NCCA Women Reach European Final

NCCA Women booked their place in the final of the inaugural European Women’s T10 Championship by beating hosts Spain and Netherlands in their final group matches at the Cartama Oval near Malaga. 

NCCA, playing in the competition as England XI, recovered from a surprise defeat against Italy on Wednesday to trounce Spain by 105 runs in their opening match and then produced a clinical performance to beat Netherlands by seven wickets to secure top spot in the qualifying group. 

That victory guaranteed a place in Friday’s final (2.34pm) against opponents yet to be determined although Netherlands, whose only two defeats have come against England, will be favourites to meet them again. 

Against Spain England XI piled up 147 for three, their highest total of the competition, with Cassidy McCarthy, who was promoted to open after her efforts against Italy, leading the way 75 not out from 29 balls with eleven fours and three sixes. 

McCarthy, of Sussex and Trent Rockets, shared an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 50 with Ria Fackrell (Warwickshire and Central Sparks), whose breezy 21 not out from just nine balls included five fours. 

England had lost Lancashire Thunder’s Shachi Pai, who was run out from the third ball of the match, and Bethan Gammon (Wales) with 23 on the board but captain Chiara Green (Sussex) and McCarthy then took control in a third wicket partnership of 74 in six overs. 

Green struck 25 from 13 balls before she was run out but McCarthy and Fackrell found the boundary nine times in the last 18 balls of the innings. 

In contrast, Spain did not manage a single boundary in their reply with only Naomi Hillman-Bermejo (11 not out) reaching double figures against accurate bowling and athletic fielding. 

Spain pottered to 42 for three in their ten overs which gave England another bonus point win and set up the shoot-out with Netherlands for a place in the final. 

Netherlands, who won the toss, got off to a flyer with Robine Rijke (26) and Sunya Khurana (25) taking them to 61 for one at the halfway point of their innings. 

But England slowly squeezed the life out of the innings by taking the pace off the ball and supporting the bowlers with sharp fielding. 

At one stage Netherlands lost six wickets for ten runs in four overs at a time when they should have been accelerating with three of the wickets going to run outs. 

Green took two wickets in her final over and although Merel Dekeling and Robin Schmidt took 17 from the last ball of the innings, bowled by Pai, a target of 99 looked inadequate. 

Under the points system that has been introduced for this competition England needed to score at least 69 to secure a bonus point and deny Netherlands maximum points which would have been enough for them to clinch top spot. 

After a jittery start, with Bethan Ellis caught behind first ball and McCarthy and Meg Austin both run out in the second over, England were wobbling at 12 for three. 

But Pai and Fackrell quickly calmed any nerves and rendered the bonus point calculations academic with a superb unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 87 which saw England home without further alarm and with 15 balls to spare. 

Fackrell was the initial aggressor and she finished unbeaten on 35 from 16 balls with two sixes and four fours. 

But Pai finished the job quickly, rattling to 42 not out from 20 balls with four sixes and two fours while Netherlands struggled for accuracy and sent down an additional two overs in wides. 

European Women’s T10 Championship – Day Five 

Cartama Oval, Malaga 

Match One: England XI 147-3 (Cassidy McCarthy 75 not out, Chiara Green 25, Ria Fackrell 21 not out, Spain 42-3. England XI won by 105 runs. 

Match Two: Netherlands 98-8 (Robine Rijke 26, Sanya Khurana 25, Chiara Green 2-16), England XI 99-3 (Shachi Pai 42 not out, Ria Fackrell 35 not out). England XI won by seven wickets.

Photo Credit: Diana Oros