Carisbrooke College U13s put in a strong and spirited performance in their first fixture together on 22 May, narrowly losing to The Bay by 22 runs in an entertaining match held at Ryde Cricket Club. A big thank you goes to the club for generously hosting the game and providing a fantastic setting for the players to showcase their skills.

The Bay batted first and were immediately on the back foot thanks to a superb opening spell from Carisbrooke captain Logan, who took three early wickets to send a wave of confidence through the team. Jack then added a fourth breakthrough, and for a moment it looked as though Carisbrooke might bowl their opponents out for a low total. However, The Bay’s middle order dug in well and, with some resilient batting, pushed on to reach 94-4 from their allotted 16 overs.

Amelia and Faye were standouts with the ball during the middle overs, bowling tightly and keeping the run rate under control at a key stage of the innings and Jude at wicket keeper was phenomenal in preventing the ball getting past him.

In reply, Carisbrooke got off to a promising start, racing to 26 without loss before a rain delay paused play for 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the break in momentum made it difficult for the team to re-establish their rhythm. By the time the first wicket fell, only five overs remained, not quite enough time to chase down the target.

Logan top-scored with a well-made 13, while Seb added 12 in a composed display. Jack, Dexter and McKinley gave it one last push in the final overs, but with The Bay setting smart fields and boundaries hard to come by, Carisbrooke ran out of time, closing on 72-3.

Although the result went in The Bay’s favour, this was an excellent all-round performance from a new Carisbrooke side. With solid bowling, strong fielding, and signs of a promising batting order, the team can take plenty of positives forward into their next fixtures.

Final score: The Bay 94-4 (16 overs), Carisbrooke 72-3 (16 overs)

Well done to all involved - a very encouraging start!