Alexia celebrates long hot summer

CRICKETING sensation Alexia Walker is toasting a glorious, success filled summer at club and county level.

The pick of a highly impressive batch of achievements came in the form of helping Sussex to their first ever Frizzell Women's County Championship title. But that was augmented by a memorable win over the touring South African team, captaining her country plus an ECB Women's Premier League triumph with Brighton & Hove which capped a gold-plated season.

The 20-year-old former Little Common School, Bexhill High School and Bexhill College student who has recently completed the second year of a sports management degree at Loughborough University, played a key role in her county's Championship triumph over five days at the end of July. The team won each of their opening four matches and, despite controversially losing the last under the Duckworth/Lewis calculation, they had done enough to pip Notts by 86.5 points to 86 in the round robin competition.

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Alexia claimed nine wickets over the five encounters and scored 72 runs from three innings including an unbeaten 22, which culminated with a match-winning six, to see off Berkshire by six wickets.

Few could begrudge the youthful Sussex side, captained by England's Clare Connor, their crown after they saw off nearest rivals Notts by 57 runs, defending champions Yorkshire by 45 runs as well as Kent while they were only beaten by five runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method when on 30-2 chasing Surrey's 126.

They were presented with their trophy by Sussex director of cricket Peter Moores on the balcony at the County Ground, Hove, during Sussex's day-night win over Middlesex.

Their twin-reward came in the shape of a crack at South Africa at Fenners and Alexia revelled in the national spotlight. She contributed 38 in a partnership of over 90 with Connor and then proceeded to take three wickets as Sussex pulled off a major upset.

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She also captained the England under-21 side in their series against the Proteas which ended 1-1. But the icing on the cake came on Sunday as her club side Brighton & Hove were confirmed as ECB Women's Premier League champions after overcoming Thrumpton (Notts) in the final at Slough for which they qualified by virtue of claiming the Premier South title by almost 40 points after winning nine games out of 10. Alexia ensnared 43 victims in that competition and scored more than 100 runs. She also claimed the prize-scalps of England stars Charlotte Edwards and Barbara Daniels over the course of the summer.

Alexia will bring the curtain down on the campaign by appearing for an England representative side at Odium on Sunday and will hope to receive a call-up to an England touring squad during the winter.