Match reports by Mark Austin
WEEK 1
Cricket is back.
The Women's Indoor Softball Cricket League has started at Greyfriars School in Oxford. We are in Div 2 with week 1 starting last Saturday (12th).
Getting wickets (costing 5 runs each) and limiting Wides/No balls bowled (2 runs each) plus the new rule of 2 runs being awarded for running the full length of the pitch successfully are critical in this format. You also get 1 run per wall hit plus the usual back wall scores. Everyone bowls 2 overs and bat in pair a for overs
So, to our 1st game last weekend (12th) against Horspath. Bowling 1st our 1st two overs were expensive due to wides (8) bowled but then a double wicket maiden by Rosa Camilleri followed by a solid over including a wicket by Floss Whittle, both on debut, meant the game was fairly even. Their 2nd and 3rd pairs put on 36 and 31 runs respectively for the loss of only 1 more wicket. Horspath finished on 298 for 5, net 273 scored. Rosa was the star with the ball bowling 2 overs for only 5 runs, taking 3 wickets. Lizzie Tym & Floss took a wicket each too. Mention also for a catch behind the stumps for Karen Cross
In reply, Floss & Rosa scored 20 but lost two wickets includinga remarkable. Second up, Lizzie and Karen scored 24 but lost 5 wickets. To be fair a few were close calls and we were chasing the game a bit. Our final pair of Bethany Bidwell and Katie Cross just had too much to do but managed the highest pair score of the day, scoring 37 as we finished on 281 for the loss of 8 wickets, therefore net 241. Thus we lost by 32 runs.
Both sides were evenly matched regarding runs off the bat - Horspath got 262 to our 255 - but it was the wickets lost (their 5 to our 8) and wides bowled (24 to 36) which won it for them. I'm confident we'll beat them next time
WEEK 2
Week 2 of the Women's Indoor League produced one of the best games I've seen.
This week we were playing Oxenford. Batting 1st again their 1st pair scored quickly getting 47 without losing a wicket. Thereafter, runs slowed and we nicked some wickets too. The 2nd pair scored 37 losing 2 wickets, one each for Karen and Rosa. Their final pair were restricted to only 19 runs, losing a wicket too. They ended on 103 for 3. Katie was the pick of the bowlers only going for 6 runs off her 2 overs
In reply, we suffered some bad luck during our innings. First pair, the mother & daughter team of Katie & Karen Cross got us off to a solid start, putting on 31 but lost 4 wickets including one unlucky run out backing up. Thereafter, we needed to avoid losing wickets but still needed 90 odd runs. 2nd up, Bethany Bidwell and Lizzie Tym partnership, and our innings, exploded into life in their 2nd over with four 6's in a row. They scored a fantastic 47 in their 4 overs losing one wicket when Lizzie unfortunately dropped her bat running in. Final pair, Zoe Pugh and Rosa still needed to score heavily too, needing 40 odd runs without losing any wickets. After a couple of back wall blows and a couple of wickets including a remarkable catch via the roof we still needed 14 off the final over. Thanks to three 4's we got over the line winning by 3 runs.
It was a brilliant effort by everyone, especially with the bat. However, one negative would be wides & no balls which has cost us 86 runs in two games.
Next week we play Steventon