ABINGDON Vale’s first women-only cricket event has proved a huge hit.

The club hosted a pink week to try to encourage more females to get involved with the sport, while raising money for charity.

And their efforts were rewarded when more than 40 women took part in a tournament on Sunday, in front of a bumper crowd at their Hales Meadow ground, off Culham Road.

It means a charity based in the town, Against Breast Cancer, will shortly receive a substantial cheque.

Abingdon Vale chairman Paul White said: “It was a great occasion, which everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

“We achieved our aim, which was to get as many women as possible to try the sport, and it was great to see a huge amount of people turn up to support.

“Hopefully, this is something that can now become a permanent fixture at the club and we can continue to grow.

“With the charity benefitting greatly too – we are still collecting donations even now – it was a real success all round.”

The five-team tournament was won by the Boozy Boobs, a team with players more accustomed to watching other family members play cricket at the club.

And they were keen their victory did not go unnoticed.

The captain of the winning team, Dani Hood, was delighted to lift the inaugural trophy.

She said: “It was a brilliant day and we were thrilled to win. It was a huge surprise.

“None of us had played cricket before, but have really enjoyed the whole experience of some training sessions – followed by a debrief in the pub, hence our name – and then the day itself.

“We wanted to get involved because breast cancer has impacted all of us in some way. Hopefully, the efforts of everyone involved will have raised a significant amount of money.”

She added: “All of us in the Boozy Boobs team have other halves or family members who play cricket each week.

“We reckon we have probably won more trophies than them now.”