So close but yet so far for Blackheath Women in the WCSL Division 3. The Club had its last match of the year - a table-topping showdown against St Lawrence and Highland Court - on Sunday 22nd August, with Blackheath needing to win by a biggish margin to overtake St Lawrence and win promotion. Win we did - by 49 runs - but it wasn't enough, and St Lawrence win the division by their 20.21 points (average per game) to our 19.13.
Playing at the 5th new home ground of the season, which now might be our favourite - the Catford Wanders. Abi "Chewy" Carter won the toss and chose to bat on a pretty good pitch. Despite losing in-form Atkins "Dobbs" early, the top order all made solid starts before getting out. Jemma Conner however repaid Abi's trust in her promotion up the order and anchored Blackheath's innings with a fluent 45. A debut half-century looked on, overlooked by an increasingly nervous Mum scoring for The Club, until being run out responding to a more-than-slightly-hopeful single. However the 65-run partnership with her and Sarah "Gib" Berman had brought the solidity needed. Gib finished with her top score for the club of 24* from not many meaning we might need to find a new nickname (Gib -> Gibralter -> solid as a Rock... geddit?) as Blackheath notched up a reasonable 171/7
Bowling time and again Sarah "Biggie" Williams was the demolisher, taking out both openers, captain Denise Harris and Caitlin Pilcher for single-figure scores and then the numbers four and six in successive deliveries to bring the score to 37/5. The next bat Megan Belt could only edge the next delivery agonisingly over the head of slip, denying what would have been her second hat-trick and 5-wicket haul of the season. The rest of the wickets fell to the 'lig spun' of Greer "Judderbar" Hill and Claire "Livs" Livesey and St Lawrence and Highland Court were all out for 122. So both sides finished the season with 8 wins and 2 loses, and so in a division with only 6 sides, just the winners go up. The post-match mood was still cheery, feeling justifiably proud of the progress and growth of the team over the past 12 months
Special mention go to our hosts at Catford Wanderers, who after being initially bemused by a bunch of chicks running around in whites, got into the spirit, and hung around to watch almost the whole match, quickly learning names and providing the best support we've had all year. Also to the couple who stayed and kept the bar open til we'd left. Can we come back next year?
Fortunately, all was still to play for in Blackheath Women's CC first foray into the world of Super 8s. (15 overs of 8-balls each, 8 players a side, sides from across the south-east). Having breezed through the group stages unbeaten (actually winning 4 out of 6 games before the last two were abandoned) The Club were drawn Shepperton at home at the Rectory.
Match report from skip Abi "Chewy" Carter, who had to watch from the sidelines, arriving late from work because of some shenanigans at Lord's:
Blackheath took on Shepperton in the Super 8s quarter-finals at The Rectory Field on Sunday 30th August. On a damp pitch, the home side got off to a horrific start - both openers were back in the pavilion with only one run on the board - but Grace Gibbs and Leanne Atkins came together for a 76-run partnership to give some respectability to the Blackheath score. Chrissy Rapley bowled five very tight overs for just 18 runs (and one wicket) but after Gibbs fell to Beth Cartledge for 28 and Atkins was run out just as she was considering retirement on 45, Blackheath's runs dried up. Three wickets fell with the score on 99 and the home side limped to 104 for 6.
In reply, Shepperton lost Cartledge early, but Steph Williams and Helen Kopicki batted intelligently - all dabs and nurdles - to put Shepperton in an excellent position. Blackheath's fielding was sloppy under pressure, but finally Greer Hill ran out Williams - calmly rolling the ball down the pitch for a direct hit - to leave Shepperton at 75 for 2, with Kopicki well set. Shepperton had wickets in hand and needed just over a run a ball, but up stood Becki McWhinnie to take two wickets in an over - including the dangerous Kopicki - to bring the match Blackheath's way. No Shepperton player could hit the couple of boundaries needed to ease the pressure, and Blackheath completed what at 10 overs looked to be an almost impossible victory as they bowled Shepperton out for 90.
Finals day then takes place at a neutral ground on Saturday 11th. "Up The Club"
