TCC Women played in the club's very first hardball fixture on Sunday away at Old Bristolians Westbury.
On a wet and blustery day and a nervous tension within the team, coach Harry & assistant Colin put them through their paces in the warm on a bumpy & uneven outfield. Following a debrief on fielding positions, skipper TK lost the toss and was asked to field.
Experienced batters Evans & Fowler took to the field as Annie took the new ball & the first over as drizzle began to fall. Annie started well with only 2 off the first over in this T20 contest. Natalie took the 2nd over and with a couple of nervous wides made the batter play with some excellent deliveries, 7 runs off her first over. With Annie settling only 2 came of the 3rd and Natalie followed suit with an excellent 2nd over only leaking a further 2 runs..
OBWCC 13-0 off 4 overs.
Camilla replaced Annie at the hotel end, bowled straight & full, in now very tough conditions, which suited the batters as they played in the arc, finding a couple of boundaries.
Liz bowling the 6th,who also bowled a decent line & length, one just missing the leg stump. With the batters now set, both began to play offensively with boundaries beginning to flow as the score reached 56-0 off 8 overs. TK replaced Liz & Camilla with Helen & Emma as the rain began to intensify making it difficult for both bowlers & fielders.
Then came a period of action as firstly a loose drive from Evans off Emma's bowling looped up to Nina a short cover, the team held its breath as the red ball (should've been pink!) dropped from the gloomy skies, with Nina well poised, but the ball slipped from her grasp and rebounded onto her cheek. Clearly disappointed and in some discomfort she carried on keen to make amends. 2 balls later the moment arrived as Evans was deceived by an outstanding full delivery from Evans as she lost her poles to the delight of the team as they all charged in to celebrate this momentous occasion.
With spirits raised and with a spring in the step the team looked for another scalp, oblivious to the heavy rain that was now falling. Helen kept up the pressure with a tight 11th over. In the 12th Emma dropped one short leg side and OBWCC skipper Fowler swivelled and smashed a pull high and to the right of TK on the 45.....sensing glory she instinctively lept like a salmon getting a finger to it but unable to hold on, to what would've been catch of the season. As the ball trickled over the boundary, TK remained on the ground as her teammates rushed over..it was clear the synopsis was not good as she left the field in pain.. with spirits dampened it was decided by both teams the conditions were now too wet to continue as OBWCC finished on 79-1 off 12 overs.
As the teams hoped the rain would clear Nina nursed her cheek with an ice pack and as we subsequently found out TK had broken her finger! A historic day ended on a sour note as the team's influential captain maybe sidelined for several weeks.
As coach/manager I will say the women did TCC proud as they went toe to toe against an experienced team in awful conditions. We said before the game 'play our best game' and that's exactly what they did!
Harry Hawkins