Ealing CC Girls U13 represent Middlesex County and Sunrisers Regional Hub

Ealing Girls U13 made it to the Southern Counties Regional Final as club representatives of the Sunrisers having defeated Coggeshall Town CC (Essex County champions) in early August.

Alongside Ealing CC (Sunrisers) in the finals were Horsham CC (representing Sussex County / Southern Vipers) and Bexley CC (representing Kent County / South East Stars) in a three-way Final.

Our first match was against Horsham (Game 2), and after losing the toss and being asked to bat, we got off to a slow start, and with early wickets falling, we struggled to set a substantial target for Horsham with just 74 runs on the board. Our girls fought valiantly, but unfortunately, we couldn't contain Horsham's standout player, who single-handedly scored 47 runs off 32 balls, leading them to a 7-wicket victory. It's worth noting that if we had managed to dismiss her, the outcome might have been different.

Despite the tough loss, our girls showed tremendous resilience as they went straight into Game 3 against Bexley, with the winner competing for the runners-up medals. Winning the toss this time and choosing to bat, we got off to a strong start and posted a very respectable total of 117 runs in 16 overs. Our fantastic bowling and fielding, coupled with early wickets, put the pressure back on Bexley. They had a determined batter who was keeping them in the game, but as soon as we dismissed her, the momentum swung back in our favour. Fortunately, we bowled out Bexley for 83 runs in 14.2 overs. What might seem like a comfortable victory was the result of the girls' remarkable composure under immense pressure.

Securing the runners-up position in the Southern Counties Final is indeed a remarkable achievement. While winning the gold would have been the ideal outcome, the U13 girls' squad has truly distinguished themselves and deserves immense credit for the progress and successes they've achieved throughout this season.