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| Rounders U9 Team 'Blog' |
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Under 8 & Under 9 Squad Wednesday 2nd July v Marlston House
Wednesday 25th June v Hall Grove U9 Lost 13.5 - 8 Losing the toss, we went into bat first. With only 20 balls in each innings, every ball had to count if we were going to score well. Unfortunately the occassion of playing away took over and we were quiet and shy, allowing the opposition to rule the game. By the 19th ball we still had yet to score, yet luckily on the final ball, Emily gave us half a rounder. Thank you Emily! Fortunately we were more alert in the field and kept their score to a reachable 5 rounders as we reached the second innings. Clare stepped up to the mark in her new role as bowler and performed brilliantly. She threw very few no-balls and made many quick and accurate fielding decisions. After a quick wake-up talk and a shake of the legs to remove the cobwebs we were back on form as we stepped into bat again. The half rounders were being collected frequently and we were sprinting around the pitch with confidence. Caitlyn hit the ball accurately and strongly to score 2 half rounders and a full rounder and Tammy also scored a full rounder for the team with some tactical running. The waiting batters were giving helpful advice and cheering on their team to really make a difference to this innings in comparison with the first. Scoring 7.5 rounders in this innings really showed our potential and we could have been a tough match for the opposition. The girls showed that they certainly have the ability to be a very good rounders team, but now just need to have the focus from the first ball. Pippa 0.5, Caitlyn 2, Emily 1, Chloe 0.5, Tammy 1, Alice 0.5, Lucy 1 Opposition Player of the Match: Clare HDEB Wednesday 4th June v Oratory U9 Lost 11.5-21.5 Without any rounders practice since our last match, it was always going to be an interesting game... We were fielding first and generally did fairly well. We were not as alert as we were in our previous match, however we did manage to stop many of their players running to 2nd base and scoring those crucial half rounders. Tammy once again proved to be the most alert on the field and Chloe and Pippa stummped two players each. Over the coming weeks, all players need to practice their bowling to allow Chloe a bit of a break and a change of scenery! Oratory scored 11.5 rounders in their first innings, however I knew we could all certainly hit the ball with more strength so it was not an unreachable goal. As we started batting it was very clear that we had been used to a very different style of play to the Oratory. They managed to stump 5 of our players out at 3rd and another 2 at 4th, and the majority of these occured when another player was batting. We were just not used to this type of fielding and therefore as a result we only scored 3 rounders. The first innings were certainly a big wake-up call and soon we were far more alert and determined as we stepped once again onto the field. Chloe performed an excellent catch and Megan worked hard in her position as backstop. As we came into bat for the second time we were so much more aware of Oratory's fielding strategy. As a result the girls began communicating to each other and watching the ball closely to enable them to read the game and run on only when appropriate. Our score in the 2nd innings was a far more respectable 8.5 which is a far more reasonable reflection of our ability. I am so impressed by how the girls battled today. They could have easily given up after the first innings, but instead they just came back stronger - well done, you should feel very proud of yourselves. HDEB Wednesday 21st May v Daneshill (U10 team!) U9 Won 16.5-14 What a difference a week makes!! A completely transformed U9A team stepped onto the pitch this week - we were alert, focused, intelligent and most importantly - we worked as team! Lucy took the helm as captain and won the toss, sensibly electing to field first. Playing against 7 U10 players, the opposition were hitting the ball with confidence and accuracy, however we did not falter under the pressure. Lucy was remarkable as back-stop with accurate passes to 2nd base and Caitlyn, Sydney and Alice worked as a great team in the field - communicating to each other and backing up from all angles where needed. Clare was soon working well to cover 4th base when needed and our well-oiled machine was up and running. We were taken by surprise on a few occasions by a left-handed batter, however a simple explanation of the fielding change will sort that out for our next match. Additionally a slight lapse in concentration resulted in a half rounder being given away due to several careless pieces of miss-fielding. When it was our turn to bat we maintained the same level of focus and concentration. Those waiting in line were cheering and supporting the others showing a far greater team spirit and understanding of the game than seen in previous matches. From the first ball, Pippa scored a rounder and then it was clear that we could take advantage of their rather slow fielding (very similar to that shown by us last week!). Despite the teams appearing rather unbalanced in the field, their strong hitting left the scores 8-7.5 to us at half time, so there was still everything to play for in the 2nd innings. Our 2nd innings in the field saw catches from Pippa and Chloe and Tammy's quick fielding resulted in another player being stumped at 2nd. Our slick teamwork led to the whole Daneshill U10 team being out with 4 balls left and only an additional 6.5 rounders added to their total. Our second innings in bat was exciting and thoughtful. Each member of the team, hit the ball accurately, however more importantly our running around the pitch was fast and intelligent. Both Caitlyn and Chloe hit the ball a great distance and were running at full sprint to score a full rounder, nevertheless both players kept a close eye on the fielding team to stop at 3rd and not risk losing their half rounder. Pippa 4, Clare 3, Caitlyn 2.5, Chloe 1.5, Sydney 1, Tammy 0.5, Alice 0.5, Lucy 0.5 Opposition Player of the Match: Pippa HDEB
Wednesday 14th May v Yateley Manor U9 Lost 6.5-23 Yateley Manor proved to be tough competition in the U9s first full match of the season. From the first innings they were striking the ball with confidence and we were not dynamic enough in the field to prevent many half and full rounders being scored. Pippa's bowling was consistent giving away few no-balls. Tammy worked well as a close fielder with Chloe and Lucy to get two Yateley Manor players out at 2nd and 3rd respectively. Sarah also was focused to get another player out at 4th base. Additionally an excellent piece of fielding from Caitlyn as backstop, after a backward hit, resulted in yet another player out at 2nd. Despite these successes, far more focus, attention and speed is needed from the whole fielding team for them to really reach their full potential. During our first innings in bat, virtually every member of the team hit the ball confidently. This did however mean that our players were prone to being caught which happened on 4 occassions - a real shame when you have managed to make contact with the ball! A little more speed around the rounders pitch would have resulted in more half rounders being scored, and something to work on in our training sessions. At the end of the first innings the score was 3.5-7 to Yateley Manor, so there still was time to turn things around. Nevertheless, the second innings led to more of the same and Yateley Manor came out fighting, hitting the ball with passion and determination, leaving our fielders slightly bemused! With Yateley Manor scoring 16 rounders in the second innings alone, we had a big mountain to climb as we came into bat for the second time. Pippa opened the batting scoring a rounder, however their fielding was too tight for many of the other players to get to second base to put that all imporant score on the sheet. We need to be far more dynamic, alert and brave in all aspects of our rounders playing and then I am sure we will see the results. Pippa 1, Alice 1, Sydney 0.5, Megan 0.5, Tamara 0.5, Izzy 0.5. Opposition Player of the Match: Pippa HDEB
Wednesday 23rd April v St. Andrew's U9A Won 13.5-12 This coaching game gave the U9A team the opportunity to get to grips with the numerous rules of rounders. Despite only a few lessons out on the field, the girls were soon passing the ball between the fielders with accuracy and confidence, showing a greater understanding of their roles within the team as a whole. Lucy and Pippa were the highest scorers of the game, however all players managed add to the score, resulting in a great first win of the season. Pippa 3, Lucy 2, Sydney 1.5, Caitlyn 1.5, Megan 1.5, Alice 1, Chloe 0.5, Clare 0.5, Tammy 0.5 Opposition Player of the Match: Pippa HDEB |
