ILKLEY GS GIRLS WIN COUNTY CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR THIRD SUCCESSIVE YEAR

Ilkley GS Girls Win County Cricket Championships for Third Successive Year Ilkley Grammar School’s U15 girls, current English Schools’ cricket champions, have begun the defence of their national title with emphatic victories in the Bradford and Yorkshire stages of the prestigious ECB Lady Taverners competition so far this season.The girls, representing Bradford in the Yorkshire Area finals at Headingley,  took the tournament by storm, scoring 126 for 3 and bowling out Wakefield for just 14 in the first game of the day. They followed this with a comfortable win against Sheffield, making 78 for 5 and dismissing the South Yorkshire winners for 57. Hull’s 31 all out in the semi-final fell well short of Ilkley’s impressive 98 for 2 and a widely predicted final against Harrogate became a reality.Ilkley won the toss and invited Harrogate to bat first in front of a captive audience, which included Yorkshire CCC selectors and England players.  Anna Ross, Lauren Oxtoby, Ellie Taylor and Beth Ruddock all bowled superbly, as they had throughout the competition. This, together with an excellent wicket-keeping display from Laura Scarlett, restricted a highly competent Harrogate side to 48 for 7 in their 8 overs. Natasha Sunderland and Hannah Spivey set about the task of passing the modest total with the usual confidence, determination and a great deal of skill. Wickets fell, but there was no sign of panic as Chloe Dinsdale and Ellie Taylor and finally Beth Ruddock built upon the foundation set by the openers and Ilkley GS cruised home with four overs to spare. The delighted IGS players were crowned U15 Yorkshire Champions for the third successive year and now progress to the North of England finals in April. Peter Blackwell (SSCo) 10/12/2009