Metcalfe and Garton centuries win it for Harrogate Women

Looking around the fixture list for Sunday’s venue, there were a number of potential destinations for me to travel to…with the Hambleton Women’s Outdoor Soft Ball League (West) game between Ouseburn and Ripon being the first choice.

However, as I prepared to set off, I was disappointed to find that their game had been conceded by Ripon, with Ouseburn taking the points.

Return to St George’s Road

My second choice was the fixture between Harrogate and Skipton. Although I had covered Harrogate a couple of weeks ago, I haven’t had the opportunity to see Skipton play – so this was a really great opportunity to do so.

Heading down to St. George’s Road, I was keeping a keen eye on the rather ominous-looking dark clouds, forming an almost completely smothering blanket over the town. Any games being played in the area would almost certainly be interrupted at some point.

A win for Skipton could see them leapfrog over the home team in the West Yorkshire Division One league; a win for Harrogate would see them keep pace with the top two teams – Crossflatts and North Leeds.

Harrogate won the toss and elected to bat, looking to set a good total to defend.

This plan got off to a bad start when an uncharacteristic defensive play in the second over by captain Louisa Hill saw her cushion the ball back to bowler Millie Thompson Barker, who grabbed at the ball to claim her first wicket of the game.

The Metcalfe and Garton show

This early dismissal meant that a new partnership between Tijana Metcalfe and Holly Garton took centre stage, and what a partnership it was to prove.

Over the next 23 overs, the pair were to hit 40 fours and two sixes between them; by the time both wickets had fallen, Tijana had scored 105 from 93 balls and Holly had hit 120 from 76.

You won’t have seen two better centuries scored over the weekend!

---

The home team posted a massive 286 for five wickets in their allotted 30 overs, a formidable total that would require a Herculean effort by the visitors to get anywhere near.

---

At this point, the teams had been off several times due to a few rather determined showers, and as Skipton prepared to take to the field and begin their chase, more of the wet stuff threatened to interrupt the second innings.

A few conversations were being had with the umpires, asking how any rain delays would affect the game; but the heavier rain forecast for 4pm turned out to be a bit of a damp squib…pun intended…with the restart being delayed by only a few minutes.

Skipton lost a wicket with the first ball of the innings, with Harrogate seemingly threatening to get the game finished in a hurry.

However, the visitors were not going to let that happen, with Becca Gibbons and Georgia Jennings standing resolute against the excellent bowling of Eleanpr Adrian-Horrocks and Lilah Marsden.

Although frustrating the Harrogate attack, Skipton were struggling to score runs and fell quickly behind on the run rate.

---

Skipton’s captain, Holly Brennan, looked really assured with the bat and it was a genuine surprise when she was caught leg before off the bowling of Kiran Sahota having scored 19 from 30 deliveries.

---

A spate of wickets edged the home team to the brink of victory. By the time Saffron Ellis’ wicket was taken (with her having scored 13 runs from 35 deliveries), the result was in no doubt.

As the final wicket fell, Harrogate had won by an emphatic 208, with the visitors restricted to just 78 runs.

The game had been, in all truth, a one-sided affair, but saying that wouldn’t be telling the whole story.

There had been some good battles between the bowlers and batters, some excellent fielding, and both young teams are developing senior league experience.

In my last report from a Harrogate Women’s game vs Menston, I wrote about how good a crop of players they have, and this performance reinforces that view.

---

There is a strength in depth in this team, with each and every player continuing to show how good they really are.

---

Skipton are also a young team, and although having struggled against the home side, they showed great teamwork throughout.

Becca Gibbons, Georgia Jennings, Saffron Ellis, Mila Feeney and Holly Brennan all showed flashes of superb batting technique and perhaps on another day, would have scored more runs.

I certainly believe there is more to come from the visitors and will try and get to cover another of their games before the end of the season to learn more about them.

With the win, Harrogate maintain the pressure on the two teams above them – Crossflatts having won their game against Cricademia Academy by 119 runs, and North Leeds having lost their fixture against Bradford Park Avenue by seven wickets.

Next week, Harrogate travel to Menston and Skipton host Bradford Park Avenue.

MATCH PHOTOS

Want to read more?

Thanks to Mark for his snapshot of league cricket from Harrogate.

Here are all of Mark’s articles and photos on Cricket Yorkshire.

To see more of his photography, you can visit caughtlight.com or he’s @caughtlight on Twitter/X.

There’s also the Caught Light Photography Facebook page.

I also highly recommend his blog called Leica Moments that include days out at grounds around North Yorkshire.