Shropshire gain revenge on Oxfordshire to lift One Day Cup

A brilliant century from Ava Clive helped steer Shropshire to trophy glory over Oxfordshire - gaining revenge for defeat against the same opponents in the Twenty20 final earlier in the season.

The trophy-winning victory capped a fine season for Shropshire, who won nine out of 10 games in their Vitality T20 Blast campaign before they were beaten in that final, and then four out of five games in the Metro Bank Cup with the other game abandoned. It means Shropshire have gained promotion and will play their 50-over cricket in Division One in 2026.

Whitney said: "Every member of the squad has played a match-winning role throughout the season.

"From Kate Brazier’s and Alex Hale’s match-winning partnership in our first game to 14-year-old Sophia Parton’s game changing two wickets in her first over at Lincolnshire."

He added: "The attitude and team spirit has been there throughout and the togetherness they’ve shown has been a key factor in their success.

"A huge shoutout to Lara Jones (captain) and Kate Brazier, who have shown serious commitment playing every fixture. They are great role models and a big reason why we have players wanting to play."

Shropshire and Oxfordshire met again in the final at Kibworth Cricket Club in Leicestershire as the winners of their respective groups in the Women’s League Three Division Two.

Skipper Lara Jones won the toss and asked Oxfordshire to bat first – dismissing them for 167, thanks mainly to the efforts of Amy Griffiths (6-38).

The reply was dominated by Clive, who hit 105 off 111 balls including 16 boundaries before she was dismissed just short of the winning line.

Whitney highlighted the performances of spinners Griffiths and Isabelle Crann as well as the magnificent century by Clive in Sunday’s final: "I am so pleased for Amy, she bowled beautifully and to get six wickets in a final is a very fantastic achievement.

"Amy is a special talent who could go as far as she wants in the game. Creating a spin partnership with Izzy Crann has been instrumental in our success. Izzy has developed throughout the season and has been rewarded with an excellent wickets tally.

"We witnessed something special from Ava on Sunday. Ava seems to perform on the big occasions, and it was one of the best innings I have seen. She hit the ball all around the ground and punished anything loose."

On the challenge ahead for next season, Whitney said: "We are very excited about the test that 50-over Division One cricket will provide. If we can keep this core group of players together, I’m sure we can be successful and keep performing at a high level."

Captain Lara Jones added: "After an incredibly successful season, it was amazing to finish it off by winning the national final. It’s the result of months of hard work, commitment, and teamwork, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team.

"A huge part of our success came from having a consistent, dedicated core of players who showed up to every match - no matter how far we had to travel. Over the season, we’ve grown really close as a group, and lifting the trophy together was an unforgettable moment."