Female YCs winning start

Date released: 20 May 2009

MCC’s female Young Cricketers (YCs) have enjoyed a winning start to the season - with three victories against Loughborough UCCE and MCC and just one loss.

Salliann Briggs has started the season well with Loughborough The YCs' season started on 23 April with a 50-over match against Loughborough UCCE. The Loughborough players benefit from £15,000 of MCC funding - on top of the £75,000 which MCC provides to the UCCE - and can attract such England Academy players as Salliann Briggs and Kathryn Doherty.

There are six female MCC YCs so coach Alan Duncan supplements the team with other promising young players to provide them with a chance to see what the YC programme involves.

MCC YCs’ world cup winner Beth Morgan set the standard with a chanceless 80 and, in partnership with Jenny Halstead (34) and Rebecca Weller (30), took MCC YCs to 214 for 8.

In reply Loughborough’s Briggs made 42 before being stumped off Charlie Russell. Russell’s 10 overs cost fewer than 25 runs and MCC’s fielding restricted the students to 172 for 8.

Twenty20 matches

Jenny Halstead: Scored an impressive, unbeaten 87 On 24 April the teams played two Twenty20 matches. YCs’ captain Jenny Halstead carried her bat for 87 not out and with Steph Davies’ (31) support set Loughborough 163 to win.

Loughborough lost regular wickets chasing the total with Russell snaffling 2 for 17 and Yorkshire’s Rochelle Petty taking 2 for 19 off four overs apiece. Loughborough could only manage 93 for 6.

In the second game Loughborough got off to a good start with Briggs getting a quickfire 38 before chipping a catch to extra cover.

Lynsey Askew’s 2 for 15 and Petty’s 2 for 16 pegged Loughborough back to 96 for 8. However MCC YCs’ batters could not replicate their bowlers’ success and despite Askew’s 26, MCC YCs only made 80.

Inaugural fixture

On 13 May, an inaugural fixture between MCC and MCC YCs took place on the Nursery Ground, at the same time as the men’s fixture on the Main Ground.

Caroline Atkins: England star batted well at Lord's The YCs were bowled out for 229, with Susie Rowe - a possible candidate for the programme in 2010 - top-scoring with 57. Tight bowling from MCC’s Bev Nicholson (4-36) and Julie May (3-35) did most of the damage.

In reply ex-YC Caroline Atkins and Laura Boorman put on 128 for the first wicket, but after Atkins went for 46, a collapse ensued and a combination of three cheap wickets for Halstead and a hat-trick of run outs cost MCC victory by 20 runs.

The female YCs’ next fixture sees them take on the England Academy at Loughborough on 30 May.