Scots women give it away

ECB Women's County Championship

Hampshire v Scotland at Trojans CC, Southampton, on Sunday May 3

Hampshire Ladies, 116 all out (Abbi Aitken 4-19, Kari Anderson 2-15, Nadia Wheeler 2-29), defeated Cricket Scotland Wildcats, 86 all out, by 30 runs

On a bright and breezy Sunday in Southampton, the Scotland Women's team got their season off to a positive start by winning the toss and electing to field first at Trojans CC.

The fourth over of the day saw Abbi Aitken collect the first wicket of the new campaign, bowling Clark for just 2. Steady stands of around 30 saw the total creep upwards, before Paine was bowled by Kari Anderson and the dangerous left-hander Wilson was removed by Ali Ramsay, lbw for 28.

Two smaller partnerships, in the 20s, saw the Hampshire Ladies score past the 100 mark. But their progress had been punctuated at regular intervals by wickets taken by Leigh Kasperek and Nadia Wheeler. Then Aitken returned to polish off the innings, to claim a four-wicket haul, Hampshire Ladies finishing on 116 in the 37th over.

After the lunch interval, against a steady, but not particular penetrative, attack, Scotland proceeded to throw their wickets away and bat with little or no application. The exceptions were tail-enders Sahar Aslam, who ended up as top-scorer with 17 not out, and Nadia Wheeler, who faced 48 deliveries for her 7 before being the last batter out.

The Scotland team capitulated for just 86 in the 29th over of their innings. Hampshire opening bowlers Hudson and Pearcey finished with three and four wickets apiece, with seven Scotland batters being caught - partly due to lack of practice in the centre, but largely due to poor shot selection and execution.

So snatching defeat from the jaws of victory meant net practice for the next couple of hours and some straight talking between coach and players, before the start of Match 2 the following day.

Report by Adam Park-Elliott