Winter News from Cheshire Women's Cricket League

National Knockout

As many as eight CWCL clubs – the highest to date – will be involved in the ECB’s national T20 club competitions this year. This includes a majority of the first division teams.

The preliminary round draw for the main Cup competition shows two all-Cheshire league matches: Leigh at home to Stockport Georgians and Lindow hosting 2021 and 2022 regional finalists Nantwich. The winners of these two matches will then face each other in the first round. Leyland play Littleborough in the preliminary round, while Didsbury go straight into the first round. All preliminary and first round losers will go into the Plate.

Porthill Park play at Lichfield in the preliminary round of the Plate, having won this competition last year. First time entrants Upton have also chosen to go straight into the Plate, where they have a preliminary round bye.

Under 19 World Cup

With Nantwich's Seren Smale behind the stumps in all but their first match of the tournament, England finished as runners up in the Under 19 T20 World Cup, held in South Africa in January. She made scores of 28* from 19 balls against West Indies, 37 against Pakistan and 30* from 14 versus Ireland; and also claimed three dismissals.

Stockport Georgians’ Liv Bell played in all of Scotland’s group matches, with a best bowling performance against the UAE, conceding 20 runs in four overs.

Awards Recognition

At the Lancashire and Cheshire Grassroots Cricket Awards and Lancashire Cricket Player of the Year Awards, where most of the CWCL’s Officers were amongst the 750 attendees, Sarah McCann was again recognised for her 25-year commitment to the league and for the advances made during that time as she was the joint winner of Cheshire’s Growing The Game award. Stockport Georgians’ women’s manager Ray Bell scooped the Inspired To Play award, having also had a crucial role in the running of the league’s junior girls’ competitions in recent years. Ray and Sarah then achieved further recognition at the ECB ceremony, where Ray was the national winner of the Inspired To Play award and Sarah was highly commended in the Growing The Game category.

Jacqui Faulkner of Oakmere has won the Cheshire Cricket Board award for Coach of the Year.