When last Saturday’s 9th December final of the Creditwest Ladies Cricket League match at the Pia Bella Stadium started, all the teams were still in the hunt for the title. 90 minutes later, the cream had risen to the top, as the pre-match favourites Doğanköy Dollies dominated proceedings.
Batting first, Steph Routledge and Rannveig Ystaas opened for the Dollies and despite Ystaas edging behind to Lynn Holman off the bowling of Gina Mapp in the first over, they never looked in further difficulty, completing their 6 overs with 60 runs. Next in were Captain Sarah Sandford and Ann McLoughlin who maintained the rapid scoring adding another 49 to bring the final innings total to 109 runs.
During the interval, umpires Tom Shirley and Phil Sandford along with Coach Nigel Holman told us they felt the score was beyond the Girne Girlies. Scorer Kevin Mapp added that once the Dollies had gone past 80 runs, the batting bonus points they had got meant whatever happened the Lapta Lasses were mathematically out of the running to be champions, but they were guaranteed the runners up spot. It was only then a simple question of whoever won the current match, would hold up the cup.
110 runs was a big task in anyone’s language. Captain Holman decided attack was the only way to go, so she opened with herself and forceful batsman Gina Mapp. Risk was the name of the game as they set about their first pair target of 70 runs, thereby leaving a more manageable 40 runs for the second pairing of Gloria Garcia and Julie Birch. The best laid plans sometimes do go awry, 2nd ball Mapp looking for a quick single ran Holman out. However they weren’t about to surrender, they fought back scoring 48 runs, even with Holman going for a mighty swing off Sandford’s bowling and hitting her own stumps.
With 62 runs still needed, the last pair never looked likely to reach the target. Birch played some attractive shots and took every opportunity to keep the scoring going, but Garcia was pinned down against some very accurate bowling leaving the Lasses 25 runs short.
Typical of all good scorers, Kevin Mapp was delighted with the symmetry of all the teams having won the same number of league games, but Doğanköy’s superior batting throughout landed them the the Creditwest Ladies Cricket League title.
TRNC Ladies cricket will re-start in mid-March, when it’s hoped lots of new players will want to join in the fun.
