03/09/2026
📢Softball 100 Ball County Cup Final - match report by Will Green
AICC women travelled to Hanham Cricket on Bank Holiday Monday for the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation 100 Ball County Cup Final.
Skipper Zoe Davis won the toss and elected for the Home team to bat first after heavy overnight rain.
Melissa Watson and Sam Flynn opened the bowling and got off to a great start. Watson bowled Clifton for 2 and had fellow opener Clark caught behind by Charlie Yemm for 0. Flynn removed Dring caught by Yemm for 0 and Hanham were 11-3.
However the hosts dug in and number 3 Edwards began watchfully along with Chicken and they began to rebuild the innings against Aston's change bowlers, Lizzie Green and Laura Megan .
With the score reaching 43, Melissa Watson was summoned back into the attack and removed Chicken LBW for 12. This was to be Aston's last wicket as new batter Moulding rotated the strike picking up singles and getting the impressive Edwards on strike as much as she could.
Edwards and Moulding steered Hanham to 143-4 off their allotted 100 balls with an unbroken 99 run partnership.
Aston's reply began in steady drizzle when Watson and Yemm strode out to the middle. The scores reached 11 when Watson departed for 7 bowled by a Yorker from Clifton.
Flynn joined Yemm and they played cautiously to start with as Edwards and Clifton were bowling well. Yemm then started to do what she has done so well this season playing the ball to all parts of the ground combining boundaries with sharply run singles and Flynn played a superb supporting act.
They got the score to 79 when Edwards with the last ball of her spell removed Flynn with a cracking delivery.
Vanessa Ward joined Yemm and had the best seat in the house as Yemm passed 50 (her third half century in the Cup this season) and continued motoring. Ward played some superb shots also and with 19 balls to spare the duo got Aston over the line ending on 143-2.
A brilliant win with the whole team, and squad throughout the season, contributing and it was wonderful to see AICC women crowned Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation Softball County Champions, all under the watchful eye of Heather Knight OBE, former England Cricket and Captain.