Two tight defeats for Suffolk Women

July 2, 2025

SUFFOLK Women suffered two tight defeats to Oxfordshire in the Vitality Blast T20 League 3 Division 2 South on Sunday in Bury St Edmunds.

The morning game at the Victory Ground saw Suffolk fall six runs short in a chase of 146, before their opponents chased 149 with six wickets in hand in the afternoon, writes Jack Oastler.

In the earlier game, three wickets for Sophie Hughes, plus two for Laila Hollis, helped Suffolk restrict the league leaders to 145 for 9 despite a late flurry of boundaries.

In reply, Amelie Clarke (33) made quick inroads before Immy Sidhu anchored the innings with 38. The run-rate began to spiral, but Liv Hyndman pulled for six to leave 16 runs needed from the last over. However, she was stumped with a ball to go, and Oxfordshire were safe.

Hughes and Hollis combined once again, with the bat this time, in a 94-run partnership which formed the backbone of Suffolk’s 148 for 5 in the second game.

Two early wickets each for Hollis and Lauren Swinburne gave their side hope of defending it, but opener Sophie Mitchelmore batted through for 61 not out to take the visitors over the line with five balls to spare.

Sunday started and ended with Mitchelmore batting – and she was the first batter out, as a straight drive flew into the hands of bowler Sidhu in the fifth over of the day. Her opening partner fell shortly after, thanks to a good low catch at point by Petra Tweedy off the bowling of Amber Bradnam.

Visiting captain Emilia Bartram swept and pulled her way to a 14-ball 21, but holed out to Swinburne at deep mid-wicket to give Hollis her first wicket of the day.

The foundations were laid for a decent score at 64 for 3 after ten overs, with Sophie Grayson at the crease. The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 121 against Suffolk in April, and looked in the mood to repeat it as she found four boundaries against Hollis.

Leg spinner Hughes saw her off for 26, thanks to the safe hands of Immy Hill at the long-on boundary. Hill took a similar catch in Hughes’ next over, this time even more impressive as she had to run around to her left.

Those wickets formed half of a collapse of 4 for 15 in three overs. Hollis bowled Ellie Ingram, before Liv Locke ran out Kirsty Dymond at the bowler’s end.

Maisie Wright swung the momentum back towards Oxfordshire thanks to a three-ball cameo. A six into the car park at mid-wicket was followed by four through cow corner, but bowler Clarke bounced back and had her caught at long-on.

Felicity Rae-Welsh took 13 from the last over, but Suffolk finished on a high as Hyndman completed a stumping to give Hughes figures of 3 for 26.

A target of 146 was formidable, but within reach, thanks to a tight fielding display and regular wickets. Remarkably, every single bowling change brought about a wicket within four balls.

Opening the batting, Clarke made up for a sedate start with a trio of driven boundaries in the third over. Locke fell early, but Sidhu opened her account with a late cut for two before sweeping for four.

Clarke pulled Bartram’s first ball for six over square leg, but the Oxfordshire captain did not concede another boundary until her last over. That was a pull through mid-wicket to move Clarke to 33 – her innings was over a ball later, as the ball skidded off the bottom of her bat into the stumps.

Sidhu was largely reserved until the 14th over, which cost 15. The 15th went for ten, but her acceleration was cut short as she was bowled for 38.

Suffolk were 99 for 3 with four overs to go, needing nearly twelve an over. They scored ten from the 17th and eight from the 18th, but lost four wickets in the process.

Hyndman was left to get an unlikely 29 from the last two overs, but pulled expertly for six to give Suffolk some hope.

The ground at Bury featured one long boundary and one short one, and for the last over, the long one lay on the leg-side. Oxfordshire had three fielders on that boundary, effectively ruling out the pull shot. Hyndman was clever: she stepped back and gave herself room to drive over extra cover for four.

With 10 still needed from four, she had no choice but to take on the fielders, and was dropped on the boundary. The last two balls had to reach the rope, but she was stumped for 17 to leave Suffolk six runs short.

The Suffolk keeper had still transformed the game, and given her side confidence going into the second game of the day.

Suffolk chose to bat, and Clarke kicked things off with a set of cover drives to move to 13. She fell early, but Sidhu started brightly again, taking nine from the fourth over. The all-rounder was unfortunate to get out, caught at cover by Dymond: the fielder was running and took a magnificent catch over her shoulder.

Tweedy started off with a sumptuous cover drive, but that was the last boundary for four overs. Locke, Tweedy and Hill all fell before Hollis swept to fine leg for four.

Hughes had joined Hollis at the crease, and the pair ran smartly to build their partnership. Of the 64 balls they faced together, just 15 were dots.

Hollis was the early aggressor, and the partnership was already worth fifty by the time Hughes pulled through backward square for her first boundary. The left-hander quickly made up for lost time, walking down and dispatching the ball onto the roof of the nets before driving aerially over long-on for four.

Hughes top-scored with 41, but it was Hollis (38 not out) that provided the finishing touches, as a powerful drive through mid-wicket was followed by an edge through third man to take the total to 148.

Suffolk could hardly have got their defence off to a better start. After Sidhu’s first over cost just two, Swinburne wreaked havoc at the other end. Locke held onto a tame chip to cover, before Bartram found her stumps dismantled.

Grayson launched another counter-attack, taking on Sidhu with four through extra cover and a slog-swept six. Hollis continued her excellent day, though, with the first ball of her spell. Grayson attempted a pull and was judged lbw for 16.

The spinner tightened Suffolk’s grip on the game with her second wicket: an aerial drive was caught at extra cover by captain Lara Neild to leave Oxfordshire 44 for 4 after eight overs.

Opener Mitchelmore had weathered the storm, not scoring freely but surviving long enough to lay the foundations. She was joined by keeper Ellie Ingram, who greeted Hill into the attack with consecutive boundaries.

The pair built methodically: on nine occasions, they followed a boundary with a single to keep the score ticking over.

Oxfordshire reached 100 at the end of the 15th over, with the required run-rate at nearly ten. With two set batters, a short boundary, and Sidhu (0 for 24), Bradnam (0 for 24) and Hollis (2 for 29) all done for the day, the target seemed within reach.

Three boundaries from the 17th over cut the equation down to 24 from three overs; two more from the 18th meant 11 runs were needed from 12 balls. Ingram’s half-century was quick, taking 32 balls; Mitchelmore’s was measured, taking 48.

Swinburne’s final over lasted just one ball, as Ingram pulled to the mid-wicket boundary to seal the win for the visitors.

Suffolk can take heart from two competitive games against a strong Oxfordshire side. The final T20 matchday of the season is in Cornwall on July 13th.

 

Scorecards

Match 1

Match 2

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