Sessay lift the County Cup at Saxton with all-round performance

By the end of Sunday at Saxton Cricket Club, the sun was bright enough to make the morning’s grey skies seem like a distant memory.

Sessay had won the County Cup with an emphatic performance, and there was plenty to celebrate as players gathered for the presentations.

The Yorkshire Premier League North Women & Girls T20 County Cup Finals Day brought together competitive cricket, good company, and the sort of conversations that make spending a day around the boundary so enjoyable.

The first ball of the semi-final was scheduled for 10:45…a relatively early start to the day…with the promise of two games for me to photograph.

September cricket always carries a little risk of poor weather as the season draws to a close. There are a few fixtures left in the diary, but you can never assume that any weekend will allow play.

At Saxton, as I parked in the car park in the field opposite the club, the initial backdrop was an almost uninterrupted covering of grey cloud, with the odd spot of light rain adding an unwelcome complication to the morning’s preparations.

The Yorkshire Women and Girls Premier North were holding their annual finals day, with five teams involved across two sites.

Saxton were playing Doncaster Town at Walton Park for the County Plate, and Sheffield Collegiate and Wrenthorpe had a semi-final at Saxton, with the winners taking on Sessay in the County Cup final later in the day.

I caught up with captains and coaches and made the usual introductions for my day of coverage. I’ve come to realise that those opening conversations are a useful way of getting a feel for either a game or an event.

Despite being over an hour early, the two teams were already warming up on the field, while those around in the pavilion and boundary were busily setting things up and helping make the day happen.

Across the hours that followed, talk wandered from the games in progress to junior cricket, training facilities, and the work that goes into keeping club teams on the field.

Collegiate defeat DLS

Sheffield Collegiate won the toss and decided that they wanted to put Wrenthorpe into bat first. Boundaries were scarce as Sheffield applied a lot of pressure on their opponents, and wickets fell steadily…reducing the batting side’s options.

To be fair, Wrenthorpe kept working hard through their innings, with flashes of real quality hitting that showed what a good side they are.

However, the innings ended with a superb over of bowling by Rachel Bottomley, giving only two runs away on the last delivery as Wrenthorpe tried to run everything.

Posting a total of 63 for eight off their 20 overs, with rain having made an impact on the innings, the score would be a difficult one to defend.

Lucy Finnigan (17 from 20 deliveries) and Emily Shuttleworth (12 from 24) were the pick of the Wrenthorpe batters in what had been challenging conditions.

Matilda White with figures of four wickets for just nine runs and a maiden from her four overs was a real standout…helping craft an intimidating performance in the field.

Then the rain intervened, dragging attention towards radar maps and weather apps…the narrow band of heavier rain promising to move across the ground relatively quickly.

A revised target and a shortened chase followed. Sheffield Collegiate approached the task diligently, overcoming the loss of two wickets to win by eight wickets and secure their place in the final against Sessay.

Emma Taylor (21 from 20) and captain Grace Hirst (15 from 8) helped guide Collegiate home, with Agatha Royall being the pick of the bowling attack – getting a wicket for just ten runs in her three overs. Sheffield finished on 50 for two in nine overs, having managed the interruption and the revised requirements well.

I will say that, I’m always a little disappointed when games have to be revised – the black art of DLS coming into effect.

Teams may approach games in a slightly different manner…for example – with some looking to put on runs towards the end of an innings, and others doing the opposite.

Batting order comes into play as well, and I think that the almost clinical nature of a ‘mathematical calculation’ brings a new dynamic into a game that may force teams to change tactics.

There’s no implied criticism of the competition on Sunday…it’s just a general feeling I’ve always had about this method of adjusting the target set and number of overs in which to get it. 

Between the games, the weather became a more pressing consideration. Rain threatened to push the final’s start significantly beyond its planned time, and umpires and captains worked through the available options.

Around the ground, forecasts and approaching cloud attracted scrutiny – I always love a good weather discussion on the boundary rope!

There is a particular rhythm to these pauses: an update arrives, people look towards the sky and conversations resume, while everyone waits.

With a trophy still to be decided, there was understandable interest in how much cricket the rain would allow.

Then the sun made an appearance once more. Blue sky replaced the earlier gloom, and the whole appearance of the ground changed.

Through a camera, that transition is especially striking; colours regain their ‘zing’ and the light gives the action a distinct clarity.

Saxton is one of those beautiful grounds that simply glows in sunshine. The improvement brought a welcome lift as attention returned fully to the contest.

A worthy final

Sessay won the toss and chose to bat, then produced the kind of disciplined display that makes everyone sit up and take notice. Sheffield struggled to dislodge the batters from the crease, with the Emeralds enjoying hitting the ball to the boundary repeatedly. 

Ophelia Watson (22 from 17), Zintle Kula (38 from 40), and Clare Fairclough (39 from 41) helped Sessay build their innings to a total of 130 for four in 20 overs.

Ava Hunsley’s three wickets for just 17 runs in her four overs was the pick of the Collegiate attack.

Sheffield took to the field knowing that they had a hard task in front of them, and Matilda White led the charge as she put on 30 runs having faced 58 deliveries.

Over the years, I’ve seen the Emeralds bowl superbly and match that with outstanding fielding. Sunday was no different. Whereas they had scored at about a run a delivery, they were stifling their opponents.

Sheffield Collegiate were scoring runs, but at around four an over…it meant that they would fall short over the innings. And so it proved.

Sessay completed the job with the ball. As their opponents tried to up the number of runs scored in the final few overs, they had to start taking risks…running singles that were difficult and try and get a bat on a ball to get the opportunity to score something.

As Ava Hunsley cracked Amy Burton’s delivery down the field in the 19th over…Clare Fairclough stepped forward, got both hands around the ball, and Sessay took the final wicket to win the cup.

Gemma Mumby-Collins’ three wickets for 14 runs in her four overs had been the epitome of the hard work put in by Sessay’s bowlers. Collegiate’s Grace Hirst, Darcy Fearn, and Emma Taylor had all tried to push back against their opponents…but ultimately, it wasn’t to be for the South Yorkshire side.

Sheffield Collegiate had already earned an eight-wicket semi-final success earlier in the day, but Sessay (above) were the stronger side in the final. Their ultimate control of the contest made them deserving cup winners.

Watching the teams also prompted more reflection on how much the standard of women’s recreational cricket has developed during my years covering it. The technical assurance, awareness in the field and organisation around these games give young players plenty to learn from.

I had quite a few conversations about the enormous investment in practice facilities and coaching that provides context to that progress.

For the women and girls watching, a day like this offers a close view of what they can work towards, alongside people who can help them get there.

It is important to realise that we are still on the ‘road of progress’…the destination is known, but there is still plenty of work to be done by everyone, and I think cricket being played regularly in states schools is one tiny part of that progress.

There was success elsewhere too. At Walton Park, Doncaster Town (above) defeated Saxton CC Women to win the County Plate. I wish I could have seen some of that game, as I know both teams are part of the very upper echelons of the women’s game in Yorkshire.

The end of day presentations also recognised contributions beyond the main results, with awards encompassing fielding, sportsmanship and younger players.

That breadth of recognition felt appropriate after a day spent discussing the many ways people contribute to the game of cricket in this – the heart of cricket in England.

Encouragement to bring more players and supporters into the game carried the occasion forward into thoughts of a winter break and then next season.

But as the sun started to dip lower, there were celebrations to be had by all the teams that had taken part.

Sessay had the County Cup, Doncaster Town the County Plate; Sheffield Collegiate, Saxton, and Wrenthorpe could reflect on their fantastic seasons and wonderful contributions on the day.

Sunshine gave the closing scenes a cheerful backdrop, with players coming together after a day of competition. It was a satisfying finish to a Sunday [and a season] that showed both the quality of the cricket and the enthusiasm of the people around it.

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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.

Mark’s excellent blog called Leica Moments includes observations and imagery from days out at grounds around Yorkshire.