IT CAME down to the last two balls.
Irymple Cricket Club’s Jo Wood said last Friday’s two-run win over Coomealla Wentworth was “one of the best wins” she had played in for a long time, but it came following a nerve-wracking finish.
Wood, who retired on 30, helped Irymple reach 6/92 and earned this week’s SCA Premier Women’s Player of the Round nomination.
She said with two overs to go, the game hung in the balance.
“It felt like it all went really slow. And it was good because the team came together,” Wood said. “Everyone was hyped up and just having a really good time.”
In the final over, Coomealla Wentworth needed just a handful of runs to win, and with two balls to go, were one ‘four’ away.
“We were all holding our breath,” Wood said.
But Alice Hill, who Wood said had “all the pressure on her”, was able to restrict Coomealla Wentworth to two runs as they finished on 6/90.
“I don’t think I’ve been in a game that’s been so close,” Wood said.
The win was made more special for Wood because she got to enjoy it with her 11-year-old daughter, Mackenzie Smith, and because the Irymple side was missing three regular players.
Wood said the innings gave her confidence she could still put together a good batting performance.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m the oldest in league, so it gave me that confidence boost that I can do it,” she said. “If I knuckle down and keep my head about me and keep batting.”
Wood missed the last Premier Women’s season while she looked after her newborn and said working with coach Bruce Rochester to broaden her batting repertoire had given her renewed energy for the game.
“In the past, I probably just had one shot that I tried to play all the time. And now working with our coach Bruce, he’s getting me to try and work on some other shots playing to the off-side more.
“It helps because you probably have to concentrate a bit more and just try and stay in there a little bit longer.”
Wood was one of four players who came across from Fire Brigade and said captains Kristy Carter and Nicole Zerveas had created a welcoming environment where the new recruits could have “a real go”.
“It’s nice to have wins. And it’s nice to see some of the younger girls getting a heap of wickets and a heap of runs. it’s a nice sort of almost like a little family team,” Wood said.
Irymple has secured two wins for the season, and face Nichols Point Gold tonight as both sides attempt to keep pace with the top four.
In other matches this Friday, Merbein South and Mildura West face off at John Hall oval in a top-of-the-table clash, while Nichols Point Green will meet Settlers Gol Gol at Nichols Point Reserve.
Meanwhile, Coomealla Wentworth will try to bounce back when they face Mildura East at Brian Weightman Oval 1.
As the Player of the Round, Wood receives a $40 voucher from the Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club.
