Berkshire Women Finish Second After Bucks Defeat
Berkshire Women’s 1st XI finished runners-up in the Metro Bank One Day Cup Women’s League 3 Division 1 after a 42-run defeat against Bucks at Finchampstead on Sunday.
The fixture also marked a special milestone for Freya Johnson, who made her 100th appearance for Berkshire, a fantastic achievement that underlined her outstanding contribution to county cricket.
Berkshire won the toss and elected to field, with Bucks posting 209-9 from their 50 overs.
Bucks made steady progress throughout their innings, reaching 50 in the 15th over and 100 in the 26th. Annie Townsend made 25 and Afra Rose Mohamed top-scored with 35, before Cara Duggan contributed 20.
Tegan Stockdale and Carys Gerber then added useful runs in the middle order, with Stockdale making 31 from 40 balls and Gerber 20. Berkshire fought back strongly with the ball in the closing stages, with Mary Briscoe taking 3-29, while Ava Lee and Naazneen Asif Iqbal claimed two wickets each.
Berkshire were set a revised target of 206 from 48 overs following an interruption to play, but their chase got off to a difficult start.
Izzy Storrar and Shristi Patil were both dismissed early, before Ashneet Chahal and Finty Trussler provided some stability.
There was then a spirited late-order fightback, led by Mary Briscoe, who produced an excellent 45 from just 51 balls. Briscoe struck four boundaries and, alongside Molly Bulteel, gave Berkshire hope of an unlikely recovery.
Bulteel contributed 17 from 24 balls as the pair added valuable runs, but the partnership was eventually broken with Berkshire still 43 runs short of their revised target.
Berkshire were bowled out for 163 in 42.1 overs, handing Bucks a 42-run victory.
For Bucks, Zaynah Wani was the standout bowler with 4-25, while Charlie Mailey took 2-29 from her 10 overs.
Berkshire Finish Second
The result means Berkshire finish the 2026 Division 1 campaign in second place with 25 points, having recorded five wins and two defeats from their seven completed matches.
Devon Cricket were crowned champions, finishing top of the table with 29 points, while Staffordshire Cricket ended the campaign in third place on 21 points.
It has nevertheless been another strong season for Berkshire Women, with five victories from seven completed matches and the side remaining firmly in the title race throughout the campaign.
The final fixture was made particularly memorable by Freya Johnson’s 100th Berkshire game. Reaching a century of county appearances is a significant achievement and represents a remarkable commitment to Berkshire cricket over many seasons.
Berkshire Cricket would like to congratulate Freya on reaching this outstanding milestone and thank her for her contribution to the county game.
Thanks also go to all the players, coaches, volunteers, officials and supporters who have contributed to another successful Berkshire Women’s campaign, and to Finchampstead Cricket Club for hosting the final fixture.