30th July The Mote League
The weather forecast showed a big blue cloud all over the South east coast of England, but what do we need weather forecast for? True to form, not a drop fell all weekend, as we made our way to Kent. To say we had a young side, would be an understatement injuries and England call ups meant that we were short of 4 regular first teamers. Still, up stepped the young Gunns from the 2ıs, ready and willing to stand up and be counted.
Janice Fraser captained the side, in the absence of both elected vice capts, and capt. She did something Beth has been unable to do all season she won the toss!! Danni Warren was asked to partner Sarah Bartlett with the new ball, and we looked to make an early breakthrough. To their credit, the Mote batted well, helped by bowling that wasnıt quite on the spot and some hesitant fielding; they were going at 3.5 runs an over, until Janice struck in the 15th over. With the outfield like lightening there was barely a patch of green on it, so little rain had fallen in the area, protecting the big boundaries was always going to be difficult. Helena Stolle (H) seemed to take it as a personal challenge to not let the ball past her, as she threw herself at everything and anything, pulling of some incredible diving stops and saving at least 20 runs.
With so many regular bowlers not playing, Janice turned to Chander Kaul to slow things down. I donıt know who was more surprised Chander or myself at having to enter her name into the bowlers column! She was a little rusty to begin with, but soon settled down. At the other end, Binaisha Shah making her first team debut, was thrown the ball. She has been causing a storm in the 2ıs, and started off like a pro., deservedly picking up her first wicket in her 4th over, having Plush ( who top scored in the earlier match with 79) LBW for 8. With the pressure beginning to mount, a run out was inevitable. Sarah showing a cool head to throw down the stumps at the non strikers end and get rid of the opener who was looking well set. That set of a mini collapse, as the Mote lost 6 wickets in 8 overs, including Chander almost getting a hatrick, and Sue Donaldson rolling back the years, literally to take a wicket first ball!! In answer to the scorerıs cheeky request for bowlerıs nameı when she came on, she proudly turned round and bellowed Itıs like 1988 all over again!!ı I appreciated it, although half of the team werenıt even born then!!
Binaisha was brought back, along with Barts to try to get the final wickets, and she again bowled with confidence and desire, to claim 1 for 4 from her 3 overs, to finish with the respectable figures of 2 for 21 from 7 very encouraging. In the end we were unable to get the final wicket, and the Mote finished on 172 for 9.
In reply, Sue decided that it really was 1988, and Janice, fresh from averaging 116 at County Champs the week before, set of like it was a twenty20 game. The first bowling change came as early as the 7th over, with the score on 43 Sue happy to rotate the strike, and Janice happy to launch into anything that was in the slotı - in that mood, sheıs one of the most destructive bats in the country. With her score on 36, she misread the bounce, and gave an easy catch to square leg, but by then we only needed 104 runs, and Chander was walking out towards the middle. Unfortunately, she also misread the bounce from the same bowler, and was dismissed in an almost identical manner. Still we werenıt worrying, as Anita Thorose was next you could almost hear the growns from the fielders as they recognised her from her 126 a few weeks previous. Unfortunately, a fantastic catch at gully, that almost knocked the poor girl off her feet, such was the pace it was going, meant that she didnıt repeat her run scoring feat. H came out to join a somewhat shell shocked Sue, who had seen 3 wickets fall for 16 runs, and the Mote starting to tighten their grip on the game. The pair looked in complete charge, with H running well and Sue beginning to find gaps almost at ease. They put on 34 in 9 overs, before a great diving catch from the keeper saw H depart for a solid 20. With 59 needed from 18 overs, Barts srolled out into the middle. Unfortunately, she was soon strolling back, the victim of another fantastic catch from the girl who caught Meobs.
By now the nerves on the side line were beginning to jangle. Victoria Begg joined Sue and the pair looked more than comfortable Sue finding the boundaries and really beginning to enjoy herself, whilst Tor was running well and rotating the strike. Things were swinging back in our favour, until the unthinkable happened Sue was bowled, trying to place the leggie between a fine, fine leg and the keeper. She was looking something like back to her best, when it happened, and we couldnıt believe it. Had our chance gone so close and yet so far? Aasharya Shanka also making her first team debut, walked out to join her U15ıs Mx captain, but the Mote were swarming like hungry sharks with a wiff of blood. The bowling was proving to disciplined and the fielding too sharp; the resulting pressure forcing Tor into playing a false shot, and Aash caught out, fending of one that rose steeply from just back of a length.
With 28 still needed, but 13 overs in which to get them, we had 2 remaining wickets, and their tails were up. I have to confess, if I were a betting woman, knowing our ability to self destruct and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, I would have been reluctant to part with my money, no matter how loyal I am towards Gunns. I should have known better. Danni decided to show just why she gets so annoyed at having to bat at number 10, ably supported by Hannah Rea. Hannahıs batting is unique the Mote bowlers were keeping a very tight line, just outside off stump, but as Hannah doesnıt really do foot movement, she was in no danger of getting an edge. The two that she did, were so well placed that they beat the fielders and went all the way for 4. The shot of the day had to be her straight drive, straight back past the bowler for another 4. Danni was happily going about her business down the other end counting the balls and farming the strike as we inched towards the total. With 5 overs to go, and 5 runs required, all the Mote fielders were in, stopping the single, all the Gunns girls were on the sidelines, superstitious as ever, continuing doing all the things theyıd been doing through out the partnership for Binaisha and Aash that meant sliding down the slope on their bottoms! Hannah decided that it was time for a little more nerve twisting a finely placed 4 took the sores level we were over the moon. The Mote were over the moon when the bails were dislodged next ball. Binaisha, who had been sitting on the side lines, counting down the runs and trying to control her breathing, walked out with 1 run required. With finger nails down to the quick, Danni was probably the coolest on the field she knew that it was the end of the over, and that she was on strike. Easy. Still the big full toss had to be put away, and that she did in style, to take see us to victory with 1 wicket to spare.
A great win real character building the kidsı had been put to the test and not founding wanting really promising for the future, as they can only learn from this. The only concern was with Barts, who took celebrating to the extreme and ended up being carted of in an ambulance a temporary dislocation of her knee cap, forcing her out of action for up to 4 weeks.