Alice Henderson On Debut

Thirty-six

Shari's found her rhythm in her second over. Again, Hannah and I score a couple of runs, but every single one of Shari's deliveries is right on a good length, so Hannah and I leave them alone. I'm actually impressed. She's far more consistent than Paris, which can be frustrating for a batter, but if I got to face her more, I'd be able to work out how to make her change up. Regardless, she's holding down her end well.

Paris's second over goes pretty much the same as her first, except she gives me absolutely nothing. Hannah scores a quick run off her first ball, leaving me to face her last five. She gives me no room at all, either bowling short enough to make me leave, or close enough to my body that I have to take evasive action. I know she's trying to intimidate me, because that's what fast bowlers do, but I just can't seem to get anything away to score off her. And not being able to hit big is the most frustrating thing about it.

At the change of ends after the fourth over, we take drinks. Jules runs some out for Hannah and I and gives us a pep-talk. "You're doing a good job," she says. "How do you feel?"

"Frustrated," I reply, squirting water on my face to cool down. I have a long drink and hand the bottle back to Jules.

"We're not getting anything to hit," Hannah says. She reties her shoelaces and adjusts her arm guard.

"You know why they put you two up against Paris and Shari, don't you?" Jules asks.

Hannah and I shake our heads.

"Because you're the best batters they've seen at the camp, and they're the best pace bowlers. You have no idea how enthralled everyone is on the boundary watching you guys battle it out."

"Really?" I look over to the fence where the Brisbane coaches and senior players are all sitting.

Jules nods. She leans in a little and lowers her voice. "Our coach is really impressed with the way you two are soaking up the pressure."

Hannah grins beside me and has another drink.

"So how do we get on top of them?" I ask. "We need to put the pressure back on them and start scoring some runs."

Instead of answering my question, Jules asks, "What's the best way to frustrate a bowler and stop them from getting into a rhythm?"

"Rotate the strike," Hannah replies and Jules nods.

"The way you score runs and put the fielding team off their game is to make them change their tactics. Shari and Paris know you're both good strikers, so they're trying to stop you from hitting out. Plus, they think they're on top. You need to use that to your advantage."

Brad and Karen call time and Jules picks up our water bottles and towels. Hannah pulls on her gloves and walks away.

"Alice," Jules says. I look up. "Clear your front leg to Paris."

"What do you mean?"

Jules stands like she's batting and moves her front foot away and to the left, opening up her body.

I smile and nod. "Okay." Jazz is constantly telling me to do that too.

"Oh, and just have fun with it," Jules says. "What's the worst that can happen? You miss out on the Brisbane squad and get to play in the camp squad tomorrow anyway?"

She's got a point. I pull my gloves on and head back to the pitch. Hannah meets me in the middle.

"Let's show them what we can do," she says. We bump gloves and head to our ends.

Hannah stays on her crease for the first two balls of Shari's third over, which are both fast and straight. Hannah plays them both to mid-off for no runs. Shari's next ball is almost the same, but a little shorter, and rather than stay in her crease this time, Hannah steps back and across to get behind it more and shoots the ball off just wide of the fielder to her right at cover. We take off for a quick single and then when the ball is back with Charlie, Hannah and I meet in the middle.

"Nice one," I say, watching as Hannah adjusts her gloves again.

"She'll bowl fuller this time, you watch," Hannah replies. She heads back to the non-striker's end and I head back to my end. I set my stance a little further across than I normally would and stand with my back foot just on the crease, hopefully making the next ball fuller than it normally would be.

Shari bowls.

It hits the pitch around the same spot Shari's been hitting all morning, but my standing outside the crease has made it into a half-volley I can really get onto. I stride forward and hit it between cover and mid-off but I don't time it well. Hannah and I get another run though, which is better than nothing.

Hannah steers the next delivery to the leg side where we get another single. Shari's standing in the middle of the pitch after her follow-through and she doesn't look happy. Her last delivery to me is way too full, and I smash the ball straight back past her to the fielder at long-on for a single.

Hannah and I meet in the middle for the change of ends. I take off my helmet and wipe my forehead with the back of my hand.

"I feel much better," Hannah says.

"Me too, but we've got to work Paris out yet."

Hannah shrugs. "Let's use her pace. We'll see how she sets the field and go from there."

We head to our ends. I'm on strike again, and before I face up, I loosen my neck and shoulders and play some shadow shots. I look around the field to see if Paris has left me anything I can work with. She's pulled cover away and put in another slip, and she's brought mid-wicket in closer. It's left me with a lot of space on my left on the on side. She's going to try to bounce me out. Satisfied that I think I know what her plan is, I take strike.