Entente Cordial
Tourists win by 8 wickets
The Blazes entertained the first women's team from overseas to tour Outwood, when the ladies from Nantes CC visited the 'Wood on Tuesday evening.
Resplendent in their green berets, the XI from the French west coast town had travelled down from Battersea, where they are billeted and their men's team were playing their own tour match.
The Blazes batted first, but found scoring difficult. Nantes were lively and fielded well. The cricket related shouts were in a mixture of French and English. Lauren top scored for the Blazes with 25, out just as the innings closed. A score of 97 was handy, but would it be enough?
The Nantes openers were very assured at the crease, and although Charlotte nipped one out early, the number 1 and 3, Manue and Jenny, broke the back of the run chase, duly completed in the 16th over. An impressive performance given there are only two ladies teams in their area.
A fabulous cricket tea had been requested by Nantes, and a superb tea is what they got....sandwiches, cakes, scones and jam with cream, with our guests stayed on into the evening, enjoying the setting and the Pimms and holding their equivalent of the 'Tour Court'
Sadly Bernie sustained an injury, a finger broken in two places and missed out on the evening festivities while she sampled a long wait at the hospital - we wish her a speedy recovery.
Apparently it is a requirement of the men's leagues over in France that they cannot field a league team if they don't have a women's team. Perhaps we should suggest that to the KCVL?
