Foxes Fall to 51-Run Defeat Against Kent

After an economic powerplay, Kent Women were only 28/2 thanks to two wickets in the opening over from Thatcher. However, Blinkhorn-Jones and Castle hit 71 and 56 respectively to take the visitors to 161/4 at the end of their innings.

With bat in hand, Leicestershire Women lost wickets consistently in the first ten overs, falling to 57/5 at the halfway way point. Singh and Sheik prevented an embarrassment, but Kent’s victory never appeared in doubt as they won by 51 runs.

With light cloud cover overhead at Kibworth CC, Belt won the toss for Kent Women and elected to bat first.

Thatcher made an electric start with the ball, removing Streets with the first ball of the match as she bottom-edged through to Watson before dismissing Gordon for 4 with a near carve and copy four balls later. The Foxes bowled well to restrict Kent to only 28/2 by the end of the powerplay.

In the seventh over, King top-edged a Whitfield delivery that stuck in the pitch slightly, attempting to work it into the leg side as she was caught by Chissell at point for 9.

However, Blinkhorn-Jones’ unbeaten 71 and Castle’s 56 (she was bowled by Singh missing a reverse sweep in the final over) saw the pair put on 123 runs for the fourth wicket, taking the visitors to 161/4 after their twenty overs – a total that seemed far out of reach at the end of the first six overs.

In reply, Leicestershire lost their captain Brooker for 10 in the fourth over, as she was caught behind by Blinkhorn-Jones, playing a half-hearted drive outside off stump, giving Gorham her first of the match. Two balls later, she picked up the wicket of Whitfield who was caught by Gordon at mid-off for a duck.

At the end of the following over, Watson was bowled by Young for 11, before bowling Grayson for 9 in her next over. Just before the halfway point, Chissell was stumped by Blinkhorn-Jones off the bowling of James for 11 – the Foxes requiring 105 to win from the final ten overs.

At the start of the twelfth over, holed out to Young in the leg-side, falling to Belt for 11.

Singh and Sheik formed a partnership worth 36, but the pair never looked like they would bring the hosts back into contention. Singh picked out Gordon at cow-corner in the final over, departing to Gorham for 25, as Kent completed a comfortable 51 run victory.