It has been an extremely productive last fortnight here in Tasmania.
The Clarence girls have picked up two important wins, and we sit top of the table in our 50-over competition with four rounds still to go ahead of a final.
Thankfully, I have also been able to contribute with runs, wickets and catches, equalling a club record – male and female – in the process.
In Sunday’s win over North Hobart, I took five outfield catches in the innings, which I believe one of the fellas did in a previous game.
You’re often lucky to get one in a game, never mind five. So I was pretty pleased. The first one was at slip, which was a fairly good catch to be fair. Then the rest were pretty regulation at mid-wicket and catching mid-wicket.
The fielding side of the women’s game is something that has improved and will continue to do so. That comes from training more and practicing more.
And with the game progresses and becomes more professional, you’re not going to be able to get into a side just on the back of one discipline – bat or ball. You’re going to have to be a good fielder as well.
Luckily, fielding is something I absolutely love doing.
We had a great fielding session with the Tasmanian Tigers girls on Wednesday when we were diving about all over the place trying to take spectacular catches and make spectacular stops.
If you can do them in game, it can change the momentum of the contest.
One thing which frustrates me when it comes to the men’s game and the women’s is that when a woman drops a catch on TV, you will regular see comments on social media such as, ‘That’s why you shouldn’t watch women’s cricket’. But that doesn’t happen with the men.
Everyone is human, and sitters are dropped in the men’s game too.
Our fielding standard has gone up massively, but that doesn’t mean mistakes won’t still happen.
As I say, we have had two wins over the last two weeks with Clarence. We beat New Town chasing 116 and then North Hobart chasing 173. Both are very good sides.
I captained our game against North Hobart. Our regular captain, Emma Thompson, came to me and asked me if I would mind leading the side because she had had a long week being away with the Tigers for the WNCL (Women’s National Cricket League) in Canberra.
I was more than happy to do it because it’s a role I enjoy.
The last couple of weeks, I feel like something has just clicked for me with my batting and I’ve been able to play with a bit more freedom and play how I’ve been wanting to. It’s all come together really well, with scores of 55 not out and 82 not out.
Scoring runs is great, but they don’t mean that much if you don’t win. I would much rather a duck and win than a hundred and lose. Thankfully the runs I’ve scored have come in wins.
Leading from the front, being a good influence, is important to me because we have quite a few youngsters in our group, and they generally look up to the overseas to set good a good example. Hopefully they see it like that and I’m helping their development as players.
Away from the game, I’ve been doing a fair bit of kayaking and playing golf – I hope you don’t mind me mentioning that as I don’t want to rub it in the faces of everyone back home.
I’m expecting a few games when I do get home as there are quite a few decent golfers in the Northern Diamonds squad. I’ve already played a few times with Lauren (Winfield-Hill), and she hits a decent ball. But I reckon there are a number of transferrable skills between cricket and golf, So it’s no surprise that there a few solid players.
