On Bank Holiday Monday we travelled to Hursley Park, to face their first team, 8 of whom played in their Women’s Cricket Southern League Premier team the previous day, plus England U19 Eve O’Neill and the vastly experienced Dani Ransley.
Upon winning the toss Maisie chose to bowl first, and after 3 overs she was thoroughly vindicated, as HP’s powerful batting line up was reduced to 4 for 5! Emily Lawler, our Wizard from the Shire (Cronulla) did most of the damage, with a clean bowled, two leg befores, and a well-judged catch by our own England U19 Eliza Bristowe. Darcey Clarke chipped in with a clean bowled, as HP’s innings lay in tatters. A slight recovery got them to 30 in the 10th over, but then their overseas, who played for Gordon in Sydney with Lilly Hawkins last UK winter, was caught by Darcey off Freya Watkinson. There was no further addition to the score when Kitty Redhead flummoxed their keeper, top scorer with 15, caught by Eliza. Now 30 for 7, there was another mini partnership of 16, before caught Eliza bowled Kitty was on the scorecard again. At the other end our Italian giocatrice di cricket Emma Moore, back the previous day from a two week tournament in Rwanda against Vanuatu, Nepal, USA and Rwanda, got their no 8 leg before, and in Emma’s next over Maisie took a good low catch to finish the HP innings at 50 all out in 15.2 overs. It was a very special bowling and fielding display by our women. Emily finished with 4 for 7 off 4 overs, and all the others contributed in wickets and/or holding the run rate down.
51 seems a low target, but HP won their league (technically a level above where we play) last season so were not going to lay down lightly. So it proved, when O’Neill bowled Iris Eshelby in the third over with our total on 2. Eliza then joined Alex Avoth, and these two strokemakers curbed their natural instincts in order to play watchfully, and took singles and twos where they could. They both played very sensibly, seeing off O’Neill and their overseas, until Alex was unlucky to be bowled off her pads for 14 in the 10th over, with our score on 30. Emily was unable to repeat her bowling heroics, bowled by Ransley having a big heave with the total on 39. Darcey joined Eliza, and they showed wise heads on young shoulders by risking nothing, until we finally got over the line at 51 for 3 in the 17th over. Eliza was on 25* off 45 balls, a very mature innings, with backing from Darcey on 4* off 15 balls. A curio – we did not score a single boundary in our innings, possibly the first time this has happened, which shows how watchful our batters were and focused on getting the side over the line.
Next round we are at home to Yateley (our league opponents next week) in June.