Holsworthy may have finished fifth in Division Three for the second successive season, but their 2026 campaign represented a significant step forward.

After a difficult 2025 season, Holsworthy were far more competitive this time around, collecting 94 points and recording two victories on the field, as well as benefiting from a concession against Bradninch & Kentisbeare.

Their first on-field success came away at Exmouth, where the bowlers produced one of Holsworthy's most dominant displays of the season.

Exmouth were dismissed for 70 before Holsworthy made light work of the chase, reaching 71 for two to complete an emphatic eight-wicket victory away from home.

Their second win came against Chagford in August. Holsworthy bowled the Moorland side out for 94 before chasing the target with only one wicket down.

Hannah Steadman led the way with an unbeaten 42, while Sally Poll made 29 during what was her first season of hardball cricket.

That victory provided another encouraging glimpse of the progress being made within the side, with Holsworthy increasingly showing they were capable of turning competitive performances into results.

 

There was little to separate Holsworthy's two leading

run-scorers.

Freya Godfrey finished top with 114 runs, just two ahead

of Hannah Steadman, whose 112-run season included

that unbeaten 42 in the nine-wicket victory over Chagford.

Rebecca Sharp was third with 47 runs, with the bulk of

those coming in her season-best unbeaten 41 against

Bradninch & Kentisbeare in early May.

It was with the ball that Freya Godfrey made her biggest

mark.

She finished the season with 18 wickets, making her not

only Holsworthy's leading bowler but also the leading

wicket-taker across Division Three. ( pictured here receiving her Divisional award) 

Among those wickets was a hat-trick against Exmouth in

September, during one of the most unusual games of the

Division Three season. Godfrey struck three times in three

balls for Holsworthy before Exmouth's Sarah Antonio later

completed a hat-trick of her own on her way to remarkable

figures of seven for 14.

Jodie Gardner and Layla Godfrey also provided strong

support throughout the campaign, both finishing with 14

wickets to give Holsworthy three bowlers with

double-figure returns.

Layla's progress was also recognised at the club's

end-of-season awards, where she received the Pat Marks

Emerging Young Player Award. (Pictured here) 

With Freya Godfrey leading the way with both bat and ball,

Layla earning recognition for her development and plenty

of contributions coming from across the side, Holsworthy

can take plenty of encouragement from a season which

showed clear signs of progress heading into 2027.

 

By Chris Sleep