Having defeated Gresham’s by 7 wickets in the quarter-final on Saturday, the team headed to the prestigious and picturesque Arundel Castle ground for finals day on Thursday.
The semi-final was against Bede’s, and after a fast start from openers Keira Johnson and Phoebe Howe, supported by captain Lucy Harris, Epsom set Bede’s an imposing 159 to win. Epsom’s bowlers strangled the opposition chase and bowled Bede’s out for 86 to reach the final later in the day.
Stamford were the opponents, having beaten Rugby School in the other semi-final. They were a strong team and made life difficult for Epsom, not losing a wicket until the 16th over and setting 150 to win. There then followed another batting masterclass from Epsom’s top three, with Keira Johnson scoring an unbeaten 71 and Phoebe Howe 46 to set up a tense finish, before Lucy Harris hit the winning runs to seal victory with an over to spare. Superb batting from these three was needed as Stamford were strong. However, tight bowling and brilliant fielding from the whole team was crucial in the girls’ success.
After an intense week, the girls should be proud of their achievement and fully deserve to be crowned U17 T20 National Champions.
