A strong debut from 16-year-old Emilia Bartram could not save Oxfordshire from a six-wicket defeat to Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire in ECB Women’s County Championship Division 5 East.
Bartram top-scored with 44 in Oxon’s 145 all out, then took 2-17 in eight overs as Cambs reached 148-4 at Papworth.
Batting first, Oxon slipped to 35-5 against some very disciplined bowling, but a 59-run eighth-wicket stand between Bartram and Vicky Strode (25) helped them recover.
In reply, Cambs got off to a fast start courtesy of some wayward Oxon bowling, but a brilliant gully catch by Ellie Porter off Bartram stemmed the flow.
Very quickly this became 27-3 after Bartram removed Lauren Andrews second ball and the off-spinner Bridget Rhodes-Moore nipped out the other opener, Kath Malvern, for 20.
But two partnerships involving Paula Knibbs (51no), who put on 62 with Caroline Ingarfield, and an unbroken 59 with Tracey Ware-Lane, sealed the hosts’ victory.
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