Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Yorkshire’s leading Emerging Players’ Programme coach Mark Harrison. Cover picture: Captain Amelia Oliver.
It’s fair to say the last few weeks will not be forgotten in a hurry by the young players in the Yorkshire Women’s Academy and Emerging Players Programme squads.
And things could be about to get better early next week.
The Yorkshire Under 18s will play in the final of the 50-over County Cup against Surrey at Kibworth in Leicestershire on Sunday, hot on the heels of two notable three-day victories last week and the week before.
In the final few days of July, Yorkshire beat their Durham counterparts by nine runs at South Northumberland. Former Northern Diamonds senior all-rounder Abi Glen played for the home side.
Then, last week, the White Rose beat Glamorgan by two runs at Weetwood.
“They were two brilliant wins, two brilliant games of cricket,” said Mark Harrison, the county’s lead women’s EPP coach.
In the first, against Durham, Yorkshire recovered from being bowled out for 193 in their first innings and conceding a lead of 113 to triumph.
Durham posted 306 in their first innings before Yorkshire posted 284 to set a target of 171. They bowled the hosts out for 162 in pursuit.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWPix.com. Wicketkeeper-batter Ellie Nightingale hit a brilliant opener’s 148 in the second innings of a recent Academy three-day win over Glamorgan at Weetwood.
Jeanie Lee (4-39) and Ines Blackwell shared seven wickets in the first innings before captain Amelia Oliver opened with 94 in the second innings. In defence, seamer Natalie Brown struck three times with the new ball and mystery spinner Lee twice more alongside Jasmine Passman.
In the Glamorgan game, things were even tighter.
Yorkshire made 227 batting first before Glamorgan replied with 228. Wicketkeeper-batter Ellie Nightingale top-scored with a middle-order 45 before Brown claimed three wickets.
In the second innings, Nightingale starred with an opening 148 off 191 balls in 290-5 declared, setting a 290-target. Glamorgan fell from 208-2 to 287 all out. They slipped from 261-5 to 267-9. Lee claimed three wickets and leg-spinner Maiya Charlesworth two, including the winning wicket.
“What we’ve done all year is play players up a level,” said Harrison. “We’ve probably had four or five EPP players in every Academy game this season, for example.
“And that’s been the same in the age-groups as well.
“Nat Brown took the first three wickets in the second innings of that Durham game. She’s an EPP seamer, and Durham had a much older Academy side than we did.
“I think they thought they were going to knock it off in no time, but Browny got those three early wickets, which was class. Jeanie Lee, as well, doing what she does. She’s an amazing cricketer.
Picture by John Mallett/Leicestershire CCC. Jeanie Lee, seen here bowling for Yorkshire’s first team, has been in the wickets at Academy level with her mystery spin.
“Ellie Nightingale with that 148 against Glamorgan. That was a fantastic innings.
“But one of the highlights for me was in that Glamorgan game. Maiya Charlesworth, who started to bowl a little bit of leg-spin.
“She hadn’t done anything in the winter with it, but she had returned to bowling seam after a back injury. She didn’t feel like she was progressing down that avenue, and at one of the pre-season training sessions asked if she could bowl some spin.
“The first time we saw her bowl leg spin, she spun the ball well. So, I said, ‘Go on, do it again’. And she did.
“She got their opener Bethan Ellis out for 63 in the first innings and then took the winning wicket.”
Until you get up to international level, most female cricketers are fed a diet of limited overs cricket. So what are the benefits of playing long-form cricket through the teenaged years?
Harrison said: “It just gives them, especially with batting side of things, a bit more time and patience to set up their innings. But we still ask the batters to play with intent and bravery.
“You learn to map out innings for long periods of time, and it asks the players to hold their skills for longer, which I think can then be transferred into a 50-over game.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Ines Blackwell has been a key part of Yorkshire’s run to Monday’s Under 18s County Cup final, whilst the all-rounder has also stepped up to make her senior debut in recent weeks.
“It’s also keeping them out in the field and having that energy for a longer period of time.
“On the bowling side of things, it gives them that little bit of flexibility where they can have some catchers in and bowl to different plans than they would in 50-over cricket and T20.
“It’s just making them more rounded as cricketers.
“Obviously, the pressure side of things is big as well. They’ve shown they can pull through and demonstrate great character to win when things get tight, as they have done in these last two games.
“In the Glamorgan game, they had two batters who were in in the second innings. One was on 94, the other 85, and they were cruising. But shows what you can do when you break a partnership and open up an end.
“Every credit to the girls.”
The development side of things for captain Oliver, who has been playing first-team cricket for Yorkshire in the last few months, will also be a big thing.
“One of the great things is that, yes she’s coming to myself and Jared Warner (high performance coach) and asking for advice. But once she’s out on the field, it’s left to her and the players. They’re working really well together as a team,” said Harrison.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Club captain Lauren Winfield-Hill speaks to Jared Warner at Vitality Blast Finals Day last month. Warner, the former men’s fast bowler, is working within the women’s set-up as part of his role as a high performance coach at Headingley.
With lead Academy coach Chris Brice doubling up and spending a lot of time with the seniors as Rich Pyrah’s assistant, Harrison and Jared Warner have taken on extra responsibility below senior level.
“Right the way down from the top, we’re going about things the right way,” said Harrison.
“We’ve brought younger players in, we’re playing against more experienced teams, and we’re beating these teams.
“For myself and Jared, we’ve seen all these players from the seniors down to the Under 13s. And we’ve had a 13-year-old playing Under 18s cricket this year.
“The girls are in one of the very best pathways, I think.”
On Monday, Yorkshire will play Surrey in the Under 18s County Cup final at Kibworth, starting at 10.30am.
They have already beaten Northumberland, Durham, Cheshire and Warwickshire, the latter in the semi-final by nine wickets chasing 153 at Doncaster Town at the start of the month.
Yorkshire’s head of the performance pathway James Martin added: “The way they’ve gone about 50-over cricket throughout the year under the leadership of Mark and Jared has been exceptional.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. James Martin, Yorkshire’s head of the performance pathway.
“There have been a variety of different players who have played in the team, ranging from 13-years-old to 18-years-old, and everyone’s played a part when they’ve needed to.
“In the semi-final against Warwickshire, Amelia Oliver (71) and Ines Blackwell (59) put on a solid partnership unbeaten partnership of 148 as they knocked that off one down.
“They were really good, but the discipline the girls have shown with the ball has been exceptional. Jeanie Lee has taken a bag full of wickets throughout the competition (22 in four matches).”
