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| Rounders 1st Team 'Blog' |
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1st Rounders Team Rounders Captain Last Match Wednesday 25th June V Highfield Lost 28-15 Highfield are always tough opposition and today was no exception! Playing against a team of girls who could all hit the ball into orbit, we needed to be at our ‘best’! Unfortunately, our ‘best’ was only glimpsed now and then during the afternoon. Our batting was rather non-existent in the first innings and when in the field we struggled to stop the onslaught whizzing by our heads. However, Nicky took some memorable catches in the deep. The second innings was much better for Eagle House. Cessie managed to sneak 4 ½ rounders without even hitting the ball! (How does that happen you may ask? – What a strange game it is!)) Nicky was on form again and scored two by actually hitting it and therefore she was nominated as ‘Woman of the Match’. One more game to go girls – let’s make it a win! Season Statistics to date Played 5 Won 3, Lost 2
Match Reports Wednesday 4th June V The Oratory Lost 12½-6 Hugh disappointment for the girls as this was our first loss of the season. I felt worried when the school's coach told me that most of their year 8 team was made up of Spanish girls who, although they know very little about rounders, are great tennis players. I was right to worry about them being able to hit the ball, as nearly every one went flying over the heads of Eagle house fielders, lauched off a bat swung at one hundred miles an hour! Unfortunately, in the first innings we did little to prevent them from scoring - in fact 'shell-shocked' would be a good description! To add to our misery we only scored 1½ rounders when we went into bat. Those aliens who could hit the ball last week had returned to Mars and left behind slightly bewildered humans! However, Eagle House rose to the challenge. I would like to congratulate the girls for getting organised, thinking tactically and working together as a team to stop The Oratory scoring many more rounders in the second innings. Although it was too late to avoid the jaws of defeat, they definitely redeemed themselves in my eyes. Rounders - Emily ½, Cessie ½, Claire 1, Ella 1, Charlotte 1, Amrita ½, Nicky ½, Katherine 1. Catches - Claire 2, Ella 2. Coaches Woman of the match for her leadership and tactical thinking - Francesca
Wednesday 21st June V St Piran’s Won 25 ½ - 8 ½ My team seem to have been snatched by aliens and replaced by look-alikes who can all hit the ball miles and field accurately! This was a fantastic game for Eagle House! In the first innings, our fielding was tight. Claire bowled quickly and accurately to keep St Piran’s score down to 4 ½. Our batting was also excellent and we quickly piled on the rounders to build our score to 13 with no one out. Our second fielding innings saw some spectacular catches from Charlotte and Claire and focused work form Katherine at second. In fact, the whole alien team suddenly came to life –Francesca threw accurately from deep field and Emily and Elodie were athletic in their attempts to save ½ rounders. We had already won the game when we went into bat for the second time. With the pressure off the girls began to relax and hit even more reliably and with gusto. Particular mention should go to Francesca (5 ½) and Claire (5), Charlotte (4) and Amrita who suddenly found her form to hit 5 ½ rounders and be made ‘Woman of the Match’. Well done, girls. I would like to keep you aliens and not have those old space cadets back! Wednesday 14th May V Yateley Manor Won 14½ - 10 Eagle House won the toss and opted to field first. Our fielding in the first innings was excellent. The girls concentrated and worked superbly as a team to keep Yateley Manor down to 1 rounder for 30 balls. Unfortunately we did less well with our batting! We were all out for 15 balls, having scored just 2 ½ rounders ourselves. At this stage we knew that this would be a close game! To add to the tension, we were pretty awful at fielding in the second innings; panic set in, throws went astray and the concentration disappeared. Yateley built the rounders and we were chasing a score of 10 when we went into bat. Stern words from the coach (!) seemed to have a magic affect. Eagle House batted well and ran superbly. We capitalised on any mis-fielding, sneaking ½ rounders and gradually building up our score. At the end of the game we were worthy winners. Sticking to pre-arranged tactics paid off and the girls can be proud of their win. Batting – Francesca 3, Emily 2½, Ella 2, Charlotte 1½, Elodie 1½ and Nicky 1 Catches – Charlotte Opposition’s and coach's woman of the match - Francesca
Wednesday 7th May V Pangbourne College Won 8½-6 A fantastic result for our first match of the season (eventually!). The Eagle House girls were focussed, but quite nervous, about how they would perform – particularly with the absence of Nicky, our out-fielder. However, our team proved that concentration, good tactics and team-work are far more important than just having the skills. We were put into bat first. All the girls hit well and were able to gradually build the score by pushing for half rounders when Pangbourne’s fielding was poor. We scored five in the first innings with Claire hitting 2½. It was also due to some excellently precise bowling from Claire that we were able to keep the oppositions score down to three. The second inning was really just a re-run of the first. However, Pangbourne did begin to hit the ball harder – luckily, good thinking and some gutsy fielding meant that Pangbourne was never rally a threat. Rounders - Claire 4 Francesca 1½, Ella 2, Charlotte 1. Catches - Elodie, Francesca, Ella (2) Pangbourne chose our backstop, Ella, as their woman of the match and I would like to give my coaches award to Claire. Well done girls keep up the good work. Wednesday 23rd April V St Andrew's Match Cancelled due to wet ground |
Woman of the Highfield match 
Woman of the St Piran's Match
