Devon Cricket Board - First national T20 title for Tarka Ladies

First national T20 title for Tarka Ladies

Captain Daisy Meadowcroft shows off the Lady Taverners’ T20 Cup after Tarka Ladies defeated Wrenthrope by eight wickets
in the final at Grantham
TARKA Ladies defeated Wenthorpe by eight wickets to claim the Lady Taverners’ T20 Club Championship title.
Tarka had not gone past the group stages of the competition before, where Newport inevitably got the best of them.
Four regional winners – North East, North West, South West and South East – met at Grantham in Lincolnshire to contest the finals.
Waiting for Tarka Ladies were Narborough & Littlethorpe, from nearby Leicestershire.
Tarka were put in on a difficult batting surface and did well to reach 133 for three
Eluned Davies, Morgan Harrison Hooton and Rose Ball all contributed to the score.
Carmen Clements made 42 before being run-out and Daisy Meadowcroft, who has been magnificent throughout the competition, played a captain’s knock of 52 not out.
Although Narborough gave determined chase, Ball took two for 10 off five overs.
Wickets also fell to Ellie Holland, Clements and Meadowcroft.
With a brilliant run-out by Jess Thompson and wicket-keeper Morgan Harrison-Hooton, a competent Narborough team were all out for 46.
Wrenthorpe from Yorkshire won the other semi-final with relative ease after piling up 198 against Cuckfield.
With a DJ cranking up the atmosphere, and in front of England international Tammy Beaumont, Tarka took on Wrenthorpe in the final.
Wrenthorpe were old hands at participation in the finals, so the Devon girls knew they were up against it.
Ball was on fire, taking two early wickets including the dangerous Evie Woodhead, who had made 95 in the morning semi-final.
Wrenthorpe rallied and some aggressive batting got them up to 106 for six.
Ball finished with four for six from five overs – two bowled, two caught by Clements and Harrison-Hooton.
Tarka gave away too many extras and were not sure that under pressure they would keep their heads.
The girls batted like champions. Meadowcroft was unlucky to be run out trying to rack up runs for the team.
Eluned Davies opened with 19 before being caught.
Clements (54no) and Ball with a quick 26 not out got Tarka Ladies home and dry.
Manager Jan Witheridge and coach Mark Overton were jusly proud of the girls’ focussed and determined performance.
“This competition has been a long-term goal for the Tarka girls and it is fantastic it has been achieved by these girls, who have worked and trained together with few changes to the line-up since they were under-11s,” said Witheridge.
The team comprised captain Daisy Meadowcroft, Carmen Clements, Rose Ball, Morgan Harrison Hooton, Ellie Holland, Eluned Davies, Min Muir, Kate Williams, Molly Down and Jess Thompson.
Before setting off for Lincolnshire, Witheridge and Overton were with the Tarka U13 team for the regional final of the Lady Taverners’ softball competition in Bristol.
Tarka U13 girls won all their matches against champions from, Berkshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
The team, led by captain Grace Heard, comprised Issy George, Flora Corbin, Ruby Davis, Saffy Ayara-Epke, Eleanor Voce, Charlotte Lipscombe and Olivia Churcher

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