Blackheath Women's first foray at the Rectory Field in two years was a comprehensive 9-wicket victory against Ashford (the Middlesex one), and put Blackheath back on track for the season after dropping to second after the first defeat last week.  

Poor Ashford had arrived after the trek from round about Heathrow-way with only 5 players by the time of the toss, and only 3 more expected (such is ocassionally the life of a womens club side) so returning skip Abi "Chewy" Carter sportingly offered to field first.  The run-rate was tight from the off as Ashford had to preserve their batting lineup and Blackheath was again bowler-heavy.  So spells were short as a total of nine bowlers were used to help restrict Ashford to 139 after 40 ovs.  Livs again showing the knack of removing an opener by bowling Gill Bonham for 5.  No. 3 bat Watson was also bowled by Grace Gibbs when Ashford were on just 36, but McCreedy and Halls dug in and got the score to tick along until a direct hit from Bhav(rick) Sevani ran out McCreedy towards the end of the innings, and so Halls finished on a nifty 56no.  The run out was the highlight of an otherwise mediocre fielding performance, a few chances not taken and an obscene number of byes.  

So at tea the mood was a tad disappointed not to have gotten more wickets, but feeling 140 was a very acheivable target.  So most of us sat down on the green, green grass of the Rectory to watch the chase.  Minor setback early on as Biggie cut a ball too soon to give a simple catch, so Gibbs was joined by Leanne "Dobbs" Atkins.  Both quickly finding the boundary (which, it should be noted, was only brought in a few metres on the clubhouse side) as was basically expected given they were both coming of the back of half-centuries.  Most of us were only half-paying attention to begin with, after someone invented the game of getting the word "Dobbs" into as many film titles as possible (the pick: The Dobbfather, Reservoir Dobbs and Erin Dobbovitch), until someone pointed out Dobbs and Grace were going at 10 an over, hitting boundaries to all parts of the Rec.  

Apparently Dobbs then dared Grace to hit a six, and one was duly fired to the bank to the left of the nets.  Ludricrously, the innings was never even going to get near the first drinks break due at 17 overs, as Dobbs and Grace raced each other to their 50s, then reaching the target in less than 12 overs.  Grace finishing on 56no (8 fours, 1 six), Dobbs with 64 (10 fours).  So it was an early trip to the bar for pitchers for the grown ups and cokes for the lil' uns.

If anyone was in doubt of BWCC's levels of professionalism, perhaps they would be convinced by Becki McWhinnie doing a Glenn McGrath and tearing an ankle ligament treading on a ball in a post-match Haribo-and-cola-induced run around.  Out for two weeks.  Doh.