 24 July 2022 in the Berkshire Women's Softball Performance – East league fixture.

Captain Sharon Fleming won the toss and chose to field first, a decision that was vindicated almost immediately. Emmbrook & Bearwood's innings never truly got going, with only opener Hina Sethi managing to reach double figures, scoring 10 from 14 balls including the only boundary of the innings. Captain Katherine Brickley contributed 6 from 14 deliveries and Arti A added a brisk 4 from 5 balls, but the visitors struggled to find the boundary rope with any regularity and were restricted to 43 for 3 from their 12 overs.

The outstanding bowling performance came from Siobhan Davis, who returned truly remarkable figures of 3 for 1 from her two overs, including a maiden. Davis was virtually unplayable, accounting for all three Emmbrook & Bearwood wickets and conceding just a single run in the process. It was a spell that effectively strangled any momentum the visitors might have hoped to build through the middle overs.

Frances Howson was equally miserly at the top of the bowling attack, conceding only 5 runs from her two overs without a single wide or no-ball. Melissa Pengraeve and Rebecca Malhi also bowled tidy spells, giving away just 7 and 4 runs respectively, ensuring there was no escape for the Emmbrook batters at any stage of the innings. Fifteen extras, including 10 wides, offered some relief but were never enough to build a competitive total.

The Stingers' reply was comprehensive from the outset. Frances Howson set the tone at the top of the order with an excellent 19 from just 13 balls, striking three fours to put the visitors' attack under immediate pressure. Her aggressive intent ensured the required rate was never a concern and gave the rest of the batting line-up the freedom to play their natural game.

Davis followed up her devastating bowling spell with a quick-fire 15 from only 6 balls, crashing three boundaries in an innings that underlined her status as the match's outstanding performer. Rebecca Malhi chipped in with a useful 8 from 12 deliveries, while Rachel McCabe contributed 5 to keep the scoreboard ticking along nicely through the middle order.

Melissa Pengraeve provided a fitting finale with an excellent 18 from 12 balls, including a four, ensuring the Stingers finished with a flourish. The hosts racked up 93 without loss from their 12 overs, with 38 extras — including 10 wides, 12 no-balls and 15 penalty runs — further inflating the total. Not a single Sonning batter was dismissed, highlighting the complete dominance of their run chase.

The 50-run margin of victory, combined with the fact that Emmbrook & Bearwood's eight bowlers all went wicketless, told the story of an afternoon where the Stingers were in control from first ball to last. Davis's match figures of 3 for 1 with the ball and 15 runs with the bat made her the standout performer, while contributions across the squad ensured Sonning collected all three league points on offer.