A win and a defeat for Women in indoor round two

It was a tale of two very different finishes for our women in their latest indoor outings, featuring a dominant display against Narborough followed by a heart-breaking final-skin thriller against Houghton and Thurnby.

?The evening started in scintillating fashion, putting Narborough to the sword with a clinical 132–84 victory - securing all four skins in the process and a maximum haul of 7 points.

?The batting effort was led by a Player of the Match performance from Tessa Preston, who anchored the innings with a composed 41 runs.

She found excellent support from Erin Needham, who struck 35, and Lauren Ellis, who added a brisk 23. This collective effort kept the scoreboard ticking relentlessly, setting a target that proved far too steep for their opponents.

?On the bowling front,  Jayde Patterson was the pick of the attack, claiming 4 wickets for just 8 runs, while Ellis also chipped in with 4 wickets to keep the Narborough batters under constant pressure. It was a complete performance that left Narborough with no room to breathe.

?The second fixture was a much tighter affair, ultimately decided by the narrowest of margins as Houghton and Thurnby squeezed home with an 80–79 victory. In a match where both sides took two skins each, it was a single run that proved to be the difference.

?Patterson was the lead with the bat, scoring 22, while Ellis (21) and Tessa Preston (18) again contributed vital runs. The team looked to be in a strong position after the first three skins, but a difficult fourth skin, where we finished on -7, left the door open for a Houghton comeback.

?Houghton and Thurnby’s Elizabeth Page proved to be the thorn in Sileby's side. Her Player of the Match performance included 27 runs and 3 wickets for a net cost of -2 runs, spearheading the late charge that saw her side cross the line.

?Despite the narrow loss, we walked away with 2 points for our two skin wins, though it will also be looked at as an opportunity missed with such a narrow margin of defeat.