Debutant Maddie Ward is confident the Northern Diamonds can bounce back from defeat against Sunrisers at Chelmsford today and maintain their push for silverware in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Ward, 19, was handed her first senior appearance with fellow wicketkeepers Bess Heath and Lauren Winfield-Hill both unavailable because of rest and Caribbean Premier League duty respectively.
The Academy starlet – an England Under 19 – impressed with a composed 20 down the order with the bat in the Diamonds’ 188-9 before taking one catch in a three-wicket loss.
Diamonds are still second in the table having suffered only their third defeat in 11 matches. Things may not have gone ideally down south today, but they remain very well placed in the race for the semi-finals, with three matches remaining.
Ward said: “We didn’t really get enough runs on the board. That was the main issue. We did well to get them seven down, but 30 or 40 more runs and it might have been a different story.
“We’re all still pretty positive.
“There were lots of positives to come out of today.
“We know what we need to do to go and beat Thunder.
“We’ll work on it over the next couple of days and go again on Sunday at Southport.”
Asked how she found out about her debut, she continued: “I found out some time last week.
“I got a phone call from Tom Cant, our Academy head coach, saying that Dani (Hazell, coach) might be in touch about an opportunity to come and have my debut because Bess and Lauren are away. I was really excited about that.”
Ward, a former Blaze Academy player who moved to Headingley last winter, has previously been to an Under 19s World Cup and has played eight times at that level between January of last year and this April.
“I was slightly more nervous for this, which I didn’t think I would be (than playing for the England Under 19s),” she smiled.
“I thought that playing for the 19s and making my debut for them would be a bit more scary. But I think this was more intense. I’m glad I’ve got it done.
“Coming into a team environment where everyone’s doing well and are really close, I was more confident.
“I’ve had the backing from the players. They all know my skills are good enough to be here.
“I’ve had a decent summer. I’ve scored a few runs for the Academy and have kept my keeping ticking, which has been good.
“I had a couple of years at Blaze and made the move over in the winter, so this is my first year with Diamonds.
“It was a move which came at the right time for me, and I’ve really, really enjoyed it with the girls here – seniors and Academy. I think it’s brought the best out of me as a player.
“I’m pretty happy with the move I made – I’m happy to be a Diamond.”
Ward was watchful at the crease today for 20 off 44 balls, batting at nine. But she showed flashes of aggression and invention, including a ramped boundary to long-leg off seam.
“It’s one of my better boundary options against seam,” she reflected.
“I was pretty shaky when I went out there, but I became more comfortable as it went on. I was happy to get a 20. It was a decent score.
“It’s about finding my feet at this level because the quality of bowling is higher than Academy cricket even though it’s still good there.
“I’ll see what role I want to play as I move further into my career. Maybe a finisher.”
In terms of her keeping, she helped Rachel Slater remove opener Jo Gardner with a smart low catch, and her development has clearly been helped with the presence of England wicketkeepers past and present in the Diamonds set-up in Winfield-Hill and Heath.
She added: “It’s been great to spend time with them both.
“Lauren, where she’s been in her career and what she’s achieved, she has loads of information I can take. And Bess, she’s in the England set-up right now.
“I’ve learnt a lot from them both.”
