Gloucestershire U13 Girls v Hampshire U13 Girls (at Marshfield CC)
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Gloucestershire 113 all out (29.1 overs)
Hampshire 84 all out (25.4 overs)
Gloucestershire won by 29 runs

Gloucestershire Under-13 Girls started their season with an exciting 29-run victory against Hampshire at Marshfield CC.

The visitors won the toss and asked the home team to bat which looked to be a good decision as they reduced them to 6-2.

But Gloucestershire battled back with a gutsy performance from Dumbleton pair Emily Hopkins (17) and Katie Jones (13). The duo showed great determination in a 33-run partnership which took the score to 39-2.

Hampshire got the breakthrough with two wickets in the 11th over and followed it up with a further two in the 15th as Gloucestershire slipped to 55-6. Again the home side fought back as contributions from Molly Brophy (13) (Marshfield CC) and Isobel Richards (21) (Frenchay CC) took the score up to a respectable 113.

In reply Gloucestershire needed early wickets and got just that as captain Issy Patel (Frenchay CC) clean bowled Jess Alcock in the first over.

Hampshire recovered and took the score to 20-1 before a period of accurate bowling brought five wickets for the addition of just 35 runs. Alice Wilson (2-14) (Marshfield CC) Ella Noel (1-12) (Brislington CC) and Evie Patterson (1-10) (Frenchay CC) left the visitors on 55-6.

The introduction of off-spin bowler Gaby Edwards (Hanham CC) proved to be decisive with her four overs producing two more wickets for just five runs.

With Hampshire on 74-8 Gloucestershire brought back opening bowlers Patel (2-17) and Wilson who quickly finished the job as Hants were bowled out for 84.

Coach Nick Tidball said: “This was a great team effort highlighted by development squad player Sophie Paulus (Charlton Kings CC) making her debut and contributing with a key run out early in the Hampshire innings.”

The U13 girls’ next match is against Wales on May 31.

Gloucestershire Women v Hertfordshire Women (at Corse and Staunton CC)
ECB Women’s County Championship, Division 3, Group C
Hertfordshire 64 all out (26.4 overs)
Gloucestershire 67-3 (12.2 overs)
Gloucestershire won by seven wickets

Gloucestershire Women consolidated their place at the top of the ECB County Championship Division 3 Group C table with a comprehensive win over Hertfordshire.

The side maintained their 100 per cent start to 2018 by bowling Hertfordshire out for 64 and knocking the runs off in the 13th over.

Former Somerset age group player Millie Rossiter took an early wicket to reduce the visitors to 4-1. And things went from bad to worse for Herts as they slumped from 18-1 to 24-5. Rossiter picked up three more wickets and spinner Charlie Phillips (1-19) (Brislington) also struck.

The visitors offered some resistance as Bethan Cornell (11) and Charlotte Wilde (13) added 25 for the sixth wicket before 16-year-old Helen Cutler (Claverham) bowled Cornell.

Wilde went two runs later thanks to a run out from Naima Milhofer (Frenchay) and the rest of the tail followed soon after. Leg-spinner Lucy Gladdy (2-7) took two of them before Cutler bowled Jenny Dore (4) to close the innings on 67 all out. Both Rossiter (4-20) and Cutler (2-17) finished with their best senior county figures.

In reply Gloucestershire were wobbling at 16-2 before a partnership of 42 between Nat Wraith (Frenchay) and Naomi Forecast (19) (Bristol Phoenix) put them back on track. Forecast fell before the end but Wraith remained there to strike the winning runs in the 13th over, finishing on 38 not out from just 27 balls.

Gloucestershire U15 Girls v Wales U15 Girls (at Chipping Sodbury CC)
ECB Women’s U15 County Championship, Division A, Group 4
Wales 155 all out (38.2 overs)
Gloucestershire 156-8 (39.2 overs)
Gloucestershire won by two wickets

Gloucestershire Under-15 Girls started their County Championship season with a two-wicket win over Wales.

Frenchay opening bowler Lily Knox led from the front with five wickets for just nine runs as Gloucestershire bowled Wales out for 155 and knocked the runs off with two wickets in hand.

Wales chose to bat first but were left ruing their decision as Knox removed both openers without scoring to reduce the visitors to 6-2.

They recovered with a 42-run partnership between Savanna Dickens and Sophie Thomas before the latter was run out by Cerys King (Corse and Staunton) for a threatening 18 off 21 balls.

Off-spinner Isobel Carey (1-28) (Cam) removed Ffion Maddock to make it 67-4 but with Dickens holding the innings together Wales again battled back with a fifth wicket partnership of 65.

This was ended when Sarah Walsh (1-16) (Frenchay) had Becca Forey caught by Bea Ellis (Charlton Kings) for 24. Ellis’ fielding proved crucial again soon after as she ran out Welsh mainstay Dickens for 62 to make it 148-6.

A wicket for Alice Mundy (1-19) (Fairford) and three more for Knox who returned to blast out the tail saw Wales crumble to 155 all out.

In reply Gloucestershire lost wickets at regular intervals, reaching 44-4 with opening bowler Mari Friis (4-19) removing three of the first four batters.

This brought Ellis in to join Zoe Dibble (Apperley) and together the pair, who were two of the youngest players to tour Sri Lanka in February, put on the highest partnership of the match.

They added 67 for the fifth wicket before Dibble fell for 35. Ellis continued with solid support from the lower order, making 44 from 56 balls before becoming the seventh wicket to fall with 12 runs still needed.

Gloucestershire lost one more wicket reaching their target but Molly Bliss (8 not out) and Phoebe Bradford (3 not out) (Cam) held their nerve to seal the victory.