Category: Competitions

A brilliant century from Ava Clive helped steer Shropshire’s Women’s 1st XI to trophy glory in their Metro Bank One Day Cup final clash with Oxfordshire.

It meant Shropshire gained revenge in the 50 over competition for their defeat against the same opponents in their T20 final earlier in the season.

The two sides met again at Kibworth CC in Leicestershire as the winners of their respective groups in the Women’s League 3 Division 2.

Skipper Lara Jones again won the toss and asked Oxfordshire to bat first – and they made a good start passing 100 for the loss of just three wickets – with Kate Brazier claiming 2-32 from her ten overs.

But then as Oxfordshire looked to accelerate, spinner Amy Griffiths got to work – as she had done in the final group game against Lincolnshire – and ripped the heart out of the batting line up.

She finished with figures of 6-38 from nine overs as Oxfordshire were dismissed for 167 – well backed up by Jones bowling at the other end who took 1-27 from eight overs. Harriet Shuker took the other wicket to fall.

The reply was dominated by Clive who hit 105 off 111 balls including 16 boundaries before she was dismissed just short of the winning line.

She shared in early partnerships with Libby Thomas putting on 57 before the first wicket fell and then Liv Smith to take the score to 95.

Although a couple of wickets fell, she then combined with Alex Hale who supported her calmly with plenty of overs to spare to see Shropshire within sight of victory.

The trophy winning victory capped a fine season for Shropshire’s Women’s XI who won nine out of 10 games in their Vitality T20 Blast campaign before they were beaten in that final, and then four out of five games in the Metro Bank Cup with the other game abandoned.

It means Shropshire have gained promotion and will play their 50 over cricket in Division 1 in 2026.

Head Coach Sam Whitney was proud of the squad and achievement. He said: “Every member of the squad has played a match-winning role throughout the season – from Kate Brazier’s and Alex Hale’ match winning partnership in our first game to 14-year-old Sophia Parton’s game changing two wickets in her first over at Lincolnshire.’

He added: “The attitude and team spirit has been there throughout, and the togetherness they’ve shown has been a key factor in their success. A huge shoutout to Lara Jones (captain) and Kate Brazier who have shown serious commitment playing every fixture. They are great role models and a big reason why we have players wanting to play.

Sam highlighted the performances of spinners Amy Griffiths and Isabelle Crann as well as the magnificent century by Ava Clive in Sunday’s final.

“I am so pleased for Amy, she bowled beautifully and to get six wickets in a final is a very fantastic achievement. Amy is a special talent who could go as far as she wants in the game.

“Creating a spin partnership with Izzy Crann has been instrumental in our success. Izzy has developed throughout the season and has been rewarded with an excellent wickets tally.”

On Ava Clive’s innings, Whitney added: “We witnessed something special from Ava on Sunday. She seems to perform on the big occasions, and it was one of the best innings I have seen. She hit the ball all around the ground and punished anything loose.’

On the challenge ahead for next season, he added: “We are very excited about the test that 50 over Division 1 cricket will provide. If we can keep this core group of players together, I’m sure we can be successful and keep performing at a high level.”

Captain Lara Jones was delighted with the achievement and performances over a long summer.

She said: “After an incredibly successful season, it was amazing to finish it off by winning the national final. It’s the result of months of hard work, commitment, and teamwork, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team.

“A huge part of our success came from having a consistent, dedicated core of players who showed up to every match – no matter how far we had to travel. Over the season, we’ve grown really close as a group, and lifting the trophy together was an unforgettable moment.’

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to our coaches – Sam, Naomi, and Ed, for their constant support and all the work they put in over the summer.

“And an extra special thank you to our amazing manager, Lyn Perrin. Without Lyn, we wouldn’t have had half the success we did. She’s the foundation of our success, fully prepared, reliable and always one step ahead.

“Finally, thank you to all the families and supporters who followed us around the country and never stopped believing in us. Your support made all the difference, and we’ve loved having you there with us.”