The afternoon started with bright sunshine, but with scheduled rain on the way, skipper Jo Herbertson decided to get our girls fielding first after winning the toss.

A change of play

The 2019 season has brought a new style of play for ladies T20 cricket in efforts to save time between overs. Instead of the standard switching of ends after each over and having to reset the field every six balls, ten overs are bowled from one end straight, and then the final ten overs from the opposite end. Although causing a little confusion at first, the new format worked well and meant a lot less time was spent repositioning the field.

Opening from the Filkins Lane end was bowler Jenny Martindale. After just two balls, Martindale gained her first wicket clean bowling batsmen A. Aspin less than five minutes into play. Faye Stewart then bowled her first over from the same end and kept the score down to 1 for 5 from the first two overs. These two opening bowlers kept the opposition down to a miserly 11 runs off the first four overs.

A change in the bowling attack brought wicket number two for CBH thanks to the pace and accuracy of Bailey Colman and wicket keeper Di Totty’s fast hands! Colman was joined by Emma Inchley in the attack and the pair contained Marple who only managed 29 runs off eight overs.

With just two overs left from the Filkins Lane end, another change of bowler brought Matilda ‘Tilly’ Buss and Gemma Rose into the game to try and break through the partnership of M. Hall and N. Wilcox. Both grabbed a wicket in their first over, Buss clean bowling Wilcox (2) and Rose getting Hall (15) caught and bowled.

The change of ends brought a slight wobble to Martindale’s and Buss’ consistency, both overpitching coming down the hill, resulting in a couple of no balls and free hits. With some fine fielding from Judith Gilmour, Jade Marvel and Jan Oates, Marple couldn’t take advantage. Martindale got her second wicket A. Smith (7) out to a bone-shaking diving catch by Totty. Marple were on 47 for 5 after 12 overs.

Hat-trick and a fifer!

Buss then cranked it up a gear and took a hat-trick in her third over K. Axon (3) was bowled, E. Hedridge (1) lbw and V Morris (1) bowled. In her fourth over Buss bowled F. Jones (0), finishing with fantastic figures of 4 overs and 5 for 5. It was left Rose to finish the Marple innings, bowling I. Bell for a duck. Marple all out for 55!

Bowling figures: Martindale 4-0-2-14; Stewart 2-0-0-8; Colman 3-1-1-4; Inchley 2-0-0-14; Buss 4-0-5-5; Rose 1.3-0-2-7

Set a target of 56 to win, and as the dark clouds loomed it was a quick switch around and the Boughton Hall girls were keen to get into bat.

Batters in

The dark skies welcomed Oates and Rose out onto the square and granted them five overs with no rain. The pair quickly struck up a good partnership running efficiently between the wickets at about 5 an over, even when the weather turned. With 36 runs still to get the rain came and then it began to teem down on the heads of Marple’s fielders and our batters.

The elements then started to heavily impact the game as Gemma Rose struck the ball and as she did so, her bat flew out of her gloves exiting the square. The comical moment, however, did not slow her or her team mate down as they raced between the wickets. They comfortably reached their target with the first ball of 12th over.

J. Oates: 12 Not Out
G. Rose: 22 Not Out

Thanks go to Umpires Tony Sayle and Paul Jones for allowing the game to carry on in very difficult conditions. Thanks also to Gill Short for scoring for us.

Chester Boughton Hall Ladies 2nd X1 TEAMSHEET: J. OATES, G. ROSE, F. STEWART, E. INCHLEY, J. MARTINDALE, J. MARVEL, J. GILMOUR, T. BUSS, B. COLMAN, J. HERBERTSON, D. TOTTY.