MCC won the toss and elected to bat. On a lightning-fast outfield, they raced to 200-1 after just 28 overs and looked set for a big total. However, our bowlers fought back to restrict them to 288-5 from their 40 overs.

Aoife was the pick of the attack with 2-34 from 6 overs, while Izzy claimed 2-51 from her full allocation of 8. Emelia and Charlotte also bowled with great control, conceding just 31 and 33 runs respectively from their six-over spells.

Following a fantastic tea courtesy of Wendy, we began the chase knowing we would need something special. The batters rose to the challenge, matching the required rate for much of the innings and putting victory firmly within sight. At 247-7 after 34 overs, with Hannah and Charlotte well set, we needed just 42 runs from the final six overs for what would have been a memorable win for this young side.

Sadly, it wasn’t quite to be. We were eventually dismissed for 265, falling just 23 runs short, but there was plenty to celebrate.

The standout performance came from Hannah Stobbs, who produced a magnificent 113, bringing up her century from just 88 balls. Her innings was made even more impressive by the fact she battled through cramp during the closing stages. She was well supported by Charlotte (34) and Lucy (31), helping to keep the chase alive right until the closing overs.

A huge thank-you to our umpires, Anthony and Rupert, our scorers, Alison and Clare, and everyone from the Club who came along to support the team and help make this such a memorable occasion.

MCC Women – 288-5 (40 overs)
Harpenden Women – 265 all out
MCC Women won by 23 runs

Match report by Steve Whittle