Teams have battled through wet pitches, cold temperatures and high winds to enjoy a successful start to the 2024 School Sport Magazine National Schools U15 & U18 Girls T20 Cricket Cups.
And pride of place in the early season exchanges went to centurion Charlotte Stubbs who hit one of the best innings seen in the history of the U18 competition.
Charlotte smashed 141 runs off just 71 balls to help Latymer Upper School reach 222-2 in their 20 overs against Ibstock Place School.
Ibstock battled hard in reply but Leila Bailey (5-11) and Flossie Smith (4-9) bowled brilliantly to dismiss them out for 111.
Elsewhere in the south east, Maisie Taylor scored an impressive half century and Sophia Kilburn took 3-31 as Brighton College (155-6) defeated Eastbourne College (138-7) by 17 runs.
However an equally imposing 56no by India-Rose Fox wasn’t quite enough as Norwich School’s 120-7 was run down by Wymondham College (122-1), helped by an unbeaten 45 from Evie Smith.
Surrey’s Gordon’s School got better of City of London Freemen’s School by 26 thanks to 42 from Teddy Bascombe and 40 from Izzy Moors.
Reigning champions Ipswich School (111-5) started their defence in style with a five wicket victory over Felsted School (108-5).
Next up is a home tie against Suffolk rival Framlingham College (59-1) who conquered Culford School (58 all out) by nine wickets.
It was a performance matched by Bedford Girls School (73-0), who enjoyed a ten wicket win over Wellingborough School (72 all out) to earn a trip to Berkhamsted (89-5), who edged Haileybury (84 all out) by five runs.
In the south west, Bristol’s Collegiate School (59-1) started the campaign well with a nine-wicket victory over Wycliffe College (58-9).
Megan Hayward enjoyed a five-wicket haul to help Plymouth College (100 all out) beat Wellington College (63 all out) by 37 runs.
Aimee Diab hit a match-winning 62 as St Edward’s Oxford (132-4) saw off St Helen & St Katharine School (123 all out) bynine runs.
And King Edward’s Bath (93-3) enjoyed a narrow victory over King’s Bruton (92-2), chasing down the target with just three balls to go to win by three wickets.
Further north, Ellesmere School cruised past Cheadle Hulme, chasing down their total of 88-9 for the loss of four wickets in just eight overs.
In the U15 girls’ cup, Wiltshire’s Godolphin School (136-9) proved too strong for Sherborne Girls School (112-6), winning by 24 runs while Hampshire’s Lord Wandsworth College (131-1) pipped Winchester’s St Swithun’s School (131-3) by losing fewer wickets.
Elsewhere in the south west, Grace Golsworthy hit an unbeaten 52 as Taunton School (91-1) overcame King’s College Taunton (89-5) by nine wickets, Cheltenham College (89-1) defeated King’s Gloucester (88-9) by nine wickets and Headington School (74-4) beat Oxford High School (72 all out) by six wickets.
In the Midlands, Bromsgrove School chased down Malvern College’s total of 124-3 with nine balls to spare to win an exciting contest by five wickets.
A 100 partnership between Daisy Turnham (61) and Martha Roberts helped Ashlyns School (139-5) to a 61 run victory over Sandringham School (78 all out).
Norwich School (121-5) proved too strong for their city rivals Norwich High School (88 all out) thanks to three wickets from Georgie Rush while Bedford Modern School (67-5) beat Bedford Girls School (66 all out) by five wickets.
New Hall School (116-4) bt Brentwood School (100-9) by 16 runs and Langley School scraped past Kimbolton School on the fewer-wickets-lost rule after both sides finished on 91 runs, with Langley losing five wickets and Kimbolton ten.
In the south east, Jemima Bowman cracked a superb 94 off just 66 balls as Latymer Upper School enjoyed a terrific five-run victory over Notting Hill & Ealing School.
Her innings helped Latymer reach 155-5 in 20 overs before Maggie Purvis (3-37) and Lara Fulton (2-27) contained a fantastic fight from Notting Hill as they fell just short at 150-6.
Elsewhere, Bede’s School proved too strong for their Sussex neighbours Mayfield School after reaching 141-0 and restricting them to 63-8 while Guildford High School (156-1) saw off Caterham School 67 all out by 89 runs and South Hampstead High School (74-1) overcame Emanuel School (73 all out) by nine wickets.
Further north, Denstone College cruised into the second round with a 61 run victory over Abbotsholme School.
Sophie Beech (79no) and Amelia Lee (59no) proved the bedrock to Denstone win with a terrific unbeaten partnership before Abbotsholme were restricted to 94-5 in reply.
Cheadle Hulme School (138-5) beat Fallibroome Academy (134-4) by five wickets and Scarborough College (168-5) bt Ripon Grammar (82-8) by 86 runs.
