Worcestershire Women’s Rapids enjoyed a productive pre-season tour on the Isle of Wight across the Easter weekend, with the squad hitting their straps across a busy weekend of white ball action.
Keen to maximise their time outside after a long winter away from grass, both teams agreed to bat their full allocation in Friday’s opening 50-over fixture, which saw Worcestershire run out 22 run victors.
The teams were back in action just a day later, in a T20 double-header, as the Women’s Rapids continued to ramp up their preparations ahead of the upcoming season opener against Sussex Sharks Women on 19th April.
The Women’s Rapids kicked off the tour away at Ventnor and were put into bat on a damp, gloomy morning, subsequently slipping to 28/5 in some challenging conditions.
New signings, Lucy Harris and Meg Bishop, then shouldered the responsibility of rebuilding the visitors’ innings.
The pair made an important 30 run stand, before Bishop was joined by fellow newcomer Amy Griffiths, with the duo sharing an outstanding seventh wicket partnership worth 66 runs, as momentum swung back towards the visitors.
Bishop led the recovery with a confident 56 from 49 balls, while Griffiths contributed a composed 52 from 60 deliveries, retiring unbeaten.
Inspired by the pair’s efforts, the lower order then capitalised. Jess Beach and Flora Bertwistle made 41 and 32 respectively, with Emily Churms adding 21 before Gwen Davies finished on an unbeaten 30.
Ending their allotted overs on an encouraging 336/13, Ed Wilson’s side were made to work hard during the opening exchanges, with Ventnor reaching 78/1 after 18 overs.
However, the match then swung dramatically in the Women’s Rapids’ favour as Bertwistle, alongside Charlotte Roberts and Caitlin Baker-Smith, all picked up two wickets apiece, limiting the hosts to just 106/8 after 28.4 overs of play.
Despite some late resistance and aggressive hitting from Ventnor’s tail end, the hosts fell just short, closing on 314 for 19 wickets, handing the Women’s Rapids a 22-run victory.
Bishop, Bertwistle, and Churms helped themselves to three wickets apiece.
Daisy Egerton also impressed, finishing the day on 3-47.
Contributions from Baker-Smith, Roberts and skipper Boycott also helped to accelerate the visiting sides’ victory.
Attention then turned to the shortened format, as the Women’s Rapids faced a mixed Ventnor side in a T20 double-header, producing two encouraging performances, albeit ultimately falling just short in both fixtures.
Despite Beach striking for the Women’s Rapids on the third ball of the opening fixture, Ventnor posted an imposing total of 185/6 at the start of the action, with the wickets once again shared amongst the bowlers.
Bertwistle led the way with 2-38, while Beach, Harris, Bishop and Boycott all chipped in.
Worcestershire’s top order then set about their work, with new signing Sanya Khurana, showing why there has been lots of excitement around her off-season switch to Worcestershire, as the all-rounder joined Davies by retiring having made outstanding half centuries.
Despite falling 15 runs short of the hosts’ total, confidence was taken from the controlled manner of a high-quality run chase.
The day’s second match started in a similar vein to the first, with Ventnor opening the batting making a total of 164/7.
Bishop continued her impressive start to life with Worcestershire, leading the way with 3-19, with two of those scalps coming in the 17th over.
Baker-Smith, Khurana and Harris also got amongst the wickets, helping restrict a powerful batting line-up, meaning the visitors required 165 to win.
Worcestershire once again showed their ability to remain calm and stay in the contest with the bat, as the Women’s Rapids middle order chipped away at Ventnor’s total.
Baker-Smith made 19, as Davies contributed 21, before it was the turn of Olivia Gough to chalk up an outstanding half century, notching an unbeaten 51 off 31 deliveries.
Ventnor’s Ian Hailes then struck in the penultimate over, taking two wickets in three balls as the Women’s Rapids fell eight runs short of what would have been a memorable victory.
Flora Bertwistle says it felt “so good” to be back amongst the wickets, as Worcestershire Women’s Rapids accelerated their 2026 season preparations earlier this month
Rapids’ star Bertwistle, featured in two of the tour’s three matches, taking three wickets and scoring 32 runs in the opening 50-over fixture.
Going on to claim another two wickets in the side’s first T20 match, it’s fair to say the off-spinner is enjoying being back in action, having fully recovered from a major knee operation over the winter.
“It was so nice being back out with the team playing on grass.
“It’s been a long winter with a lot of time spent on my own recovering from surgery, so to be back out on grass playing with the team and having a pain free knee was brilliant.
“As with any injury or time away from the game, you always worry that you won’t get back to taking wickets, so it felt so good to be back in amongst it.”
Whilst getting re-accustomed to competitive, outdoor cricket, the tour was designed to enhance and encourage the squad to build relationships away from the field.
As an established member of the group, Bertwistle is now taking it upon herself to help the team to connect ahead of the season’s curtain raiser on 19th April, away at Sussex Sharks Women.
“It is a great group of girls.
“I really enjoyed spending time with them on tour and being able to have time to get to know new members of the squad.
“We had a nice break on the Saturday after training when a few of us went to play golf, whilst others went for walks along the beach, so it’s been good to spend time with each other away from the cricket.
“As an older member of the group it is now my responsibility to ensure the new players feel as welcomed as I did when I first joined.
“I have played with many different players at Worcester and was always made to feel welcome and involved from the start, so I hope new players feel the same now when starting to play with Worcester.”
Setting the tone for a new season, Bertwistle, who has been a Rapid since 2019, is looking ahead to the start of another new campaign, brimming with opportunities.
“I’m hoping to take a ton of wickets which fingers crossed will help bring silverware back to New Road.
“I love playing for Worcester and I’m really excited to get out at Hove on the first day of the season with this group of girls.”
