Hursley Park lifted the 2015 ECB Women’s Indoor Cricket Club Championship on what was a closely fought finals day at Leicester.
Hursley Park clinched the decider on count-back, based on their game against Horsham, which they had won by two runs.
All four teams were tied on one win each ahead of the final round of matches, with all results possible. Hursley Park held a one-skin advantage over Horsham and New Farnley, with JG Meakins a further skin behind.
Horsham batted first against New Farnley and scored 97, with skins of 40, 17 and 40.
New Farnley were never in the hunt though, with eight wickets falling over the innings, including four for Flora Bertwistle, leaving them on 32 runs from their nine overs.
Horsham’s three-skin victory had set the marker, with Hursley Park batting first in the final match against JG Meakins.
Hursley Park made a competitive 102 with skins of 22, 41 and 39, as the result came down to the last three overs of the JG Meakins’ innings.
Hursley Park needed to restrict them to less than 35 to win the trophy, but with England international Danni Wyatt heading out to bat this was going to be a challenge. However, three wickets in the eighth over from Sian Edwards put JG Meakins under too much pressure and they were unable to recover.
Hursley Park had won by 17 runs, with two skins, leaving them level on points with Horsham.
The title was then decided on count-back, from a game where Horsham batted first against Hursley Park and scored a steady 85.
Following 43 runs from their first two pairs, Hursley Park needed a 44-run partnership between Charlotte Taylor and Harriet Batchelor to help win the match and eventually the trophy.
The final standings saw JG Meakins finish third and New Farnley fourth.
