Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Ria Fackrell celebrates one of her four wickets in Yorkshire’s opening day Vitality Blast win over Derbyshire at Headingley at the start of June.
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’.
The latest article concentrates on the opening Vitality Blast game, a big win over Derbyshire at Headingley at the start of June. Off-spinning all-rounder Ria Fackrell stood out with four wickets.
Ami Campbell believes Ria Fackrell’s brilliant 4-13 from four overs of off-spin in the opening Vitality Blast win over Derbyshire Falcons at Headingley was the springboard for the all-rounder’s impressive second half of the season.
Fackrell underpinned a thumping victory over the Falcons, their third in all competitions against that opponent inside the opening two months of the summer.
Yorkshire limited Derbyshire to 104-7 and chased inside 13 overs, winning by eight wickets.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Ami Campbell didn’t play in the game in question but watched on from the sidelines as Ria Fackrell starred to pave the way for an excellent second half of the summer.
Seamer Jess Woolston impressed with 1-14 from her four overs before debutant opener Georgie Boyce – on loan from The Blaze – top-scored in reply with a confident 42.
Fackrell, however, was the star of the show, and she later went on to become the Blast’s leading wicket-taker with 16 from her nine appearances.
Campbell didn’t actually play against the Falcons, a late withdrawal due to a back injury.
But she watched her former Central Sparks team-mate shine from the comfort of the commentary box having been part of Yorkshire’s live stream coverage for the day.
“I think that was the game that put Ria on the board to be continuously picked as one of our main bowlers,” said Campbell.
“Just like Maddie Ward’s batting performance against Essex at Headingley (43 not out, Vitality County T20 Cup), it was almost like that was the confidence builder that really got her going forwards into the summer.
“She works incredibly hard, perhaps hadn’t got the rewards she deserved before that, so I was so happy for her that it happened that game.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s off-spin twins Claudie Cooper and Ria Fackrell.
Fackrell, aged 26, took 40 wickets across all cricket, including friendlies, in her first summer as a White Rose player. That haul included two four-wicket returns in the Blast.
At the business end of the triumphant Metro Bank One-Day Cup, she claimed nine wickets in the last six matches of the campaign.
Campbell added: “She’s quite tough on herself is Ria, but I could definitely see the difference in the confidence after that Derbyshire game, and it just takes something like that, doesn’t it? Cricket, it’s such a mind game.
“One good performance and you’re on top of the world. You have to take confidence from that, and she did.
“She’s been a great addition to our squad.”
