Alice Henderson On Debut

Thirty-seven

Paris's first ball is short and just the right height to cut but it's too close to get near so I let it go through to Charlie. As Paris walks back to her mark, I reset my stance, moving away from the centre to leg stump. That should give me some room to move.

Paris's second ball is a carbon copy of the first and this time, I step back and up and play a cut shot. I don't get enough power on it to send it to the boundary but I get three runs from it. Paris isn't happy.

I watch where Hannah stands and note that she's still on centre. I want to tell her to stand wider but I guess she's got her tactics and I've got mine. Paris runs in to bowl again, and this time she's too straight. Hannah turns the ball around to the leg side and we get two runs before the fine leg fielder can get the ball back.

I give the thumbs up to Hannah and she nods back at me.

Paris is refusing to change the field, which is interesting. Her next ball to Hannah is a yorker. Hannah manages to get her foot out of the way and jam her bat down on it to keep it out. It's a good reply from Paris. It's tough going, but I'm actually starting to enjoy myself in the middle.

The last ball of Paris's over is short and Hannah drops it straight down onto the pitch and we scamper through for a single. Paris stands in the centre of the pitch glaring at us but Hannah and I ignore her as we meet in the middle again to discuss the final two overs.

"I'm having much more fun now," Hannah says. "Paris is a great bowler."

"She is," I agree. "But she relies on her pace a lot."

Hannah adjusts the chin strap on her helmet. "I think we can score off Shari a lot easier. She's starting to give us some more width."

I nod. "I think she's starting to slow down a bit too."

We both check the field placings. Shari's gone defensive, putting mid-off back and taken mid-on to put them at deep extra-cover. She's left the on-side open with two fielders inside the circle in front of the crease as well as a fine leg.

"Let's have some fun with these last two," Hannah says.

"Hit out or get out?" I ask.

Hannah grins. "Why not?"

Hannah hits the first two balls off Shari past cover for two with almost identical shots. This makes Shari bowl her third ball too straight and Hannah plays across the line and smashes it to the long on boundary for four. I slap her on the shoulder as we pass each other on the pitch and she grins. I'm not sure she's going to give me the strike this over but I don't really care. The point of batting in a partnership is giving the strike to the person who's batting the best.

Shari fights back with her next ball, bowling a much better length and jamming Hannah up. She does a good job of not popping the ball up for a catch. The next ball is a much better length from Shari, but Hannah is picking her now and she smashes it for four on the on side.

Shari over-corrects on her last ball, bowling it straighter than she normally would and Hannah flicks it square to her left and we run two.

Hannah and I meet in the middle of the pitch for the last time.

"Your turn," Hannah says. "Let's see what you've got."

"Tough ask," I reply. "I'll have a lot more heat than you had."

Hannah shrugs. "From what I saw of you in the nets, you'll be fine." She slaps me on the shoulder and heads to the non-striker's end.

I head back to the striker's end and loosen up.

Charlie meets me at the stumps. "Last chance to show off," she says and waggles her eyebrows. I laugh and get ready to face up to Paris's final over.