U18 Girls Qualify for T20 Finals Day
Thu 1 Sep 2022
Leicestershire CCC Girls U18s have qualified for the ECB U18 County T20 Finals Day after topping Group Two.
Stephen Franklin’s side won seven of their eight group stage fixtures, securing their progression with two final round victories over Cambridge and Shropshire.
Captain Amie Colquhoun starred with bat and ball in a two-wicket win over Cambridge in the first game of the day, taking two for 13 from three overs and guiding the chase with an unbeaten 25.
Lucy Weston achieved a similar feat in the seven-wicket win over Shropshire later in the day, claiming three wickets for just nine runs, before steering the team to victory with a quickfire 20 not out.
Head Coach, Stephen Franklin, said: “It’s a massive achievement for the girls. We were really determined to show that we’re a competitive side and this tournament has proven that.
“Composure under pressure and a family-like spirit are two winning signs, and they have been crucial to our success.
“It would be nice to have a crowd down to cheer on the team and create an atmosphere for the finals. We saw how much of a difference the support made to the First Team for their Finals Day, so hopefully we can replicate that at Loughborough.â€
The side’s dominance throughout the group stage was best evidenced through the wicket-taking charts, with six members of the Foxes’ attack holding the top nine spots.
Prisha Thanawala, who impressed with a record-breaking 206 not out with the bat for the Under 15s last month, led the way with 13 wickets at an incredible average of just 7.77.
The U18s will be looking to looking to emulate the senior Women’s team, who marked their maiden appearance at Uptonsteel County Ground in May with Vitality Women’s County T20 glory, defeating Northamptonshire by seven wickets to lift the trophy.
The National Final, which will be held at the Haslegrave Ground & Brockington Oval at Loughborough University on Sunday 11 September, will follow a slightly different format to a traditional Finals Day.
Matches will run concurrently, with the two semi-finals scheduled for 10:30am, proceeding the showpiece event and the 3rd/4th-placed play-off at 2:30pm.
The Foxes will compete alongside Gloucestershire, Lancashire and Middlesex for the T20 title.
The ECB U18 County T20 results can be viewed HERE.
