Batters struggle to adapt to change to turf with near historic lows for Towns and Rams

A change to unfamiliar turf pitch conditions was too much for most players in the women’s league as batters had a torrid Sunday afternoon. At GBSC1, Wanderers were sent in and made a lowly 8-63 with only Layne Gillingham (13), Olivia Bidwell (10) and Lucinda Gallop (10) notching double figures. Gallop and Linda Rose retired in order to give Chelsea Bidwell and Kasey Maynard a chance on turf. Bidwell’s 10 brings a run of 50-plus scores to an end with no one able to get to grips with the conditions — underlined by Gillingham’s 13 coming off 46 balls. Tarni Screaigh (2-12) had the best bowling return though CVN co-captains Kylie Bremner and Kate Clarkson did well to concede just 17 runs off a combined eight overs with Wanderers mainly trying to bat out their overs after the loss of early wickets. Sixty-three is the Wanderers’ lowest score this season but the Rams batting fell apart. They were bundled out for only 20, the second-lowest tally in the league’s four summers. Six players made ducks and the highest was six from Charlene Miller with the last seven wickets falling for seven runs. Extras, with five, made-up a quarter of the Rams’ score as Abby Green had a field day with figures of 5-8 off her three overs to record the second-best figures in the competition’s history. All five wickets either bowled or lbw. Maynard took 3-3 off her 2.4 overs. At Muir Park Towns had an equally poor time with the bat mustering only 23 runs, the league’s third-lowest total. There were another six ducks with the highest score an unbeaten seven from skipper Michelle McDonald. Eleven extras saved Towns from claiming an unwanted record. Isabelle MacPherson (3-7), Daniera Papertalk (2-2) and Hayley Criddle (2-5) did the damage after the rot set in early with Janelle Phillips, who needs some luck, run out by Regan Fitzsimmons. Sportsmans lost two wickets in securing victory and finished with 9-74 mainly thanks to top scorer Sarah Prickett (23). She was the only batter to reach double figures as Sportsmans also struggled. Joe Walker brought up 500 runs with a swivel around the corner though she still remains one wicket short of the 500 runs, 50 wicket double after bowling one maiden. Towns perservered with the ball with Corinne Lynch (3-20) and Phillips (2-4) the best of the bowlers but they were never going to recover from their showing with the bat.