This U15s season has been a challenging one. With a small squad and a run of injuries and absences, the team hasn’t always been able to get the results they deserved. More than once we’ve been in winning positions, only for the game to turn quickly—as cricket so often does.
But there’s a lot to be proud of. The commitment from the players who show up week after week, even when they don’t always get a bowl or a bat, has been outstanding. The willingness to move up the batting order—something we struggled with in previous years—has been a real highlight. Sometimes it’s worked, sometimes it hasn’t, but the attitude has been spot on. When I ask someone to step up, I’m met with effort, not resistance.
The fight in this team has never disappeared. Last week, early wickets made 50 look a long way off, yet determined batting from Caol and George pushed us close to 100. Today, after a Bourne player smashed a rapid 50 not out from 30 balls, the team responded brilliantly with a composed, balanced innings to reach 116. There were some lovely shots throughout the order, with only one player missing out after an unfortunate first ball dismissal.
What I’m most proud of is that across the season everyone has bowled, everyone has contributed with the bat, and everyone has played their part in the field. It’s been a real team effort.
Now to finish off with a win or two, will make a great season.