Bradninch & Kentisbeare Women’s XI may have gone down by a margin of 160 runs when they entertained Bovey Tracey Women’s XI in a Devon Women’s Cricket League Division Two meeting, but another good turnout at Kensham Park were able to see something rather special – a new ‘best to date’ partnership for a B&K Women’s seventh wicket with sisters Heather and Sarah Stanbury putting on 62 for the seventh wicket.
It beat the previous best – the 59 put on by skipper Meg Acton and Fi Moran against Cullompton in May 2023 – to take its place in the ‘club records’!
What’s more, with Father Mark Stanbury in the score box recording the match and Heathers husband, Ankit Badwal, who yesterday had played a big part in the 1st XI win at Paignton, watching on, we most certainly had a Kensham Park ‘Family Affair’.
Bovey Tracey won the toss and batted first and powered their way to an imposing 270-7 from their 35 overs.
The visitors had no fewer than three half centuries to celebrate, the first being that scored by opener Monica Gair who hit a 42-ball eleven boundary 65 before number five bat Libby McNally scored a 46-ball eleven boundary 66 and finally, number four bat was unbeaten on 56, scored from 54 balls, and she hit six boundaries as her team closed with what looked a ‘match winning’ total.
The ’best of the rest’ after the three half centuries was a knock of 23 from the 33 balls that Megan Pascoe faced.
One other very noteworthy stat to come from the Bovey Tracey innings was that the fourth wicket partnership between Evans and McBally that realised 105 runs in just twelve overs.
For B&K in terms of the bowling effort the honours undoubtedly must go to Abby Hayes who claimed wickets in successive balls in the 26th over, her first thanks to a splendid catch held by Florence Elliott and then, with the very next delivery, the B&K bowler knocked over the stumps!
Hayes went on to finish with the splendid figures of 4-39 from seven overs – and she also held two catches in the field to complete a terrific first half of the contest!
The other wicket takers were Carrian Jones (2-38 from five overs) and Emma Farley (1-42 from seven). The other B&K bowling returns were: Heather Stanbury (0-47 from five), Faye Ross (0-56 from seven) and Florence Elliott (0-44 from four).
When the home side began their effort with the bat they lost Emma Farley for a 20-ball nine, Florence Elliott for an 11-ball four, Fi Moran for a 37-ball 11 and Abby Hayes for a three-ball duck to sit four down with 40 runs on the board after 14.3 overs (as a comparison, at the same stage, Bovey Tracey had been 110-3).
Wickets five and six were those of Faye Ross, sent back for a seven-ball two and Paula Rovira, who scored an eight-ball one to leave B&K on 46-6, one ball into the 19th over.
However, that was when number four bat Sarah Stanbury was joined by number her sister Heather, batting at number eight.
The pair stayed together until, with just eight balls of the contest remaining the fine innings of Sarah was ended when she was adjudged leg before and was sent back having faced 71 balls for her contribution of 39 runs.
The sisters had put on 62 in just shy of 15 overs. Heather was not out 3 from the 51 balls she faced.
Justine Reed took over and ensured there were no further wickets lost with her contribution being an unbeaten one from eight deliveries faced.
B&K finished on 110-7 from their 35 overs with no fewer than 40 of the runs coming in extras.
For the visiting bowling returns, the best was the 4-22 from the seven overs sent down by Libby McNally who certainly had a top claim to the title of ‘Player of the Day’ given her half century and four wicket haul. Lauren Ellis finished with 2-19 from her seven overs and the other returns were: Amelie Webber (1-21 from seven), Megan Pascoe (0-17 from seven), Lilly Driver (0-5 from four) and Monica Gair (0-9 from three).