Pivotal Moment for Girls Cricket at King’s

History was made on a gloriously sunny day at King’s Hawford, when a King’s Senior Girls’ Cricket 1^st XI played for the first time ever, versus Cheltenham Ladies’ College.

The delightful surroundings of Hawford were the setting, and there was fantastic support from family and friends on the boundary. Throughout the match, the girls played phenomenally against a strong team from the Ladies’ College. It was a brilliant day for all involved. Amongst many immense performances, there were a few really outstanding efforts. Grace JVV hit 55 not-out off only 28 balls, a tremendous feat, and the team captain, Tilly C opened the bowling and the batting, taking three wickets and scoring a steady 23.

1^st XI coach, Miss Collins commented, “It is fantastic to see our girls at the forefront of girls’ cricket, representing King’s on numerous county, regional and national stages. It seemed only right that this season we fielded our first ever girls 1st XI team. During our summer season we will be looking to build on the skills learnt and practised over the winter and take them to the field. I look forward to seeing our girls’ performances throughout the 2023 season.”

The first ever Girls’ 2^nd XI match was also played in great spirits by both teams. Having won the toss, we elected to bowl first, a solid decision by our captain Lucy P. We bowled with fantastic discipline, line and length, resulting in our bowlers restricting CLC’s run rate. Caitlin R and Zoe C both picked up well-deserved wickets for their efforts and enthusiasm and our girls did a brilliant job in limiting CLC to 103 runs. We then went into bat and picked up where we left off with our determination and team spirit. Lily F was the standout batter, scoring 28 runs for the team and subsequently retiring. The rest of the team then backed up her display with some resilient and effective batting, but, unfortunately, we fell short of the total we needed to win. However, the game was a fantastic experience for all involved and it was wonderful to see the girls enjoying what was, for some, their first ever cricket match.

Mr Green, one of the Foundation Games staff added, “The Girls’ 2^nd XI match against Cheltenham Ladies’ College was a brilliant game to witness. All the girls were so enthusiastic about playing their first ever game and it was great to see them enjoying themselves. They bowled exceptionally well, batted in a motivated manner and fielded with determination. However, what underpinned all of this was the distinct enjoyment and happiness on their faces whilst they were playing. It was a privilege to watch. Well done on your first match, girls…we can’t wait for the next one!”

The U13 hardball team played their first hardball game of the season and won by seven wickets. A strong fielding and batting performance meant KSW knocked off CLC’s total with four overs to spare. Special mention for batting goes to Daisy B and Zofia W, who were both retired after quickly achieving the threshold score: Daisy scored 20 off 19 balls. Charlotte B and Florence B also demonstrated excellent strike rates, with Charlotte achieving 14 off 12 balls and Florence scoring nine off five balls. There was excellent bowling by all the girls, with special mention going to Henrietta V, with nine for two off two, and Florence B with five for one off two.

Miss Preece, Teacher of Girls’ Games commented, “It was such a pleasure to witness such teamwork and support for each other throughout the match, really helping to build trust and confidence amongst the team; this will be an exciting season!”

Foundation Director of Sport Mr Mason added, “It has been fantastic to see Girls’ Cricket develop so well over the last few seasons at King’s. To be in a position to field a strong first and second team at the weekend was the culmination of much hard work and determination across the whole Foundation to develop the skills and offer the opportunities for Girls’ Cricket and has enabled the Senior School to reach this pivotal moment.”