Around 100 players took part in the biggest-ever Women’s Softball event in Suffolk, writes Nick Garnham.

Tuddenham Twistas ‘A’ emerged as the winners from the 11 teams that competed in the Women’s Softball Celebration Day at Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club on Sunday.

They defeated their Stowupland CC counterparts by a margin of 33 runs in the final, successfully defending their total of 280.

The two teams had won their respective groups to progress to the final of the eight-a-side tournament.

Suffolk Cricket’s Women’s and Girls’ Cricket Development Officer Amy Richford, who organised the day, said the event surpassed last year’s when 80 players from eight teams took part.

She said: “It has been a real success to see so many softball teams coming together on one day.

“It has been brilliant to see so much cricket played throughout the day and to also see how everyone has progressed so much since last year.

“Thank you to Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club for hosting and to all our volunteers who helped the event to run smoothly.”

Sarah ‘Kitch’ Kitchen, captain of the winning Tuddenham Twistas ‘A’ team, said: “We love coming to Bury St Edmunds to play.

“We came to have some fun, and the spirit shown by everyone today is what cricket is all about.”

‘Kitch’, whose 13-year-old daughter Emily also played, continued: “We were the only club to enter two teams because we had so many players wanting to take part, so we fielded a ‘B’ team as well.

“We won all five of our group games, so didn’t change anything for the final and it worked perfectly.”

The teams taking part in the event were as follows: Bury St Edmunds CC, Long Melford CC, Mellis CC, Newmarket CC, Old Newton CC, Stowmarket CC, Stowupland CC, Tuddenham Twistas ‘A’, Tuddenham Twistas ‘B’, Woolpit CC and Worlington CC.