First women’s 1XI game on the season and what a weekend it was!! The weather fully turned it on and it felt like summer was properly back. The girls were pumped as we played newly reinstated to div 1 cove in the season opener. New season, new Becky as she won the first toss of the year (when in total I think she only won one last year). With a strong bowling attack and the sun out, with the hopes of the pitch hardening up Becky choose to bowl first.

Billie, with fresh lungs from a new puffer after being knocked out by pneumonia only two weeks ago, took the first ball up the hill. She started with a wide but quickly refocused and bowled on the spot the rest of the over. Becky backed her to bowl areas with only two fielders on the leg side. Hanna opened up from the club end, also bowling a wide first ball but equally quickly getting straight back on it and finding her line and length. Neither opener picked up a wicket but lots of pressure was applied and you could tell all the girls were switched on in the field. Halfway through billies second over, she found some dog poo which expanded Becky’s captaining resume to include setting great fields, hyping up a team and picking up dog poo. Billie had brand new shoes on as well so wouldn’t want to get them dirty with dog poo, good stint from Becky. A smart bowling change brought Madeline and Becky into bowl. Becky took the first wicket of the game, a thick edge outside off spinning in the air to the safe hands of charlotte Lalonde to get the wicket party started. Madeline then wanted to get in on the action, with the ball getting hit harder to a cool calm and collected Noa at extra cover. Becky then realised she’s in basically everyone’s fantasy team so better take another wicket to make her mega expensive price tag worth it. AJ then came on from the field end and decided to show why she was the best birch (sorry drew and James), taking a bowled wicket in her second over and completely leaving me hanging in her celebration. AJ then took another with the catch being hit to myself at short cover. Hanna at extra cover got the ball hit very hardly to her, picked it up and pegged it in, making me had to swiftly duck so I didn’t get concussed as I was definitely standing in the way. Charlotte Lalonde bowled a seed that hit top of middle to take her first OGCC wicket from the other end and making cove 7/94. Annabelle Lalonde at backward point dived to collect the ball and quickly threw it in for a speedy run out, as the pressure was mounting and cove started pushing the risky runs to try get them to a defendable score. The last two wickets both went to charlotte, one being bowled the other going to me at short cover again for a catch. The bowlers did really well and bowled Cove out for 123 off 30 overs.

Early teas for the girls and we were ravenous. Thank you so, so much to Louise the legend made teas for us this week, insisting she would make them even after we said we can make them ourselves. We really appreciate it and the teas were absolutely sensational. She brought us chips (you would call it crisps but definitely chips), one of the best fruit platters with grapes, watermelon, pineapple, an amazing selection of sandwiches, cakes and the red coloured hummus which is delicious. Thanks Louise it was delicious.

Back out into the field after a full stomach of teas, we got around to chasing the total of 123 (124 needed to win). Nat and Noa opened the batting (N squared not Nat squared cause we miss Nat). We had a strong start and we’re ahead of the run rate from the first over. The pitch was playing true and the Cove opening bowlers were getting the ball to hoop a bunch. We lost Noa early as she was bowled and not too long after also lost charlotte both being bowled. This brought skipper Becky in with the score being 2/18 and even though we were only chasing 123 we really needed a partnership. It was a beautiful day to be playing cricket and a fun day to be batting so Becky and myself hung around for a while. I nearly ran her out for not very many but luckily she made it, as my life flashed before my eyes when i realised she might not. Annabelle Lalonde then came into bat with the score 3/49 and put top order gone early. Annabelle did a job and we had a really needed partnership. She put the bad ball away nicely, ran some quick singles (as she should with her young legs) and hang around for a while. We edged closer to the total and had to run a lot as they had pushed the fielders out. Annabelle got bowled and we were only 40 runs away from victory. KK came in and did a similar job, with her innings also critical for us getting there. Running hard and hitting the gaps. We had over 20 overs to get to the total so just needed to stay out there till we got there as the runs would come. I tried to sweep one and got bowled. Hanna whacked a four then got out then Billie came in and her first shot was in the V (we were all shocked). Billie and Kk batted it out until the end and we got the runs in 22 overs being 6 down.

Great first win to start the season off. Thanks Lee for umpiring, Doz and Sharpie and Paul for coaching, Kyran and Phil for sorting out the pitch, Em, Phil and Betts for scoring, Louise for making the teas and anyone else I might have missed. Onto next week where we play Hursley Park away.