League Festival Day - Home

Southgate 231 (46/3)
Enfield 217 (32/3)

8 over pairs match, scoring starts at 200

In the first match of the day, Southgate batted first and Fran Fell and Nat Prout got the innings off to a good start, running well and never looking like losing a wicket. Our second pair Emma Dangerfield and Mel Rivera Caceres struggled to get going and eventually their frustrations resulted in a run out. They were followed by Yo Mackie and Piumi Bandara who rotated strike more effectively, but were each dismissed once, meaning that after 6 overs the net score was only 11. 

Geethika Ayomi and Antonia Titizoglu strode out as our final pair with plenty to do and set about the task brilliantly. Their first over was dispatched for 12 as Geethika twice found the boundary and had the ball stop short twice more, each time Antonia encouraged her back for a second run. The second over saw more aggressive running as the pair racked up 20 runs without losing a wicket in their 2 overs, meaning we set a net target of 32 from 6 overs. 

This was a much more competitive total than it had looked like we might post at one stage, but we would still have to bowl well to get the win, and bowl well we did!

Enfield sent out their captain and strongest batter Abbie alongside a less experienced player as their first pair. Fran bowled a brilliant first over, restricting the pair to 4 runs, despite Abbie facing 5 of the 6 balls. Nat then bowled a very tight over that had the opposition captain stranded at the non-striker's end and her desperation to get back on strike eventually led to a run out - a much welcome first wicket. 

Piumi kept the pressure on with her over going for a miserly 3 runs, before Emma repeated this trick. The pressure finally told on the pair’s final ball as Emma induced an aerial shot which Fran pouched gratefully. 

The balance had started to lean our way and Geethika tipped things further by producing a fabulous maiden over. Each ball hit a good length outside off stump with good pace before neatly landing in Yolanda’s waiting gloves. An impressive showing of consistency that the Enfield batter had no answer to. The batting pair were able to maneuver Yolanda’s over more successfully, and as they left the field their net score stood at 11, exactly what ours had been at the same stage.

Enfield had saved two of their strongest batters for the final pair, but matching the exploits of our 4th pair was always going to be difficult, particularly with Fran and Geethika finishing out our bowling innings. Fran’s first 3 balls went for 2 runs before she produced a bit of magic. A good length ball that swung away just enough to beat the batter’s defensive stroke before clipping the top of off stump – more or less the perfect delivery – effectively ended the contest. Geethika did concede some runs in her second over, but Southgate recorded a 14 run victory.

Southgate 257 (62/1)
Enfield 232 (52/4)

8 over pairs match, scoring starts at 200

Southgate again batted first and Megan Gibbs and Fran Fell got the innings off to a perfect start. They each hit a 4 and ran really well in between, putting pressure on the Canons fielders. 

Alanka Goonawardena and Emma Dangerfield continued in the same vein, striking 3 fours between them and running well to only allow 2 dot balls, although Alanka did edge behind off Canon’s talented young spin bowler for what turned out to be the only wicket we lost in the innings. 

Geethika Ayomi and Devki Shah got a little bit stuck in the face of good bowling in their first over, but rallied well, rotating strike and finding the boundary once to add 9 in their second over, again without loss. 

Yolanda Mackie and Soph Meyer combined well as the final pair only allowing 3 dots between singles and the occasional boundary.

This was a fine batting display and the blueprint for how I want our team to approach the batting side of these games - hitting 4s where possible, but running aggressively and often, ensuring that we play out as few dot balls as possible. 62 runs for the loss of just 1 wicket meant we’d set Canons an imposing net target of 57 in 8 overs. 

Alanka bowled a decent first over, going for only 2 runs, but also bowling 2 wides. Canons’ first pair were then able to get Fran away a couple of times, meaning they left the field at 18-0, the exact total that Megan and Fran had managed. 

However, any hope Canons might’ve had of repeating what we’d done to their bowling was quickly snuffed out by Soph, who took 2 wickets in 2 balls. The first was a top edge well taken by Alanka running forward from behind the stumps, the second saw Megan use all of her assets to hold on to another catch. 

Canons now required 46 runs from 5 overs, more than 9 runs per over. Megan and Emma bowled overs that each went for 8, before Geethika bowled a very tidy over that went for only 3. 

The final pair knew they had to throw caution to the wind and with Devki bowling nicely they took a run that wasn’t on and Soph calmly completed the run out. Yo took a wicket with her penultimate ball, a catch confidently taken by player of the match Soph, to extend our winning margin to 25 runs. 

Max Joseph

Home vs Canons - League Match

Canons: 113 runs, 6 wickets lost (Net 83)
Southgate: 103 runs, 4 wickets lost (Net 83)
🏏 Match Tied – 83 to 83

Southgate Women’s team delivered a superb all-round performance against Canons in a closely contested match that ultimately finished in a tie on net score. After opting to take to the field first, Southgate showed excellent teamwork and determination before producing a composed run chase that kept both teams engaged right to the final ball.

Led brilliantly by captain Geethika and support from Yolanda, Southgate started the match with energy and focus. From the opening overs, the bowlers maintained tight lines and lengths while the fielders backed them up with enthusiasm and commitment.

The breakthrough came thanks to a well-organised bowling effort across the team. Fran was particularly effective in claiming 2 early wickets, closely followed by a jaw dropping two maiden overs from Alanka to put Canons under pressure during a key phase of the innings.

Southgate continued to chip away at the batting line-up, with Maddie, Mel and Pooja contributing important wickets. Every player played their part in the field, supporting the bowlers with sharp fielding and boundary saves from Mel, tight wicket keeping from Alanka and Piumi, quick catches from Yolanda with the background of positive encouragement from the team (including chants of “Wickets for Max!”).

Although Canons produced several useful partnerships, Southgate’s persistence ensured they finished with six wickets down. Their total of 113 runs was reduced to a net score of 83, leaving Southgate with a realistic target and plenty of confidence heading into the chase.

Southgate’s reply began positively as Maddie helped provide a steady platform with Fran partnering who started the team off with some early boundaries ensuring the innings got off to a solid start and helped keep the scoreboard ticking over.

The middle overs proved more challenging as Canons picked up wickets and attempted to seize control of the match. However, Southgate refused to let the momentum slip away. Quick thinking from Geethika and Yolanda switched the planned batting pairs mid-innings to deliver a nail biting second half.

Geethika led from the front, helping to build one of the most important partnerships of the innings. Batting with confidence and composure, she guided Southgate through a crucial phase of the chase. Alongside her, Piumi played an equally important role, rotating the strike effectively and helping add valuable runs without losing a wicket. Their partnership swung the momentum back in Southgate’s favour and laid the foundation for a strong finish.

With the target in sight, Southgate’s final pair rose to the occasion.

Yolanda batted confidently in the closing overs, showing great concentration and determination (on the field and the mental arithmetic on the run chase). She helped maintain the scoring rate while ensuring Southgate stayed in control of the chase.

At the other end, Pooja contributed an excellent supporting innings with positive running between the wickets. Together, the pair delivered 34 runs and carried Southgate to the wire with a competitive total. Their calm approach in a game that tested mental pressure exemplified the team spirit and ensured Southgate remained in the game until the very end.

A thoroughly deserved result for Southgate after an excellent display of bowling, fielding and batting built on contributions from every player, the team showed exactly why cricket is the ultimate team game. The scorebook may record a tie, but it was a performance full of mental composure, skill and teamwork that everyone involved can be proud of (and a win in Megan’s eyes). 😊

Pooja Patel

1st League Match - Away vs Enfield

Southgate 307 (122/3)
Enfield 281 (111/6)

16 over pairs match, scoring starts at 200

Southgate’s Women’s team began their league season this weekend with a victory away at Enfield. Captain Emma Dangerfield won the toss and chose to bat on a sweltering bank holiday Monday and our first batting pair of Alanka Goonawardena and Maddie Unthank combined perfectly. Alanka struck four boundaries and with her partner in full flow, Maddie pushed virtually every ball she faced into a gap and confidently called for a single.

Our next pair, Megan Gibbs and Mel Rivera Caceres were also very effective, adding 27 runs without the loss of a wicket in their 4 overs. Again, a combination of powerful boundary hitting from Megan and single accumulation from Mel was an impactful combination.

Pooja Patel and Soph Meyer rotated strike effectively to add a further 24 runs, again without loss, before Emma Dangerfield and Geethika Ayomi dispatched the final 4 overs for 39 runs for the loss of one wicket. Geethika's impressive striking of three 4s and a 6s will live long in the memory, but perhaps not as long as her dismissal; she swung so hard at the ball that her sunglasses fell off and dislodged a bail!

This final flourish took Southgate's net total to an imposing 307 from 16 overs.

Despite good bowling from Alanka and Maddie, Enfield got off to a strong reply with their first pair totting up 31 runs for just one wicket - a spectacular one handed catch from Soph! The home team’s next pair also began impressively and at one stage in the 7th over with their net score at 253, Enfield were in the driving seat. However, Megan and Mel each took a wicket in their second over, the former again caught by Soph and the latter clean bowled. 

Pooja and Soph bowled well in tandem to wrestle momentum back to our side. Soph completed a catch off her own bowling for her third catch of the innings and Pooja didn’t bowl a single wide or no ball; she was one of only two players to achieve this across both teams. They were helped by Emma’s captaincy - having identified that Enfield were pairing a stronger player with a less experienced one - she changed fielding positions to try and ensure that the less dangerous player faced more deliveries.

Enfield’s final pair required 37 from their final pair’s 4 overs. Not an impossible task, but against Emma and Geethika’s bowling it seemed unlikely. This turned out to be the case with each picking up a wicket, Emma’s a 4th catch by Soph(!) and Geethika’s clean bowled. They also only conceded a miserly 20 runs. 

In the end Southgate won by 26 runs, but the game was closer than that sounds. Enfield have a number of good players and will be a sterner test in future meetings when a few who were absent on Monday return. We had a team full of good players and that strength in depth was the difference between the two sides.

Max Joseph

Southgate Women vs Gunnersbury

Southgate 375

Gunnersbury 269

24 over pairs match, scoring starts at 200

Southgate’s Women’s team played a friendly match against Gunnesbury on Bank Holiday Monday. Gunnesbury CC are one of the most established women’s clubs in the country, with 3 hard ball teams - their 1st team frequently win the South of England league and National T20 Cup. We contacted them in the Winter about potentially playing a softball friendly match and they put together a team of women associated with their club - Mum’s of players and admin helpers etc. This led to an interesting dynamic where we were playing against a much more established club, but a team with less experience than we now have!

Captain Emma Dangerfield won the toss and chose to bat. She and Geethika Ayomi batted as our first and last pair as Gunns had 13 players to our 10. Across their two innings the pair racked up a net score of 53 runs. Finding fluency while batting was difficult with some of the inexperienced Gunns bowlers struggling to get the ball down with enough pace to hit, but Fran Fell batted particularly well, hitting firmly to both sides of the wicket. 

With a big total on the board and a desire to keep everybody developing, all players bowled at least two overs. Pooja Patel and Soph Meyer bowled nicely, Natalie Prout bowled two good overs on her debut and Megan Gibbs bowled somebody for the first time! 

Devki Shah once again bowled very tidily as did the ever reliable Emma Dangefield and Geethika Ayomi. Fran Fell showed that she is a true all rounder by picking up a wicket and bowling the only maiden over of the match!

Piumi Bandara did well as wicket keeper, taking the gloves for the first time in the absence of Alanka and a now customary direct hit run out from Mel Rivera Caceres was a highlight!

A couple of purple patches where we took wickets close together meant that we finished with 8 wickets and Gunns never looked like threatening our total. More important was that everybody got to bat and bowl and get more experience of doing so in a match situation. 

Gunnersbury were very generous and welcoming hosts, their 1st XI had played a match before ours and a number of those players stayed around to support (and umpire). There was a lovely friendly atmosphere to the game and we hope to arrange a return friendly at The Walker Ground later in the year. 

Max Joseph

SMASH Festival

This Sunday Southgate’s women’s team took part in an 8-a-side tournament hosted by Shepherds Bush CC, with Kew CC and South Hampstead CC also competing. 

Match 1 - 12 overs

Kew CC 50/2
Net Score 40

Southgate CC 66/4 
Net Score 46

Southgate fielded first and bowled well as a unit with minimal wides and boundaries for the opposition. The fielding was strong throughout our innings, but Kew accumulated steadily with singles and only lost two wickets to set a respectable but achievable target of 40. Mel Rivera Caceres was involved with both wickets, taking a sharp catch and executing a runout brilliantly. 

Southgate’s batters demonstrated much cleaner hitting than their opposition - the highlight came when Emma Dangerfield slapped a 6 over the cover boundary! Assisted by more extras than we had given Kew, we were always on track for victory. 4 wickets falling meant a more nervy finish than was strictly necessary, but Southgate won their first game by 6 runs. 

Match 2 - 12 overs

Southgate CC 83-1
Net Score 78

Shepherds Bush 72-4
Net Score 52

Shepherds Bush had comfortably beaten South Hampstead on the adjacent pitch during our first match. We therefore knew that they were likely to pose a potent threat, but that victory would put us in pole position to win the tournament. 

Batting first, Emma Dangerfield and Alanka Goonawardena accumulated steadily, adding 14 without losing a wicket in their 3 overs. Soph Meyer and Mel Rivera Caceres each struck a boundary during their partnership and also went undismissed. Megan Gibbs’ clean hitting drove her partnership with Piumi Bandara to 20, before a wicket fell on their final ball, which turned out to be the only wicket we lost all innings. The final combination of Geethika Ayomi’s brutal hitting and Yolanda Mackie’s crafty scoops and reverse sweeps saw Southgate post an imposing net total of 78.

Alanka and Emma opened the bowling in tandem and gave Shepherds Bush’s first pair nothing to work with. So much so that at the 3 over change, Shepherds Bush’s score was -3, meaning anything other than a Southgate victory looked extremely unlikely. Shepherds Bush never recovered and great run outs by Soph and Alanka (both off their own bowling), followed by Geethika clean bowling one of Bush’s final pair saw us to a commanding 26 run victory. 

Match 3 - 12 overs

Southgate 65-2
Net Score 55

South Hampstead 70-7
Net Score 35

Southgate batted first hoping to repeat the blueprint of the previous match, but a strong start and finish to the innings bookended a trickier patch. Frustrations in this period lead to a calamitous runout and the team will have learned not to panic when things aren’t going their way. A net score of 55 was by no means a disaster, but we were aware that we would need to bowl and field well, and retain our composure if we were to win the match and the whole tournament. 

Fortunately that is exactly what we did! Emma and Alanka again bowled with great control at the start of the innings, the latter taking a good return catch to take the wind out of the South Hampstead sails. Piumi bowled well in the middle overs and great direct hit runouts from both Soph and Mel gave Southgate breathing room. South Hampstead’s final pair were talented young cricketers, but when one of them slapped her first ball at Soph, who gleefully took the catch, the game was all but ours. Geethika again clean bowled someone with her penultimate ball to cap her contributions throughout the day. Yolanda and Soph colliding under a high catch briefly looked as though it might spoil our celebrations, but thankfully not too much harm was done and we were able to celebrate our victory as a team! 

Winning this tournament when we didn't have a women's team of any kind before August last year is an unbelievable achievement. Every player had great moments with bat, ball and in the field and we were comfortably the best team, the players should be extremely proud of themselves. 

Max Joseph

Southgate Women vs Stoke Newington Women

Stoke Newington 306
Southgate 289
16 over pairs match, scoring starts at 200

Southgate’s Women’s team continued their preseason preparations with a friendly match against Stoke Newington. Stokey have a more established women’s section that mainly plays hardball cricket and so only brought 6 of their less experienced players. With 10 Southgate players available, Soph Meyer and Piumi Bandara were leant to the visitors for the day so that we could play an 8-a-side match. 

An arranged toss saw Stoke Newington bat first (as one of their team arrived after the start time) and Southgate’s players bowled well, often without reward. Stoke Newington’s batters showed experience in dropping the ball into gaps and running well, accumulating runs even when our bowlers made hitting boundaries difficult. Each Southgate player bowled 2 overs and Devki Shah’s were particularly tight, going for only 3 runs. Geetika Rajapakse, standing in as captain in Emma Dangerfield’s absence, eventually picked up Southgate’s first wicket in the penultimate over of the innings, clean bowling one of Stokey’s final pair. 

Southgate’s batting is improving all of the time as evidenced by every player hitting at least one 4 during their innings! We’re still getting used to how high the softballs bounce on grass pitches and this caused shots to be popped up for easy catches on a couple of occasions. Alanka Goonawardena played well at the start of the innings, scoring 15 runs from 13 balls without being dismissed. Big hitting from final pair Geethika Rajapakse and Yolanda Mackie saw 44 runs added and at one stage they had Stokey nervously scrambling. 

However, a late wicket meant Southgate eventually finished 17 runs short of the total set by Stoke Newington, but we can take heart from the fact that we actually scored more runs than the opposition – 119 to Stokey’s 111 – we just also lost more wickets!

The Walker ground was again a marvelous place to be on Sunday afternoon and Stoke Newington were a very friendly outfit who we look forward to playing again in the near future. 

Max Joseph