Luke Sellers reports from Kidderminster CC

Gloucestershire U17 Women (107-4) beat Worcestershire U17 Women (103-8) by 6 wickets

Gloucestershire U17 Women (135-3) beat Wales U17 Women (102-5) by 33 runs

Gloucestershire’s Under 17 Women got their summer off to a great start with back-to-back victories in the ECB T20 County Championship.

Led by new captain Charlie Phillips (Bath) the side followed up a six wicket win over Worcestershire with a 33-run victory over Wales at Kidderminster CC.

Against Worcestershire Glos won the toss but were soon up against it with the home team’s openers playing some great shots to all parts of the ground.

Eve Alder (1-21) (Cirencester) got the first breakthrough in the fourth over, bowling Farnworth for 13 with the score on 21.

Worcs tried to maintain their early momentum but the Glos bowlers were beginning to get on top.

The introduction of Emily Wilson (Bristol Phoenix) reaped rewards as she picked up 3-16 – including a double wicket maiden – with an unerringly accurate spell.

Danielle Gibson (1-24) (Dumbleton) also made an impact, sending Worcs skipper Georgina Bragg’s (30) middle stump cartwheeling with the first ball of her second over.

Phillips took 2-20 and got a run out as the home side finished on 103-8.

In response, Naomi Forecast (Bristol Phoenix) anchored the innings with a dominant 49* (including 10 4s),  with good support from Alice Hill (14) (Hatherley and Reddings) and Alder (16*) as Glos reached their target with 3.3 overs to spare and six wickets in hand.

Forecast and Alder carried their form on in the next game against Wales, blasting their way to an opening stand of 51 from seven overs.

Forecast his four fours and a six in her knock of 52 from 54 balls, while Alder made 21 from just 17.

When they departed, attacking cameos from Hill (14) and Emily Wilkins (31) (Frenchay) ensured Glos reached 135-4.

Wales started well, putting on 62 for the first wicket, but two key run outs, a stumping and tight bowling from the whole attack – including Jess Werrett (2-20) (Hambrook) – stemmed the run rate, leaving Wales 33 runs short.

Full scorecards can be found here and here.

It’s great to see the ECB getting behind Women’s Sports Week this week and going all out to encourage more women and girls to take up cricket.

While there are currently 565 women’s and girls’ clubs in England and Wales, it’s pretty clear that we can’t rest on our laurels. There are still loads of girls and women out there missing out on the best summer sport of all*, and here at CRICKETher we’re right behind the ECB in seeking to change that!

Why not get involved?

You could get your club to register online here to sign up for documents and resources suggesting new ways to attract women into cricket.

You could run a taster session at your club this summer, as a friendly way to encourage girls and women to get down to the club and have a go.

You and some friends (maybe some who have never played before) could sign up for one of four six/eight-a-side cricket festivals due to take place this summer – in Birmingham and St Albans on June 14, and Bristol and Tadcaster on June 21. There are links to sign up here.

And if you live in London, why not come along to the England Women masterclass at Hampstead Cricket Club on Sunday? From midday the best female cricketers in the country will be kick-starting Hampstead’s new women’s and girls’ coaching programme – who better to inspire them, and you, than Charlotte Edwards & co? It’ll be followed by a 25-over match, England Women vs Hampstead CC, which should be worth a watch!

CRICKETher might see you there – we’ll be heading down to Hampstead ourselves. Maybe CRICKETher’s editor will even be persuaded (after making a 9-ball duck the last time she played) to pick up a bat again.

After all… #ThisGirlCan, right?

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(*Best sport of all, full stop!)

There were no real surprises in today’s announcement of the Southern Stars squad to face England in this summer’s Women’s Ashes.

The squad is similar to that which faced England in the last series in Australia in 2014, with key threats being the powerful batting of captain Meg Lanning (recently named Wisden‘s Leading Female Cricketer in the World), and the all-round talents of Ellyse Perry.

Vice-captain Alex Blackwell and off-spinner Erin Osborne will go into the series with the advantage of having already experienced English conditions in their recent appearances for Berkshire (Blackwell) and Sussex (Osborne).

Holly Ferling, returning to the squad after a back injury which ruled her out for most of last season, will be a useful bolster to the Stars’ pace attack.

Meanwhile Victorian leg-spinner Kristen Beams will be eyeing up a place in the Test match, having made her international debut against Pakistan last August.

All-rounder Delissa Kimmince, who made her debut against New Zealand in 2008 and returned to international cricket in last year’s World Twenty20, is another notable addition to the squad for the T20 leg of the tour.

The series begins on 21 July at Taunton with the first of three ODIs.

Full squad:

• Meg Lanning (Captain)
• Alex Blackwell (Vice-Captain)
• Kristen Beams
• Nicole Bolton (Test + ODI)
• Jess Cameron
• Sarah Coyte
• Rene Farrell
• Holly Ferling
• Alyssa Healy
• Jess Jonassen
• Delissa Kimmince (T20)
• Erin Osborne
• Ellyse Perry
• Megan Schutt
• Elyse Villani