Downham Stow Women’s 1st XI produced a thrilling late chase to overcome top-of-the-table City of Cambridge in a match that went right down to the wire at Stow CC.
City of Cambridge won the toss and chose to bat first, with openers Katie Gibson and Atarah Perera laying down an ominous platform.
The pair put on more than fifty runs for the first wicket before skipper Ellen Kerbey made the breakthrough, taking a sharp catch off the bowling of Freya Matthews in the 11th over.
That dismissal sparked new life into the hosts, with wickets following at regular intervals, including a smart run-out from Charlotte Beck, a well-judged catch-and-bowled from Molly Pybus, and a clean strike from Martha Broad.
Despite those inroads, Cambridge’s middle order kept the scoreboard ticking, and they closed on a daunting 186 for 5, setting Downham Stow a stern chase.
The reply began shakily with the early dismissal, but the middle order showed real grit and class.
The Broad sisters, Martha and Esther, combined with Beck, Pybus, and Stevenson to amass a superb 177 runs between them, keeping Downham Stow firmly in contention.
That left just ten runs required from the final three overs with Lios Boyle and Evie Griffin at the crease.
With cool heads, the pair worked the singles before Boyle struck a vital boundary to bring the scores level.
The winning runs were nudged with only two balls to spare, sparking celebrations from the Stow faithful.
The Rethink Demand Player of the Match went to Molly Pybus, whose all-round contribution, two crucial wickets and valuable runs in the chase proved decisive in an unforgettable contest.
