CHARD Cricket Club Girls rounded off a fantastic season in near darkness by winning back The Shrubsole Cup from Chard Ladies in the annual season finale.

The ladies started well, with Rachel Ireland-Jones and Rachel Derham scoring positively from the outset.

Regular wickets in the middle overs continually pegged the Ladies back and it was only some late order hitting from Shannon Preston and the returning Ireland-Jones which took the Ladies to a competitive score of 267.

The Girls, determined to make amends for last year's defeat, got off to a flyer with big hitting from Millie Stoneman and Megan Turnbull.

Strong batting in the middle order from Zoe Hunt and Crocus Douglass put the girls firmly in control as the light began to fade, and despite some late wickets the Girls ran out comfortable winners by 31 runs in a thoroughly entertaining game, finishing on 298.

This capped off a superb season for the girls as a whole in the Mid Wessex League, with the Under-12s finishing runners-up, and the Under-10s finishing joint top of their respective leagues.

They were also guards of honour at the Women's Ashes, won an Under-11 County Softball Tournament and played in a festival at the County Ground before a Western Storm match.

A fantastic effort from all the girls involved at the club.