Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Ami Campbell bats during the opening-day defeat against Worcestershire at Headingley in April. She posted 13 in a disappointing 114 all out.
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’.
First up, Ami talks us through the importance of the season-opening defeat at home to Worcestershire in the One-Day Cup.
“We’re starting harsh!” laughs Ami Campbell.
And she’s right. An opening-day defeat at Headingley against Worcestershire doesn’t exactly scream ‘Classic’, does it.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Yorkshire head coach Rich Pyrah congratulates Worcestershire captain Chloe Hill following the Rapids’ victory.
However, in hindsight, it did prove to be an important moment in Yorkshire’s season.
“It definitely gave us that kick up the backside,” reflected the top order batter who was once a Pear.
So, let’s recap. Saturday April 19, Headingley. The Rapids won by 114 runs.
Yorkshire bowled their visitors out for 228, only to slip to 114 all out themselves. Campbell with 13 and Sterre Kalis with 51 were the only two batters to reach double figures.
“It was a big day for us all as players, for the club,” continued Campbell. “The first time Yorkshire had fielded a professional women’s side. It was a proud moment.
“We were all really excited for it.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s players prepare to take the field at the start of the county’s professional journey. Despite defeat, it was a huge moment for all concerned.
“We’d trained hard through the winter, but I just think maybe we were thinking it was going to be a bit of a breeze.
“Credit to Worcester, they bowled really well that day. They bowled stump to stump and were making it hard, and we kind of went into our shell and let the game get away from us.
“It was definitely a massive learning curve for us going forwards.
“We had a lot of chats about that game afterwards, kind of, ‘Yes, we know we’re a top team, but we still have to perform, do our jobs and respect the opposition’.
“On that day, hardly anyone did.”
There was one obvious highlight on that day, and this very much does fall into the ‘Campbell’s Classics’ category. Amelia Love’s debut four-wicket haul.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Academy seamer Amelia Love starred with four wickets on debut as Worcestershire were bowled out for 228.
Sixteen-year-old Love came on first change and returned a fabulous 4-39 from 10 overs of seam, claiming the key wickets of Ruby Davis for 44 and Bryony Gillgrass for 48.
GCSE student Love, a product of Bolton Percy Cricket Club and on the county’s Academy programme, had impressed the coaching staff through the winter and again on their pre-season tour of Abu Dhabi.
“It was so special to see that happen for Amelia,” said Campbell.
“We actually mentioned the number of Academy and EPP players we had playing games this year, and it wasn’t far off 10, which is amazing. That has been the real advantage of Tier 2.”
In competitive first-team matches, that number of Academy and Emerging Players Programme players who played totals eight; Ines Blackwell, Holly Garton, Jeanie Lee, Amelia Love, Ellie Nightingale, Amelia Oliver, Elicia Pollard and Olivia Thomas.
Many others made squads and even took the field at stages. Olivia Breese, for example, came onto the field as a substitute and briefly kept wicket in a late-season 50-over match against Northamptonshire.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Amelia Love is applauded off the field by Ami Campbell, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Maddie Ward (R to L).
And returning to that first game against Worcestershire, Campbell added: “We went on a long winning run after that (15 wins from the next 17 matches), so it shows how quickly we learned and adapted.
“I’m grateful it happened now because you’d rather have it at the start of the season and learn from it than lose a few in the middle and it sometimes snowballs into something more.”
