Sport Editor Alice Hunt celebrates the cricket club’s achievement
The University of Birmingham’s Women’s Cricket Club cemented their place among the best in the country at Sunday’s BUCS Indoor Finals. UBWCC had qualified for finals day following an unbeaten preliminary round. The team and many supporters – including club members, supportive friends and general cricket lovers – made the short journey to Edgbaston Indoor centre, one of the finest centres in the country. An exciting day of cricket was expected, with a buzz of excitement evident throughout the bustling atmosphere of Edgbaston.
UBWCC boasted a home crowd and, as local favourites, they were keen to put on a show. Pace-bowler Caitlin Belcher highlighted the effect of the support. She explained that “it was great to play in front of a home crowd, they definitely gave us extra motivation to play well”.
“UBWCC boasted a home crowd and, as local favourites, they were keen to put on a show
Their quest for a medal began with a dominant display in the group stages. Here, UBWCC won three out of three games through strong and determined performances. The day began with a twelve-run victory against Sheffield Hallam. Effective batting was on show from opener Elizabeth Clune, scoring 29 runs to set a competitive total for UBWCC. Consistent bowling from Birmingham veterans Katie Harman and Caitlin Belcher secured the win. The former collected three wickets from her three overs.
Birmingham’s fine form continued into the second group game,with a comfortable win over Portsmouth. Further fine batting was on show. Gemma Porter and Esther Hurford each scored 28 runs respectively, much to the excitement of the home crowd. UBWCC totalled 136-1, a score far out of reach despite Portsmouth’s best efforts. Laurie Sheridan, all-rounder and President of UBWCC, followed in Harman’s group-stage footsteps, taking three wickets to contribute to Portsmouth’s demise.
The final game of the group stage was Birmingham’s toughest yet, but through determination and some more impressive performances, the team were able to end the stage unbeaten. Kent proved tough opposition for UBWCC, pushing them to the limit. Despite an impressive batting performance, Kent fell victim to Birmingham’s powerful hitters. Porter’s 38 runs contributed to a strong score set by UBWCC.
“Through determination and some more impressive performances, the team were able to end the stage unbeaten
The excited atmosphere at Edgbaston was brought up a notch by the news that UBWCC had made it to the semi-finals of the competition. They were set to face Cardiff Met in what would prove to be a very balanced battle between two strong groups of players. With more supporters arriving with hopes of BUCS glory, many friends, relatives and fans tuned in via live stream to witness the fast-paced entertainment put on by Birmingham’s very talented squad. Clune shone once again with the bat. She scored 28 runs to help UBWCC set a tricky 97-run total for Cardiff Met to chase. Bowling heroics from Harman and Porter, recording two wickets apiece, took the game out of Cardiff’s hands. UBWCC reached the final, with a shot at national glory on the cards.
A strong and historically dominant Exeter stood in between UBWCC and the BUCS gold. Despite their best efforts, Birmingham fell just short, losing the final by five wickets – though they did not go down without a fight. Porter (26), and Belcher (15) registered important runs on the board. However, impressive, agile fielding from Exeter handed them the BUCS indoors crown.
“Defeat in the final takes away no feelings of pride from an extremely talented group of cricketers
Defeat in the final takes away no feelings of pride from an extremely talented group of cricketers. No other UBWCC side in recent memory has achieved such a feat, so there was much to celebrate. UBWCC Captain Sophie Grayson, who was ruled out from the team due to injury, echoed these sentiments. She explained, “I am really proud of the whole team, everyone contributed showing their hard work, talent and dedication.” UBWCC ended the day as national silver medallists. It was an exciting and memorable moment for all involved with the club.
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