Covers were on and rain was around. We had hoped for another sunny weekend of cricket but it was looking doubtful. Apparently it had been bucketing everywhere else, but Odiham only had some sprinkles with the covers starting on until just before the first ball. Becky went out and won another toss (3/3 including the moral victory) and choose to bat first.

Hope and myself opened the batting at home. New Forest were bowling really tight and we found it trickey but starting very solidly. At 10 overs we were 0/38 so in a really good position. We got a few boundaries away and starting to accelerate the run rate, being 0/91 after 20. We kept batting till drinks but we’re both dismissed shortly after bringing Annabelle and Sophie to the crease, with Sophie getting caught not too long after. Annabelle and skipper Becky kept the batting going for a bit and managed to build the score up. Annabelle batted it out with wickets falling around her quite quickly. Her and Billie had a longer partnership at the end to get us nearly 40 overs, getting bowled out for 155 on over 39.5, one ball short of the 40.

Teas were a team effort from the girls today, with everyone bringing something for it. Highlights of the tea were Iynas mums sausage rolls and cocktail sausages, flapjack from the Hornes and the fruit that charlotte cup up, as well as the epic combo of chips in sandwiches. Toosey also had her creation jungle juice, mixing the two flavours of cordial together which no one else was brave enough to try.

With a small total to defend we knew we had to bowl and field well to get the win. Billie and Hanna opened the bowling with New Forest only scoring one run in the first 5 overs, so mega tight from the girls. Iyna and Madeline came onto bowl first change. They were in a very similar position to us at 10 overs, being 0/30. Crickets a weird sport as one ball can change the game. Iyna bowled one of their openers and the next ball Madeline found the edge with the ball landing in the safe hands of Annabelle’s gloves and all of a sudden New Forest were 2/43. The game, which was in the balance just two balls ago, had completely changed with all the pressure on New Forest now. The odiham vortex did its job, with the patchy rain mostly staying away. It was sprinkling on and off during our game but nothing that made us rush to get the covers off, even though the dark and scary looking rain clouds surrounded us. Iyna bowled an amazing spell with her left arm swing causing lots of problems for the bats and picking up three more wickets with figures of 4/19 off her 7 overs. Hope and Charlotte came onto bowl and joined in on the wicket taking, with Princess Sophia taking three catches. New Forest were all out for Phil’s favourite number of 111 after 33 overs.

A good all around team performance to take us to three from three as we hopefully keep the momentum going next week where we play aldershot away. Yeah the girls ❤️??