Last week Kampong played both VOC and then the British Army Ladies Cricket Team. The competition game against VOC was a rather resounding defeat which left many feeling demoralized. Though our beauty of the day, Ms File, made a lovely 37 not out.

This week we went to Nijmegen to play the top team in the league, Quick 1888. We lost again. Yet we left this game with our heads held higher. There were no jumps for joy, but there were also no jumps for the nearest exit.

On a cold, windy, rainy afternoon on a coconut weave pitch Kampong Ladies went in to bat. They faced some extremely tight bowling. Both line and length were consistent and consistently on the stumps or just hanging around leg side. An area Kampong Ladies are known to struggle with. Leonieke and Kate, the opening pair, batted through it and into the change. They held steady, ticking off a couple of runs an over and getting their eye in. The field was large and slow, so fours were minimal. Leonieke was the first to exit with 20 after being clean bowled and Esther came in to join Kate. Things were looking promising as they pushed the singles but an extraordinary delivery sent Esther’s off-bail flying and her innings was cut short at 13. Heather joined the fray but the partnership was soon ended as, after 25 overs, Kate was caught behind on 17 off a rising delivery that just clipped the very edge of her glove (grrr). Ingrid went in to bat and steadied the ship for a while until a stray ball soared skyward from Heather’s bat and she too was caught and exited on 15. The eternal story of Kampong Ladies: each entered and exited in their own fashion doing their best, but not quite able to put enough runs on the board quick enough before being sent back to the bench. We finished the 40 overs, not quite all out, but all had faced, setting a target of 125.

And so we went in to defend our total. As is the new system, Ingrid and Patricia opened the bowling and kept it very tight. At the drinks break after 15 overs their run rate was below 2 an over and below that required. But as ever there came the change. Esther held firm with a mixture of paces that kept the batsmen guessing and jumping. Unfortunately Kate (1-35-5) was unable to keep it as tight. The first wicket fell during her bowling as a run out and broke a strong partnership, but the runs were mounting. The next batsman was bowled (also by Kate) before she could add to the total, but the next in made light work of the stray legside balls and it was Heather (2-16-3) who took the batton. A brilliant catch by Medha gave her a lovely wicket and sent their captain packing and another by Esther sent her replacement for an early shower, yet the damage was done. Esther (0-31-8.4), Ingrid (0-22-10) and Patricia (0-18-10) worked tirelessly to hold them back, but with 4 overs to spare they reached the target. Their number 1 batsman had held out through the entire innings with a final score of 48.

Also of note: Lizzy, who didn’t get to bowl this match as her commitment to the cause caused her to put not just her body in front of the ball, but also her face. Lizzie, we commend you, but suggest you stick to body in future!

We defended an average total against the top league team for 35,5 overs. Though we lost, we tried, and things truly are beginning to fit together.