England XI Stay On Course For European Final

England XI kept on course for a place in Friday’s European T10 Women’s Championship final with an 18 runs victory over Ireland at the Cartama Oval near Malaga.

The win, England XI’s fifth in six matches, put the defending champions three points clear at the top of the Premier Division table with matches against Italy (8.35am) and second-placed Netherlands (2.35pm) to come on Thursday.

The winners of the division will progress to Friday’s final with the runners-up going into a qualifier to decide the other finalists.

England XI had to be resilient to complete a double over Ireland after they found themselves 35 for three early in their innings before Beth Gammon and Amy Gordon helped to lift them to 123 for six with a fourth wicket partnership of 45.

Ireland responded with an opening stand of 40 between Louise Little and Lara McBride but England XI successfully applied the brakes through disciplined bowling in the middle overs of the innings and again backed it up with some athletic fielding and safe catching.

Ireland needed a late flurry of boundaries from Sophie MacMahon to get to 105 for five but without ever threatening to deny England victory.

Gordon, who struck 25 from ten balls with three sixes and a four, and Gammon, with a six and five fours in her 19-ball 36, quickly repaired the early damage after Tilly Kesteven, Emilia Lamb and Rachel King had departed cheaply.

Gammon batted through to the end of the innings with both Jasmine Westley (ten from eight balls) and Maddie Ward (ten from four balls) making brief but important contributions at the end of the innings.

Gordon then broke Ireland’s opening partnership when Little drove her to Kesteven at extra cover and Gammon picked up the wickets of McBride, caught behind by Ward as she played to leg and MacMahon stumped on the charge, while excellent teamwork between Westley, Gammon and Gordon accounted for Annabel Squires.

Westley ignored the discomfort from a shoulder injury to produce a diving stop on the long-on boundary before popping up the ball to Gammon whose accurate throw to Gordon found Squires short of her ground at the bowler’s end.

European T10 Women’s Championship

Cartama Oval, Malaga

England XI 123-6 (Beth Gammon 36 not out, Amy Gordon 25), Ireland 105-5 (Louise Little 30, Lara McBride 27, Beth Gammon 2-22). England XI won by 18 runs.

England XI | Chiara Green (Sussex), Beth Gammon (Glamorgan), Libby Thomas (Glamorgan), Maddie Ward (Yorkshire), Ria Fackrell (Yorkshire), Amy Wheeler (The Blaze), Caitlin Belcher (Gloucestershire), Rhiannon Knowling-Davies (Derbyshire), Emilia Lamb (Lancashire), Tilly Kesteven (Lancashire), Rachel King (Sussex), Jasmine Westley (unattached), Amy Gordon (Kent).

📸 Diana Oros