GLAMORGAN WOMEN'S ACADEMY V SACA WOMEN – MATCH REPORTS (18 Jun 26)

Steven Fletcher
5 days ago
4 min read

MATCH ONE RESULT: SACA WOMEN WON BY 9 WICKETS

MATCH TWO RESULT: GLAMORGAN ACADEMY WON BY 7 WICKETS

With their opening fixtures of the season against Yorkshire Women falling fowl to the weather a fortnight ago, SACA Women’s squad finally got to play their first competitive fixtures today, as they took to the field for two eagerly anticipated T20 clashes at Abergavenny Cricket Club against Glamorgan’s Women’s Academy.

Across the two games honours were shared between the sides, with SACA comprehensively winning the opener, before the soon to be Tier One side’s Academy got their revenge in the second clash.

It was a more than promising start to competitive action for the SACA Women, who can take plenty of positives forward from today’s performances, both as individuals and as a group playing together.

GAME ONE MATCH REPORT

It was Glamorgan Women who batted first in the opener, with Kashish Choudhary and Asmi Shembekar given the new ball responsibilities for SACA.

It took Choudhary just six deliveries to open her wicket-taking account as a SACA player, as she dismissed opener Ellis for a duck, with the hosts on 1 for 1.

SACA were unable to capitalise on that blistering start however, with Glamorgan settling into the next seven overs without any further damage being inflicted, taking the score to 49 for 1 at the end of the eighth over.

Few would have predicted what was to come next however, as SACA’s bowling attack took complete control and destroyed any hopes Glamorgan had of posting a big total.

First into the thick of the action was Zaynah Reyman, who struck twice in the ninth over to see off Sharman for 20 with her third delivery of the over, and Sturge for 28 off her sixth delivery – Glamorgan 53 for 3.

Next to strike was Rhia Sedha in the very next over, seeing off Mullan for just 1, as Glamorgan stumbled to 60 for 4 at the halfway stage of their innings.

Nayma Sheikh got her reward just three overs later to see off Thorndike for a single on 73 for 5, although it was the introduction of spinner Bhoomika Bhat in the 14^th over that caused chaos for the hosts and brought things to a close quickly thereafter.

A wicket with the third and fifth deliveries of her first over saw Glamorgan stumble to 80 for 7, and another two in her second over, again with the third and fifth deliveries, saw Glamorgan fall to 92 for 9, before she wrapped things up just four balls into her third and final over, as the hosts were rolled for just 97 runs!

Bhat had returned remarkable figures of 5 for 9 off 2.4 overs, striking five times in just 16 balls – it was some start to life as a SACA player for the leg spinner.

In reply, SACA wasted no time getting into their groove, with Maryam Faisal and Riva Pindoria opening up for the Academy.

An opening partnership of 96 almost took SACA to their victory target without loss, although Faisal’s departure for 32 off 28 balls was the only blemish in their superb and well-executed run chase.

Pindoria at the other end was imperious, finishing unbeaten on 55* from 47 deliveries, hitting eight boundaries in a wonderful maiden innings for SACA.

Victory was secured off the fifth ball of the thirteenth over, seeing SACA secure a win in their first ever game, by the huge margin of nine wickets!

Bhat with the ball, and Pindoria with the bat, were the undoubted pick of the bunch, excelling in both disciplines respectively.

GAME TWO MATCH REPORT

SACA were first to bat in game two, and again Faisal and Pindoria got their side off to a terrific start, adding 65 for the first wicket, before Pindoria finally succumbed in the eleventh over, dismissed for 29 off 35 deliveries.

Faisal’s departure for 40 (off 33 deliveries), in the very next over saw SACA on 77 for 2 after 12, however from there they’d have hoped to have been able to build on that platform and post an above par total for Glamorgan to chase.

It wasn’t to be however, as regular wickets fell throughout the rest of the innings, stemming any real flow of runs for SACA, and a total of 122 for 7 seemed somewhat under par given the start they’d had.

And so it proved, as Glamorgan went about their chase with relish, and scores of 24 (off 18), 23 (off 20), 47* (off 34), and 19 (off 23) for the Glamorgan top four batters pretty much took them to their target for the loss of just three wickets.

They reached their target in the 17^th over of the reply, with Anusha Chauhan the pick of the SACA bowlers, finishing with figures of 2 for 18 from 3 overs, with Bhat adding to her five wicket haul in the first game with the other wicket, finishing with 1 for 20.