With their opening Premier League fixture being rained off this was their first taste of top table action following their promotion and while a 49 run defeat seems a considerable gulf on paper, there were some excellent performances and much resilience shown with both bat and ball.

Skipper Issie Barnes made the brave decision to bowl first having won the toss and was instantly rewarded as Teagan Broughton bowled Rothley skipper Sophie Bennett with the first ball of the game.

That very early loss brought Katie Midwood to the crease and it was the experienced batter who would, ultimately, be the difference between the two sides as she posted an unbeaten 130.

The Sileby attack bowled with great discipline and kept chipping away at regular intervals with only Midwood showing considerable resistance within the Rothley order.

Broughton finished with 3-44 while Charley Dickerson claimed 2-35 as Rothley closed on 205 for 9 from their 45 overs.

Our reply started steadily with Molly Satterthwaite and Beth Black providing a solid start as they posted 37 before the visitors could make an incision. The loss of Black for 15 was swiftly followed by that of Jo Welford (0).

Satterthwaite and Flora Davies added 25 before the latter was run out with the score on 64, with that being the first of four wickets to fall for no runs - indeed, 64 for 2 would rapidly become 86 for 9 and Rothley will have been expecting the final wicket to follow swiftly.

Satterthwaite found a willing and able ally in the form of her skipper as the pair stemmed the flow of wickets and gradually set about building the total.

The duo added an unbroken 70 for the ninth wicket with Satterthwaite registering her first Premier League half century in the process. They were also aided by the generosity of the Rothley bowlers who conceded a whopping 40 in bowling extras to add to the 18 fielding extras.

We finished on a respectable 156 for 9 with Satterthwaite unbeaten on 57 from 139 balls with six fours and Barnes a dogged 14 from 38 with two fours.

Huge credit to the girls for the fight and no little skill they showed during the day and they will take great confidence from the game while also knowing that there is plenty to work on too.

The scorecard from the game is available here.