Suffolk Women bounce back to win

June 17, 2025

SUFFOLK Women won one and lost one of their Vitality Blast T20 League 3 Division 2 South fixtures away to Dorset, writes Jack Oastler.

Sunday’s first game at Wimborne CC nearly saw a late Suffolk fightback, before they ultimately lost by seven runs chasing 105 as Lauren Swinburne starred with 3 for 29 and a quickfire 11.

In the second game, Charlotte Anderson’s maiden Suffolk fifty set up a score of 143 for 5. Amber Bradnam then took 2 for 20 to help Suffolk win by 25 runs.

Asked to field first in game one, Suffolk started in trademark fashion: a tight first over courtesy of spinner Immy Sidhu was backed up by Bradnam at the other end.

However, the openers settled quickly and Izzy Reeve was not afraid to play some shots – twice finding the straight boundary. Dorset built to 33 for 0 with very few problems.

Swinburne’s pace was introduced in the ninth over to shake things up. It took just three balls for the move to pay off, as Reeve (22) saw her stumps shattered. Captain Caitlin Chissell came to the crease, and immediately looked comfortable – clipping through the legside, before cutting through the offside for consecutive boundaries.

Izzy Sidhu began her day’s work with a pair of three-run overs. Her third started eventfully: a legside boundary was followed by a breakthrough, as Megan Bishop (23) edged an attempted cut to keeper Liv Hyndman.

The fightback continued, and Swinburne was the catalyst again. First Chissell attempted a cut, but misjudged the bounce and edged to short third. Mamta Kothiyal saw an uncontrolled swipe evade the keeper, before an under-edge was well held by Hyndman.

With Dorset 62 for 4 with seven overs to go, Suffolk were in control. Victoria Pack had other ideas: Sidhu’s last over cost twelve, courtesy of a trio of pulled fours. She added another off Swinburne’s last ball, to put a dent in figures of 3 for 29.

Pack’s fun was over shortly after. Suffolk captain Lara Neild brought herself on, and was quickly vindicated as she bowled the Dorset keeper for a 13-ball 22.

Tamsin Holmes kept the pressure up; her first over cost just two thanks to a consistent line wide outside off. Mixed in was a bouncer, which reared up and forced Louisa Heap to retire.

Neild and Holmes kept the brakes on, leaking just eleven runs from overs 16 to 19. Though the last over cost nine, a target of 105 – less than a run-a-ball – meant that the game was in the balance.

Regular opener Amelie Clarke faced first, and found the rope three times in the first two overs to set a good foundation. Kelsey Rees retaliated, bowling her at the end of the second for 13.

Immy Sidhu came and went, and Immy Hill was caught soon after, ushering in a quiet rebuilding period. The next boundary came in the tenth over, whipped through the legside by Megan Haynes, after the dismissal of opener Anderson (14). Haynes was then caught at mid-wicket to leave Suffolk in a perilous position at 47 for 5.

By the thirteenth over, it was clear that luck was not on Suffolk’s side. A straight drive caught the bowler’s finger and hit the stumps, running out Hyndman for two. Izzy Sidhu held out for 22 balls, but fell to leave Suffolk 48 short with three wickets left.

A strength of this team is the depth of their batting, so there was still belief with six overs to go.

Holmes got the counterattack underway with two boundaries. The eighth-wicket pair knew that they had to run everything to stand a chance, and added 23 from 14 before Holmes (14) was caught.

The rate was back down to six an over as Swinburne arrived at the crease. Neild departed soon after for a quick 10, leaving the last wicket pair 20 to get.

Penny Dirou (2 for 26) had the ball, and began with a wide before Swinburne ran two, thanks to an impressive – if unnecessary – dive. The Suffolk bowler then went aerially to the boundary, and backed it up with two more before getting off strike.

A free hit beckoned for number 11 Bradnam, but Swinburne was run out trying to get back for two, and Dorset won by seven runs.

After lunch came another chance in game two, and Suffolk seized the initiative at the toss by choosing to bat first.

Clarke picked up where she had left off, hitting seven fours in an impressive innings of 41. She was strong on the pull: five of her boundaries came through the legside. At 42 for 0 after the powerplay, the visitors looked set for a big score.

The first-wicket partnership ended on 52, as Clarke hesitated before being run-out taking a single to mid-wicket.

Anderson had played second fiddle up to this point, and as Immy Sidhu joined her at the crease she seemed content to play sensibly for a while. Clarke’s blazing start gave the batters room to breathe, and wait for Dorset to make mistakes.

The twelfth over cost 21, and featured seven wides and a no-ball, while two of the legal deliveries were swept to the boundary by Sidhu. Another four for Sidhu through midwicket took her to 19 from just 11 balls.

Clever running was a feature throughout, epitomised by a quartet of twos for Anderson which took Suffolk to 101 for 1. Her acceleration continued with a clear show of authority: a skip down the wicket to the spin of Dirou, followed by a powerful straight drive to the rope.

The young opener capped a mature innings when she cut a full toss through point to bring up a 55-ball half-century.

With wickets in hand, there was no panic when Sidhu (25) was caught at cover. Holmes was rewarded for her clean striking in the earlier game and promoted to number four, but fell for one. Haynes, however, added four off the last two balls to round out a healthy target of 144.

Suffolk began with Sidhu and Bradnam once more, and this time found early success. Bradnam’s third ball was heaved high, and caught at mid-on.

Dorset took nine runs from both the third and fourth overs to stay in the game – using the large boundaries to run seven twos – but Bradnam delivered a perfect response in the sixth over. Bishop chipped the ball back to the bowler, who took the catch after a juggle. The over cost just one, and Dorset ended the powerplay 34 for 2.

Chissell was next out thanks to a brilliant run-out. On 19, the batter cut to Anderson at third man and set off for a single. One sharp throw later, she was on her way.

The two new batters looked uncomfortable as Sidhu closed out her spell of 0 for 20. A cover drive by Kothiyal settled her nerves, but Pack was bowled for six by Clarke (1 for 23).

What followed was an admirable effort by Kothiyal, who scored an unbeaten 55 to delay Suffolk’s celebrations. In truth, though, the game was all but over once Holmes (1 for 13) had Matilda Churchill caught. Dorset limped to 118 for 5, finishing 25 runs short.

 

Scorecard – Match 1

Scorecard – Match 2

 

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