Notts wait out rain to beat Warwickshire in 8 over slog

Much has been made of the rain in England over the last couple of weeks. There will have been grander venues affected by the persistent precipitation. Don’t let the players of Hampshire, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire, (sorry Birmingham Bears). With the future of county cricket very much up in the air these t20 cup games could be the last most of these teams play as a team together.
It was, therefore, a shame that the first game of the day was washed out. Heavy rain during the week and a heavy shower at around nine in the morning ensured that Nottinghamshire’s trip was a largely frustrating one.
A patch of water on the edge of the square stubbornly refused to budge. It started to eat into the game time of the second match of the day. Both Notts and Warwickshire had travelled a fair distance to stand looking for the grass dry.
No one can help the weather of course. Not even the Anglo-Saxon kings and queens that stalked these lands once upon a time.
Play did eventually get underway at ten past three. Conditions suddenly became suitable and the mad rush of players and coaching staff frantically rushed to fit in the eight over a side game.
Notts batted first with an edict to try and connect with every ball. Sonia Odedra was not allowed this luxury. The first ball from Georgia Davis was fired down leg. The next ball while projected in a similar area of Odedra’s leg stump was guided into the hand of Gwenan Davies behind the stumps.
It was double trouble for Birmingham/ Warwickshire when twins Yvonne and Teresa Graves. The latter of the pair scored 24 from 20 balls. With 2 fours and a six Teresa was the batter that adjusted to the pitch the quickest.
The Bears did strike back with the spin of Anisha Patel. A bowler that lulls her victims into a false sense of security before striking. Three wickets in an over from Patel had Notts stuttering towards the end. It was the nature of the format – ECB Have you thought of 8 overs a side? – score runs or get out trying.
Kirstie Gordon and Hannah Hughes ensured the last over went for 11 runs and a competitive target of 62 was set. In the Kia Super League, those kinds of totals are usually smashed in the six-over powerplay.
This was a different beast. The rain hadn’t slowed the outfield and well-timed shots got what they deserved.
Notts led by Lucy Higham for this competition bowled and fielded as if they hadn’t quite waited their lives for but certainly most of the day for.
The Bears were never allowed to settle to the pace of the pitch or the bowlers as seam and spin were alternated. Gordon had the dangerous Thea Brookes stumped by Polly Inglis for 2.
Marie Kelly who is no mug with the bat tried in vain to keep her side in the game. She was eventually bowled for 32 from 23 balls to the penultimate ball of the match.
Birmingham fell to yet another agonising close defeat with 5 runs the final margin of defeat. For those brief 16 overs, both teams gave a glimpse of the entertainment that was on offer if it hadn’t been for those pesky rain gods.