Yorkshire add age-group titles to county crowns

AGE GROUP COUNTY FINALS, Bradfield College, Reading
Monday 26 August 2002

YORKSHIRE U-19 v SUSSEX U-19
YORKSHIRE U-17 v KENT U-17
ESSEX U-15 v WORCESTERSHIRE U-15

Yorkshire's women added the County Under-19 and Under-17 Championships to their Frizzell women's County Championship crown when they beat Sussex U-19 by 42 runs and Kent U-17 by eight wickets at Bradfield College.

In the U-15 age group, newcomers Worcestershire and Essex contested a women's final, both for the first time, with Worcestershire winning by 55 runs.

Sally Anne-Briggs scored 50 as Yorkshire U-19 reach 128 all out in the 35th over of the 40-over match. Sussex reached just 86 in reply as they were bowled out in the 28th over. Only Sarah Keyes put up any resistance to the superb Yorkshire bowling attack, making 23 before being bowled by Briggs.

The pick of Yorkshire's bowlers was 14-year-old Kathryn Doherty who opened the bowling with pace and lift, and took four wickets for 22 runs from her six-over spell.

Rosalie Birch, who took 3-22 and E Barnes who took 3-24 secured Yorkshire's dominance.

Kent U-17's reached 134 for nine from their 40 overs with consistent scoring from Boorman (24), Rowe (24) and Roley (27), but Yorkshire U-17 lost only two wickets in reaching 136 in the 31st over, with Clarkson making 45 and Rand finishing on 31 not out. Brown also finished not out on 27.

Reflecting the phenomenal growth in the women's game at grassroots level in recent years, the Finals saw two newcomers to the women's county scene, Worcestershire and Essex, contest the Under-15 final.

Essex won the toss and elected to field, only to see Worcestershire amass 136 for four from their 30 overs. A third-wicket stand of 94 between Holly Penwarden (51) and Sophie Le Marchand (54 not out) saw Worcs take control of the match. Both innings were highly entertaining, Penwarden taking just 65 balls to reach her total, including eight fours and one six, and her partner hitting seven fours in 66 balls.

It was a scoring rate that Essex could not catch thanks to some tight Worcestershire bowling, and they finished on 81 for four from the allotted 30 overs.