Worcestershire Women’s Rapids ended their pre-season campaign with a competitive fixture against Warwickshire Women’s Academy, with rain bringing an early end to a close 50-over contest at Exhall and Wixford Cricket Club.
Having inserted Warwickshire into bat first, the Rapids bowled with efficiency as they dismissed their opponents for 235.
Worcestershire’s openers looked positive in the chase, before a flurry of middle-order wickets saw the side reduced to 87-6.
Lauren Atkinson and Jess Beach endeavoured to steady the ship, finishing the day unbeaten, before rain ended the day’s action with the Rapids having batted resolutely for 29 overs.
The Rapids won the toss and elected to bowl first, on a green tinged wicket and in some favourable bowling conditions.
Ed Wilson’s side set about the morning in productive fashion, as Beach’s arrowed delivery nipped back to clip the top of leg stump, sending Warwickshire opener Ebony Jade-Tweats (4) packing within the third over.
Lucy Harris then struck, bowling Aamna Khan for six, as Warwickshire were limited to 32-2 after 11 overs.
Momentum then shifted away from the Rapids however, as Simran Chandi and Ava Clive combined for a 50 partnership, before Caitlin Baker-Smith claimed Chandi’s (31) scalp.
Undeterred by the third wicket stand, Ed Wilson’s side continued to persevere, as Daisy Egerton, Maisie Gunston and Meg Bishop all chipped in with wickets.
With Clive digging in for Warwickshire, the academy side pushed past the 200 run mark in the 44th over, frustrating the Rapids bowling unit.
Harris eventually broke the resistance of the Warwickshire batter for 70, luring her into a mistimed sweep.
Atkinson, who had been called up from the Emerging Player Pathway after impressing over the winter, then struck twice within Warwickshire’s final three overs to remove the tail end, who finished proceedings all out for 235.
Harris, Atkinson and Egerton finished with two wickets apiece, as Beach, Baker-Smith and Gunston also contributed.
The Rapids approached their 236 run pursuit with confidence, with Bishop dispatching the innings’ first ball for four, cutting it away through the off side.
Together, with fellow opener Baker-Smith, the pair combined well and recorded an excellent 50-run stand in the 11th over, before Bishop (38) was bowled to end what was an eye-catching stay at the crease.
Baker-Smith did her best to anchor the innings, as teammates’ wickets fell around her, before eventually departing for 22, having been caught as Warwickshire’s introduction of spin made inroads into the middle order.
Slipping to 87-6, the onus now lay with Atkinson and Beach to set about rebuilding the chase.
The pair did well to stem the Warwickshire flow of wickets before rain brought a premature conclusion to the day’s proceedings, with the Rapids falling 76 runs shy of Warwickshire’s revised target of 171, who claimed victory via DLS.
