Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. The outstanding Ria Fackrell celebrates one of her four wickets at Headingley today.
Ria Fackrell claimed a fabulous four wickets as Yorkshire opened their Vitality Blast campaign with a dominant eight-wicket win over Derbyshire Falcons at Headingley this afternoon.
Off-spinning all-rounder Fackrell’s stunning figures of 4-13 from her four overs helped Yorkshire limit the visitors to a total of 104-7 after rain delayed the start by half-an-hour.
On-loan opener Georgie Boyce hit a rapid 42 on Yorkshire debut, and Academy starlet Amelia Oliver made 39 not out in her first professional appearance as the hosts cruised to their target inside 13 overs.
Victory was Yorkshire’s third of the season over Derbyshire in all competitions.
Maddie Ward made history as she became Yorkshire’s youngest ever captain – male or female – aged 20 years and 133 days.
Yorkshire were missing a host of key names through injury and were also without Lauren Winfield-Hill and Sterre Kalis, who have joined Tier 1 teams on loan ahead of the Hundred. It meant they named a young side with only three players over the age of 22 included by head coach Rich Pyrah.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com. Amelia Oliver (left) finished 39 not out and walks off the pitch with captain Maddie Ward after today’s victory.
Derbyshire started solidly having won the toss, with opening pair Lara Shaw and Jess Couser steering them to 44-0 after the powerplay. But Fackrell’s introduction in the seventh over changed the course of the innings.
Couser skied one to the onrushing Erin Thomas, but she couldn’t hold on to the catch. Thomas was given an immediate opportunity to make amends and showed nerves of steel to cling on on the boundary rope and dismiss Shaw for 24.
Fackrell claimed her second in the over by clinging on to a smart caught and bowled chance as Couser fell for 24.
Holly Garton was unlucky as she bowled Megan Pittman from a no ball, but Fackrell returned to have the Derbyshire batter caught for three before Tash Allen was run out as the visitors slipped to 55-4.
Fackrell claimed her fourth as Rhiannon Knowling-Davies skied high and Ward chased into the outfield to take the catch and make it 59-5 in the 11th over.
Captain Adrianna Darlow and Harriett Parkin stabilised the innings well, both unfurling impressive boundaries down the ground, to lift Derbyshire to 91.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com. Maddie Ward speaks to her team-mates before today’s victory. To her right is loan debutant Georgie Boyce, who impressed with 42 in pursuit of 105.
Jess Woolston, in her first game of the season after a winter foot injury, then bowled Parkin for 10 before Francesca Clarke was run out for a duck by Ellie Nightingale as Derbyshire edged to three figures from their 20 overs. Former White Rose player Darlow finished 27 not out.
Yorkshire’s chase was professional and clinical. The early departure of Erin Thomas – dismissed by Darlow for nine in the second over – didn’t disrupt their momentum.
Boyce, who has joined Yorkshire on loan for the Blast campaign from The Blaze, and Oliver soon began racking up the boundaries.
Oliver unfurled two lovely shots in the third over before Boyce hit six boundaries in two overs to lift the hosts to a quick-fire 62-1 after the powerplay.
Boyce’s superb debut knock was ended when she was trapped lbw by Francesca Clark for 42 off 25 balls with nine fours to leave Yorkshire 81-2, with 24 needed from 69 balls. Oliver and skipper Ward steered Yorkshire to the win without any further loss and 44 balls to spare.
Yorkshire continue their Blast campaign against Leicestershire Foxes at Headingley next Sunday, part of a T20 double header with Yorkshire’s men.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Jess Woolston returned to action after missing the first two matches of the season with a foot injury.
Head coach Rich Pyrah said: “Very pleasing. Today, we’ve lost seven players from our original squad – seven more experienced players who have played a lot of cricket.
“We went out and signed a batter on loan in Georgie Boyce just to give us that experience. But I think we’ve given five debuts out today. We’ve had two 16-year-olds playing and Amelia Oliver, who’s 17.
“Winning’s great, but they all contributed. We said that this year’s going to be about finding out and giving opportunities, and today’s been a really pleasing day.
“Georgie’s a good player, but she’s just got that experience, which is what we’re lacking with Sterre and Lauren missing and Ami as well.
“She’s fitted in great. She knows a few of the girls anyway, so as soon as we started the conversation, we were really keen to bring her in.
“I’m really pleased for Ria. She’s missed out the last couple of weeks, but she’s come in today and bowled beautifully. To get four-for there changed the game after they got off to a decent start in the powerplay.”
