L-R Back Row:- Ben Slaviero, Vanessa Wilson, Lucy Harget, Sureka Khan, Lisa May, Alex Jopling
Front Row:- Tash Carbines, Juliette Lea, Sophie Whiteley, Nic Fice
After almost a month without a league fixture the Women softball team were back in action on Sunday at a sunny Exmouth.
The team lined up as Sophie Whiteley, Natasha Carbines, Vanessa Wilson, Lucy Harget, Lisa May, Sureka Khan, Juliette Lea and Nic Fice.
Having won the toss Thors took to the field with Khan and Harget taking the new ball. The Exmouth pair started well and managed to find the leg-side boundary on three occasions before Harget took a wicket with her final ball, well caught by Whiteley close in.
The next two overs from Lea and Carbines went the way of the home side with good running and some helpful extras. Lea and the returning Khan turned it around though with overs seven and eight going for just five runs, the score at halfway was 56-1.
Carbines returned to the attack and struck with her first ball, clean bowling the new Exmouth batter. Bowling partner Wilson also kept it tight and some good fielding meant the runs were kept to a minimum.
The final four overs were non-stop – Exmouth taking the initiative and finding the boundary off Whiteley before May dismantled the stumps with her first ball. She took another in her final over as the ball was skied to Harget who comfortably took the catch. The home side finished strongly with three boundaries to finish their innings on 112-4.
The regular partnership of May and Whiteley began the Thorverton chase. A wicket fell with just the second ball as May was bowled by one that moved and dipped on her. Whiteley struck back with a couple of well hit boundaries and it could have been more but for some brilliant Exmouth fielding on the rope. It was still a good start with 29-1 from the first four overs.
Fice and Lea were next at the crease and began by running well against the accurate Exmouth bowling. The ‘hit and run’ approach did result in one mix up that the home side capitalised on and it was all to play for at halfway. A boundary from Carbines was greeted with cheers from the sidelines and more good running with Wilson kept the momentum going.
A caught and bowled swung it back the home sides way though, and as Khan and Harget strode out it was 31 required from the final four overs. This was quickly made harder with a wicket falling in their first over, a brilliant one handed caught behind from the Exmouth keeper. Despite quick running and good calling the solid fielding kept the runs at bay and 21 runs were needed from the final over. Harget provided some hope, smashing a boundary first ball, perfectly placed between the fielders behind square. Singles and twos followed but it was not quite enough to get over the line and the chase fell seven runs short.
Exmouth – 112 runs scored + 4 wickets = 132
Thorverton – 105 runs scored + 4 wickets taken = 125
Thank you to Exmouth for a brilliant game, played in great spirits. Thanks also to Ben Slaviero for umpiring and Alex Jopling and Keeley Wells for scoring.
It was fantastic to see such improvement from the side with learnings from training clearly being put into practice and extras featuring far less on the scoresheet.
Next Sunday (19th) it’s at trip to Knighthayes to face Heathcoat CC.
Thorverton Cricket Club 