Foxes Women Succumb to Defeat in Final Game of Season

After losing Streets early, Castle provided stability to the innings, making 60 in 73 balls before departing just prior to drinks. Chissell kept Kent Women pinned down throughout the middle overs, bowling 10 overs for 3-32 before Hall picked up two wickets in the forty-fourth over. However, Young and Gorham put on 40 together for the ninth wicket to take the hosts to 272/8.

In reply, Leicestershire Women lost two wickets in the powerplay before the spinners removed any hope they had regained after Oliver and Chissell had started to recover the innings. Kent wrapped up the game before forty overs had been bowled, taking the victory by 88 runs as they bowled the visitors out for 184.

The heat returned at Canterbury as Brooker won the toss for the Foxes and elected to bowl first.

One of three Leicestershire loanees, Booker picked up a wicket in her first over, finding the edge of Streets’ bat, who was caught behind by Western for 6.

Gordon and Castle looked dangerous as they settled into a partnership which came to a premature end when the former clubbed a back-of-a-length Chissell delivery to Thatcher at mid-on, falling for 19.

Chissell provided another wicket a couple of overs before drinks, thanks to Blinkhorn Jones edging an attempted straight drive to wicketkeeper Western, departing for 16.

Having passed fifty in fifty-eight deliveries, Castle was providing an anchor for Kent’s innings, but on the final ball before drinks, she shuffled down the pitch, playing an aggressive on drive, missing it and finding that Whitfield had hit her off-stump, removing her for 60.

Ten overs later, Chissell made another breakthrough, dismissing Singer LBW for 20. Hardwick played an aggressive innings, making 30 in only 24 deliveries before she was bowled by Booker in the forty-second over.

Hall produced two wickets in the forty-fourth over, starting with the dangerous Barnfather, who scythed a drive to Colquhoun, falling for 52. Then four balls later, she trapped James LBW for 4.

Young and Gorham ensured no further Kent wickets fell, scoring 17 and 22 respectively to take the hosts to 272/8 after their allocation of fifty overs.

In response, Leicestershire lost their captain at the end of the first over as she had her off-stump removed by Hardwick, departing for a duck. In the sixth over, Western edged a wafted drive through to keeper Blinkhorn-Jones, departing to Gorham for 10.

Ten overs later, Oliver top-edged a heave, resulting in her being caught and bowled by James for 32. At the start of the twentieth over, Weston pulled Belt only as far as Streets, falling for 7.

Just before drinks, Colquhoun played an aerial on drive against Belt which saw her caught by Gorham for 7, before Chissell was stumped by Blinkhorn-Jones, falling to James for 49 an over later.

Four overs later, Gorham removed Hall, who edged an expansive drive to Blinkhorn-Jones, departing for 6. Gorham took her third, turning it past Whitfield, who advanced down the pitch, leading to the second stumping of the innings. Herathge attempted to pile Belt over the infield, but she was caught by James for 3.

In the fortieth over, James rounded off the match when Booker’s leading edge found its way to Young at short cover – the hosts winning by 88 runs.