with an impressive 108 run win at Welbeck, Nottinghamshire.
A perfect sunny day greeted the girls in Welbeck, Nottinghamshire with the sun shining on an inviting wicket and outfield.
Nottinghamshire won the toss and elected to field leaving Yorkshire openers Bella Copley and Sophia Singh the opportunity to post a good score. After smashing a boundary Sophia was unlucky to be bowled to one that kept low but this allowed Daisy Stokoe to join Bella in the middle and start what was to be become a remarkable partnership.
With Bella taking the more attacking lead she reached her maiden county 50 off just 39 balls. It was a belligerent display of batting of the highest order. Any short balls smashed to the boundary and Bella’s silky front foot drive was in perfect working order. It was clearly frustrating the Nottinghamshire captain who was struggling to contain the runs with her field placements.
Daisy was batting with application and purpose, displaying excellent technique and frustrating Nottinghamshire with her cunning shot placement (especially her trademark glances down the leg side) and her pace between the wickets. But as she was about to close in on her 50 a mix up led to a run out and Daisy was walking back to the pavilion having accumulated an impressive 40 runs in a 135 partnership for the 2nd wicket.
With fellow West Yorkshire team mate Lucy Lindley joining Bella in the middle the it wasn’t long before Bella was holding her bat aloft again to acknowledge her maiden century (off just 88 balls) for the White Rose accompanied by wild celebrations from the rest of the team. A superlative innings and no more than she deserved.
The runs continued to flow with Lucy attacking well in the closing overs to reach a chanceless 19 not out (including 2 boundaries off just 18 balls).
The last ball of the innings to Bella was an uncharacteristic dot, but with 20 boundaries and 2 sixes to her name she walked of the square to rapturous applause on 148 not out closing the Yorkshire innings on an imposing 243-2 after 35 overs. It was a record-breaking score being the highest ever achieved by an U13 player in a county fixture and a real privilege to witness.
After the lunch interval the Nottinghamshire run chase began with the Yorkshire strike bowlers Jess Thompson and Elicia Pollard sharing the first 8 overs. Both bowled with pace and accuracy and were unlucky as stoic defence from the Nottinghamshire openers and a few failed appeals got them through to the first change of bowling.
That change brought on Poppy Moss and once again she got the breakthrough by clean bowling Nottinghamshire opener Maddy Ward before following that up with another wicket in her 3rd over. Her bowling partner Jess Tully also took out captain Elizabeth Porter to leave Notts struggling on 53-3 after 13.1 overs.
Next up were the spinning duo of Shauna Yates and Katie Hay who grabbed a wicket apiece. Katie grabbing the important wicket (caught by Lucy Lindley) of opener Millie Thornley who was the main resistance in the Notts innings having got to 42.
After that Yorkshire were in total control and Francis Lonsdale and all-rounder Daisy Stokoe bowled impressively (and frugally) to take 2 wickets each before a Jess Thompson run out ended the Nottinghamshire innings after 31.5 overs on 135 all out.
Next up for Yorkshire is Derbyshire on 6th June at Walton (home).