Norton Cricket Club Women’s Team became Durham Cricket Board Women’s Indoor Bash champions after defeating Philadelphia Cricket Club in the penultimate over for a nail-biting final.
Norton’s last batting pair Jess Weatherspoon and Jess Woolston chased the score down in the fifteenth over to lift the trophy in the first Women’s Indoor Bash competition in the county.
In the semi-finals, Norton overcame Willington Cricket Club to qualify for the deciding match against Philadelphia, who denied Shotley Bridge Cricket Club in the semis.
In the first qualifier, Norton batted first, posting a competitive total of 84. Opening batting pair Bailey Wanless and Emma Dickenson achieved the highest scoring partnership in the match with 27 runs, while Weatherspoon and Woolston contributed another 23.
This was a tall order to chase for Willington as they struggled to post a competitive response, ending on just 31.
In the second semi-final, Philadelphia, batting first, bagged an impressive 104 runs in their innings. All batters contributed, with closing pair Layla Tipton and Lucy Hughes boosting the score by 34 in their four overs.
Shotley Bridge, set with a difficult target, struggled to get going for the whole of their 16 overs, scoring a disappointing total of -28.
In the final, Philadelphia won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a total of 47. Opening pair Brogan Ashley and Robyn Head contributed 31 runs, but the team slipped to 28 after another eight overs.
Final batters Tipton and Hughes upped the score by 19 to confirm Phili’s total.
In reply, Norton found a slow but steady pace. Wanless and Dickenson opened the score with 15 runs. By the twelfth over, Norton were still down one run but closing batting pair Weatherspoon and Woolston managed to chase the total down in the penultimate over, winning the match by 7.
The Women’s Indoor Bash, organised and run by Durham Cricket Board, saw local university and club-based teams involved in a winter programme for a first time.
Eight teams competed in the fast-paced indoor format in preparation for the session.
Women and Girls Cricket Development Officer at Durham Cricket Board Marsha Davies said: “It was brilliant to see the commitment by so many teams to attend on a by-weekly basis.
“The teams demonstrated a good standard of play and the final was a great demonstration of that. I believe that many of the newer teams also improved during the course of the competition.
“We hope that the Indoor Bash played a role in the teams’ preparation for the season and we look forward to seeing them involved in the opportunities we have planned for them this summer.”