The ECB Lady Taverners cup games are the most serious that the RCC girls' teams play. They are 8-a-side with standard rules, re-bowling of all wides & no-balls, no retirements and a strict no-coaching rule. Prior to the 2019 season, the RCC Gu13s hadn’t won a game in the cup but had enjoyed some very pleasant away fixtures (and teas) in Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire. Fortunes had changed this season with the team winning four games vs Ealing CC (Middx), Spencer CC (Surrey), Falkland CC (Berks) and Rowledge CC (Hampshire) to make it through to the London & SE final away to Tunbridge Wells CC (Kent).

To provide some background, Tunbridge Wells CC (TWCC) are the ECB's model club for starting a girls’ section (link), many of their players play for Kent, and Kent is the strongest county team on the girls' southern circuit. Earlier in the season, five of the RCC team had played in a Middlesex u13 team that had narrowly lost to Kent (link), so the girls felt they had some chance going into the game, but it was going to be tough!

Tunbridge Wells CC (Kent) vs RCC Gu13 – ECB Lady Taverners Cup, London & SE Final
(Standard, 8-a-side (squad of 9), 20 overs)
Wed 17/July/19
RCC Issie D, Emily, Molly, Charlotte*, Alessia†, Flossie, Eva, Sophia, Zunaira
TWCC 182-3 (20.0) Charlotte 1-42, Sophia 1-48, 1ro (Charlotte)
RCC 185-4 (18.5) Issie 63, Charlotte 52no, Molly 36
Manager FBS, Umpire RS, Scorer ID

After much checking of availability and negotiation from FBS (manager, driver and chief lawyer), the u13 girls and parents travelled to Tunbridge Wells for a Wednesday evening game. Upon arrival, we saw why TWCC hosts an annual Kent cricket week! The girls’ game was scheduled on their nursery ground, which was still one of the best strips and outfields the girls had played on all season!

After a 60 mile drive for a mid-week game, we unsurprisingly only had half a team a few minutes before the start time of 6pm. Thankfully, the last car arrived just in time and captain Charlotte elected to field after winning the toss (the usual choice in girls' cricket). Having bowled very well in the previous rounds, the RCC opening bowlers were inaccurate that evening - maybe due to the pressure of the occasion or the lack of warm-up due to the late arrival? TWCC’s opener/keeper/captain (who the girls knew well from Middlesex vs Kent games), was in top form and punished wide deliveries with cuts and pulls racing away to the boundary. At the other end, her fellow county opener was also playing well until a great ball from Charlotte (fifth stump line, good length) nipped back to clip the off-bail and take the first wicket. The runs still flowed, however, and TWCC’s #1 and #3 were taking the game away reaching 107-1 after 10 overs. Even Alessia (wicketkeeper and chief motivator) had gone quiet (for the first time all season)! Thankfully, with a squad of nine, Charlotte was able to rotate fielders and even though Molly, Eva and Zunaira didn't get a bowl, they provided much-needed relief in the field. To limit the damage, Charlotte switched from the pace attack to the pace-off-the-ball bowlers (Sophia and Emily). This tactic slowed the rate and eventually, Sophia picked up the TWCC skipper caught & bowled for a very classy 77 (off 54). A few balls later, Charlotte ran out the #4 with a direct hit to the striker’s end from cover, but the TWCC county #3 and #5 batsmen continued to score at a run a ball to finish on 45no and 12no with a massive total of 182-3 off their 20 overs.

The RCC u13 girls had scored 180+ a few times that season, but not against one of the strongest bowling attacks in the country! This was going to be hard work! Emily opened with Issie and kept her good company for the first few overs, as the TWCC girls started to bowl as far off-target as the RCC girls had done! Maybe the pressure was getting to them as well? The score progressed to 30-0 after three overs, but then Emily edged to TWCC’s keeper/captain to bring Molly to the middle and she set about the bowling with Issie – both hitting much straighter down the ground than the TWCC girls had done. The total was up to 93 when Molly was caught on the cover boundary for 33 (off 25). Charlotte was next in and the score had progressed to 97-2 after 12 overs with our girls still requiring 86 off eight overs.

It was the last ball of the 13th over that changed the game. Charlotte came down the track (having listened to coach Ben Compton the previous week) and cleared the bowler, the long-off boundary, several parents, and the scorers’ table. The TWCC bowlers then lost their line & length and started to bowl wides & over-stepping no-balls. The next three over went for 25, 17 and 14 as Charlotte and Issie helped themselves to the cookie jar! Issie brought up her 50 but when she was bowled in the middle of the 17th for 63 (off 47), 14 were still needed. Alessia came in but was bowled fourth ball to bring Flossie to the middle with Eva and Sophia nervously padding up. Could our girls get over the line with seven still needed off the last two overs and three wickets left? After a single and a dot, the third ball of the 18th was an above waist height no-ball which evaded their keeper. With the fielders on the fence, the RCC girls scampered through for two precious byes. A single for Flossie off the free hit got Charlotte back onto strike and she launched the fifth ball of the over one bounce to the cover boundary to bring up her 50 (off 22) and win the game with seven balls to spare.

TWCC had laid on a fine tea, were very generous in defeat (having lost the final for the second year running) and presented the London and South East trophy before the RCC girls and parents set off for a long and happy drive home.