Worcestershire Women’s Rapids maintained their 100% winning start to the season with a 23 run success over Oxfordshire in a ECB Women’s County Championship 50 Over fixture at RGS Flagge Meadow.
The Rapids had defeated Warwickshire by 235 runs in their opening fixture but this was a much closer encounter.
Both teams shared a minute’s silence before the match to pay their respects to Josh Baker, with the Rapids standing alongside a scoreboard which read 33, Baker’s squad number for the club.
They were indebted to an excellent century partnership between Ellie Anderson and Liv Gough in totalling 228-8 after being put into bat.
Oxfordshire reached 105-1 in reply but captain Clare Boycott and spinners Phoebe Brett and Flora Bertwhistle turned the game in their favour as the visitors were bowled out for 205 with one over remaining.
Worcestershire were 29-3 and then 78-5 but Anderson and Gough came to the rescue with a partnership of 111.
Gough was eventually dismissed for 38 off 80 balls with three boundaries but Anderson went onto make an unbeaten 67 off 86 deliveries with seven fours.
Boycott and Imogen Hill, with 14 apiece were the only other players into double figures and Worcestershire’s tally was boosted by a total of 76 extras, including 56 wides.
Oxfordshire got off to a good start in reply before Bertwhistle made the first breakthrough with 48 on the board.
They passed the 100 mark with only one wicket down but the wickets then started to tumble against some tight spin bowling and Boycott.
Brett and Imogen Hill accounted for Genny Porter and Abi Norgrove respectively after they had added 56.
Boycott and Brett then shared the last five wickets as the Rapids collected their second four point haul.
All three of Boycott’s scalps were clean bowled and she finished with 10-0-31-3, Brett 8-1-25-3, Bertwhistle 10-1-29-2, Anderson 7-0-51-1 and Hill 6-0-23-1.
