Stingers Soft Ball v Reading Lions Women's Softball

Stingers Secure Cup Victory Over Reading Lions on Fewer Wickets

Sonning Stingers Soft Ball progressed in the WSB Cup with a hard-fought victory over Reading Lions at King George's Field on 31 July, winning on fewer wickets lost after both sides finished level on 92 runs in this pairs format encounter.

Reading Lions captain Deepthi Divakar won the toss and elected to bat, making the most of the decision with a brisk 18 off 13 balls at the top of the order, striking three fours to set the tone. Ashwini Ashwini provided useful runs lower down with 14 off 12 deliveries including two boundaries, while Raenu Babu contributed 13 and Bency Mathew added a quickfire 11 from just six balls. The Lions posted 92 for 8 from their 16 overs, with 26 extras also boosting the total.

Rita Green was the standout performer with the ball for the Stingers, delivering a superb spell of 4-12 from her three overs to repeatedly break the Lions' momentum. Amberley Taylor chipped in with two wickets for 19, while Chloe Bailey and Michaela Herrett claimed a wicket apiece. The eight wickets taken would prove decisive in the final reckoning.

In reply, the Stingers needed to match or surpass the Lions' total, and they knew that keeping wickets in hand could prove crucial. The early overs were steady rather than spectacular, with openers Chloe Bailey (6 off 13) and Hannah Brooks (8 off 11) laying a platform without taking excessive risks.

Gill Bailey injected pace into the innings with a fluent 14 off 12 balls, finding the boundary rope twice, but it was Rita Green who once again proved the match-winner. Following up her outstanding bowling display, Green top-scored with 18 off 12 deliveries, punishing the Lions attack with two well-struck fours to keep the Stingers on track.

The Reading Lions bowling struggled for consistency, conceding 30 extras including 16 no-balls and 14 wides. Ashwini Ashwini's three overs proved particularly costly, going for 29 runs including eight no-balls and four wides. Marushiika ST was the most economical of the Lions bowlers, conceding just seven runs from two overs and taking a wicket. Raenu Babu and Uthara Sivaram also claimed a wicket each.

The Stingers reached 92 for 3 from their 16 overs, matching the Lions' total but crucially losing only three wickets compared to the opposition's eight. That five-wicket differential proved the margin of victory, sending Sharon Fleming's side through to the next round of the cup in what was an excellent all-round team performance, with Rita Green's match figures of 4-12 with the ball and 18 with the bat making her the clear player of the match.