First season prize for Hastings & St. Leonards

Hastings & St. Leonards Priory ladies first XI have been officially confirmed as champions of The women's cricket Southern League Division 4.

Having lost just once in their first season of adult league cricket, the young side have shown remarkable consistency during a 14-match league campaign against teams from Kent, Surrey & Middlesex.

They then completed their season in fine style with an emphatic 58-run victory over Horsham ladies in the final of the 40/40 Sussex Women’s Cup.

Having beaten Brighton & Hove seconds in the semi-final, Priory Girls travelled to Horsham to take on the cup holders and WCSL Division Two runners up.

Asked to bat first on a damp wicket the visitors made a steady start, reaching 50 without loss by the 12th over; Natasha Maharaj-Newman was the first to go for 20 with the score on 57.

Kirstin Mair then made a quickfire 22 before she fell with the score on 107. 11 runs later and Melissa Ferguson fell for a patient 39 leaving Priory on 118 for three off 24 overs.

Amy Blowers (17) and Rebecca Armstrong (13) then shared an important 30-run partnership for the fourth wicket before both fell while looking to push the score along.

Carla Rudd, Chloe Edmunds and Vikki Harman all fell in the closing overs as they also looked to up the run-rate. Helen Harrod finished on five not out as Hastings posted a respectable 169 for eight off their 40 overs.

Thirteen-year-old Harrod then struck in the second over of Horsham’s reply and when Ferguson snapped up two more Horsham were struggling at 16 for three. Mair then grabbed another wicket and at the halfway stage Horsham were 59 for four.

Wickets continued to fall as Ferguson removed the dangerous Sarah Fogwill before 13-year-old Lauren Saxby clinched a memorable victory with 3-11.

Victory over Horsham capped a superb season for the girls as they completed a League and Cup double. In total, 17 players represented the first X1 ranging in age from eight to 18 and all the girls live in their local area.

At the ladies presentation evening at Horntye Park Sports Complex, Hastings, Mair, Harrod, Rudd, Armstrong, Ferguson and Maharaj-Newman all picked up individual awards whilst the ladies section won the club's 'Outstanding Achievement' award.

Maharaj-Newman finished the season as leading run-scorer with 877 runs at an average of 54 and Ferguson finished leading wicket taker with 39 wickets at an average of 6.5.