The women’s 1st team travelled to Birmingham on the 27th of January for BUCS Indoor Cricket finals at Edgbaston, showcasing some immense talent and truly setting the tone for the outdoor season to come! We hear from Sports Bursar Jess Hazell who gave us a rundown of the games that secured us the gold!
The pool games began with a match against the home side, Birmingham. The game was filled with outstanding bowling as well as a sheer ability to stay resilient under pressure, University of Exeter came out on top and onwards to their next opponents Durham.
Durham put Exeter into bat first, and with a few quick wickets, Durham was on top. Exeter then managed to settle however even with Exeter’s lethal bowling, it was not quite good enough and Durham secured the win.
The final game of the pool was a must-win game against Sheffield. Exeter displayed tactical excellence, putting pressure on the opposition with spin being the key attack option. The girls emerged victorious, securing their spot in the semifinals as the second team in the pool.
Semifinal time and the Exeter girls faced their biggest rivals Loughborough. Exeter’s superb bowling and fielding performance resulted in early wickets and the opposition scraping to 80. A composed approach during the chase ensured Exeter’s entry into the final, defeating Loughborough with a stellar performance.
In the final, the team came up against a familiar foe, Durham. Sticking to similar tactics as before Durham put UOELCC into bat first. With this, Exeter adapted and ran with it safely making a decent headway in their runs. This was then continued by tight bowling and synchronised fielding which enabled UOELCC to stay ahead however, Durham kept attacking back and in a nail-biting finish, University of Exeter clinched the win!
For the upcoming outdoor season, the success in the BUCS Indoor Finals serves as a confidence boost for Exeter as they head into the outdoor season. While indoor and outdoor cricket have differences in tactics, the indoor triumph showcases the team’s skill, resilience, and ability to perform under pressure. The experience gained indoors will contribute to the team’s overall confidence as we transition to the outdoor format.
Huge Congratulations to all involved and a thank you to Jess Hazell who kindly supplied a match-by-match overview of the day! We cannot wait for the summer season to begin.
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Jess Hazell (Women’s Scholar) & Brianna Cummins (Performance Sport Co-ordinator)