Stingers Soft Ball v Emmbrook & Bearwood Womens Softball

Stingers Cruise to Comprehensive Victory as Batters Dominate Emmbrook & Bearwood

Sonning Stingers Soft Ball delivered a commanding all-round display to defeat Emmbrook & Bearwood in the Berkshire Women's Softball Performance – East league fixture on 17th July 2022, chasing down the visitors' total of 52 with considerable ease to finish on 99 without loss of wicket.

Captain Melissa Pengraeve won the toss and chose to field first, a decision that proved inspired as her bowlers kept the opposition in check throughout their 12 overs. Emmbrook & Bearwood struggled to build any meaningful momentum, with Julie Daniels the only batter to offer genuine resistance. Daniels struck three fours in her innings of 12 from 14 balls, but found little support from her teammates as the rest of the visiting line-up could manage only single-figure scores.

The Stingers' bowling effort was led by Siobhan Davis, who returned excellent figures of 2-0-3-1, conceding just three runs from her two overs while claiming a wicket. Melissa Pengraeve was equally impressive with the ball, picking up 1 for 5 from her two overs to complement her captaincy with match-changing frugality. Frances Howson also bowled tidily, going for just four runs from her two overs, while Grace Phillips kept things tight at 2-0-6-0. The Stingers did leak 18 extras, with Sandhya Sharma's solitary over proving costly at 15 runs, though the damage was largely contained by the frontline bowlers.

Emmbrook & Bearwood were ultimately restricted to 52 for 5, a total that always looked well below par. Katherine Brickley was dismissed twice during her stay at the crease, while Sonali Patil was also out twice, contributing to the five wickets that fell during the innings.

The Stingers' reply was emphatic. Frances Howson set the tone at the top of the order with a blistering 21 from just 12 balls, smashing five fours to put the home side firmly in control from the outset. Siobhan Davis continued her fine all-round match with 10 off 9 balls, including two boundaries, ensuring the scoring rate never dropped.

It was captain Pengraeve, however, who stole the show with the bat. Coming in at number seven, she produced the innings' highest score of 22 from just 10 deliveries, finding the boundary five times in a devastating display of clean hitting. Sarah Wonham provided further impetus at number eight, striking two fours in her unbeaten 10 from 8 balls, as the Stingers motored to their target without losing a single wicket.

The opposition bowlers struggled for any control, conceding 43 extras — including 18 wides and 25 penalty runs — as Sonning reached 99 for 0 from their 12 overs. Katherine Brickley was the most economical of the Emmbrook & Bearwood attack, conceding just five runs from two overs, but she found no support from her fellow bowlers. The comprehensive 47-run victory earned the Stingers a full three league points and underlined their credentials in the competition.