Picture by Joshua Bowles/Kent Cricket. Lauren Winfield-Hill leaves the field with a stunning 194 to her name at Canterbury in late August.
Yorkshire’s women enjoyed a trophy-winning Tier 2 campaign, triumphant in the 50-over Metro Bank One-Day Cup. They also reached the final of the Vitality Blast and the quarter-finals of the other T20 competition, the Vitality County Cup.
Through the first half of the winter, we will be running a series of articles with members’ player-of-the-year Ami Campbell, who has been reflecting on key moments throughout the summer.
We have entitled this series ‘Campbell’s Classics’.
In this latest article, Ami hails the remarkable exploits of club captain Lauren Winfield-Hill in the must-win final round MB50 group clash against Kent at Canterbury, the wicketkeeper-opener amassing a record-breaking 194 off 126 balls.
Ami Campbell hailed Lauren Winfield-Hill’s commitment to the cause after Yorkshire’s captain posted the highest ever List A score in the county’s history – for both women and men.
The White Rose sailed into the Metro Bank One-Day Cup semi-finals courtesy of a stunning victory over Kent at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, setting up a last-four clash with Middlesex.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Ami Campbell hailed the influence of Lauren Winfield-Hill on Yorkshire’z progression as a county.
At the end of August, Yorkshire were faced with an effective quarter-final. Although bottom-side Kent were out of the running, the visitors had to win to hold onto fourth spot with Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Sussex all in pursuit.
And win it they did, by a thumping 279 runs.
Winfield-Hill was the key contributor as her stunning 194 off 126 balls underpinned a total of 404-5. Erin Thomas also added 54, Maddie Ward 69 not out and Campbell 36.
Kent could only reply to it with 125 all out. Leg-spinner Olivia Thomas led the way with 3-22 from five overs, added to two wickets apiece for Claudie Cooper, Ria Fackrell and Jess Woolston. Beth Langston also struck once.
“I was actually shocked that Lauren was playing that game, and it just showed how much she wants to play for Yorkshire,” said Campbell.
“It was just off the back end of the Hundred, and I know it would have probably been quite easy for her to take a little bit of a rest from the bus journeys.
Picture by Joshua Bowles/Kent Cricket. Lauren Winfield-Hill is celebrated by her team-mates having broken Yorkshire’s record for the highest ever List A individual score, women’s or men’s.
“Kent was a long bus journey as well, and she would have been tired from captaining the Oval Invincibles.
“For her to put her hand up, firstly, and then go and score 194, it shows the type of character she is and just how much Yorkshire means to her.”
Winfield-Hill’s 194 broke two significant records in amassing 34 fours and a six.
She broke Darren Lehmann’s record for Yorkshire’s highest ever List A score, the Australian famously posting 191 in a 2001 Sunday League win over Nottinghamshire at Scarborough.
Winfield-Hill also posted the highest ever score in English List A cricket, including by any batter in domestic cricket or for the national team.
She shared 164 for the second wicket with Erin Thomas from 41-1 in the eighth over and then 110 for the third with Ward from 205-2 in the 25th over.
Picture by Joshua Bowles/Kent Cricket. Lauren Winfield-Hill celebrates reaching her century in Yorkshire’s must win final round group clash with Kent.
“That was a really good day for us, winning a game we had to. And Lauren was brilliant from the start,” recalled Campbell.
“They started a bit slower at her, and I think she just played that game really, really well in terms of playing proper shots early and then getting a little bit more funky later on.
“At one point we were like, ‘Oh god, every ball’s going for four here’.
“We actually felt quite bad for the opposition!
“In seriousness, it was great to watch and, for me, to see one of my best mates break some records.”
During the final month of the summer, Winfield-Hill proved just why she is seen as a legend of Yorkshire Cricket.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Rich Pyrah’s side would progress to face group winners Middlesex in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup semi-final at Radlett.
First, it was that stunner at Kent before hitting a superb 62 in the final win over Glamorgan at Worcester, lifting the Metro Bank trophy as a result.
Campbell added: “We always say that Lauren’s the ultimate professional.
“Even when it comes to her recovery methods, she’s always getting in the ice bath or doing her saunas, she’s always stretching or whatever.
“She just wants to stay fit, and play, for as long as possible.
“She’s a great player, and I think she’s still going to continue to get better.
“I reckon, at this rate, she’s going to ride it out until she turns 50.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Erin Thomas, who contributed 54, shared 164 for the second wicket with Lauren Winfield-Hill.
“Lauren always knows what to say in the team talks.
“When she’s around, she gets everybody going.
“I think everybody switches on that bit more when she’s around.
“She’s probably the funniest person on the team but also the most serious because of how much winning games for Yorkshire means to her.
“I’d say she’s the full package in terms of what you’d want out of a team-mate and a captain.”
