Leaving Castle Douglas at 4.30am on Saturday morning, the Galloway ladies headed to Adrossan to catch the 7am ferry to Arran where they took part in a fun and relaxed 6s tournament organised by Sannox Cricket Club.
The ladies entered as The Galloway All Blacks, dressed in black and wearing war paint. After a day of cricket in the sun the ladies camped on the beautiful island overnight before setting off early the next morning in order to reach Edinburgh in time for their Scottish Cup fixture against the notorious Carlton Ladies. A slightly less relaxed game awaited the All Blacks who were faced with opposition consisting of multiple Scotland national players!
After a friendly discussion between both captains it was agreed that, in order to ensure a good match for everyone involved, Carlton bat first. Therefore the Galloway girls, who were joined by friends from Dumfries Cricket Club, Sue Strachan and Rosy Ryan, took to the field with determination and plenty of team morale.
As expected, Carlton opened with Scotland’s opening batsman, Olivia Rae and daughter of ex-Scotland Cricket Coach Peter Steindl, Lilly, who both smacked the ball all over the place. Until Orla Montgomery, 11, wo was bowling impressively and was not overawed by the pressure, bowled Steindl for 38 with the score on 103. Rae was joined by captain Ruth Willis who was looking comfortable until Orla struck again! Now in a rhythm, Orla also clean bowled Willis for 19. The third wicket exhibited Galloway’s determination and calm demeanour, despite the strength and skill of the opposition. Wildcat, Katie McGill was run out after a tremendous display of teamwork from skipper, Natalie Hamblin (sponsored by BS Electrical) and Louise Cumbley (sponsored by The Gallery at Laurieston.) The final wicket showed Galloway’s confidence, regardless of the fact we were getting thrashed, as Jessica McCulloch (sponsored by the Gatehouse Store) dug her heels in and after a good spell of bowling successfully appealed LBW which dismissed Tait for just 10 runs. The final overs of the game lead Carlton to an impressive score of 306 for 4 off 30 overs. Olivia Rae scoring an incredible 171 not out.
Following a superb tea, the Galloway ladies took on the monumental task of chasing Carlton’s mammoth score. The ladies put up a tremendous fight and were not overwhelmed by the target score. Pavlina Van Rooyen anchored the team brilliantly and stayed at the crease for the majority of the innings. Pav watched as other batsmen came and went as they failed to judge the swing of Carlton’s experienced bowlers. However there were lots of positives to take from the batting experience as players held their ground, called decisively and picked out the weak balls to take advantage of. The girls kept up the fight until the final wicket fell during the 27th over and the score finished on 46, all out.
A huge defeat, however the team are incredibly proud to have played against such class opposition and taken wickets when the pressure was well and truly on. Coach, Fraser Conn, wo came along to support the team, has identified lots of development points for the ladies to work on at training but was extremely impressed by every player’s commitment and efforts throughout one of the women’s toughest matches to date.
The club would like to thank the ladies sponsor, Fleet Fish, who have funded much-needed kit.
If you are interested in finding out more about the ladies section of Galloway Cricket Club please contact Natalie Hamblin on 07872 909 010 or [email protected]
