England captain Charlotte Edwards makes Louth CC debut

Louth CC pulled off a coup last weekend when recently retired England captain Charlotte Edwards turned out for the Second XI.
Charlotte Edwards (back row, left) and New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates (back, right) join Louth Second XI for their match with Haxey. Also pictured, from left, back -  Richard Limmer, Jason Fisher, Dan Rankin, Reggie Koen; front - Steve Wright, John Medler, Arran Brindle, Henry Tye, Stewart West EMN-160606-100449002Charlotte Edwards (back row, left) and New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates (back, right) join Louth Second XI for their match with Haxey. Also pictured, from left, back -  Richard Limmer, Jason Fisher, Dan Rankin, Reggie Koen; front - Steve Wright, John Medler, Arran Brindle, Henry Tye, Stewart West EMN-160606-100449002
Charlotte Edwards (back row, left) and New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates (back, right) join Louth Second XI for their match with Haxey. Also pictured, from left, back - Richard Limmer, Jason Fisher, Dan Rankin, Reggie Koen; front - Steve Wright, John Medler, Arran Brindle, Henry Tye, Stewart West EMN-160606-100449002

The star-studded team, led by Edwards’ former England team-mate Arran Brindle, also featured current New Zealand captain Susie Bates.

Both made their Louth debuts in the Lincolnshire County Cricket League Division One match with Haxey.

An eager crowd gathered at London Road after the news of Edwards’ debut spread on social media.

With early overcast conditions, Brindle elected to field after winning the toss and the decision paid off as Stewart West removed Smith with a vicious in-swinging yorker in his first over.

When Keon removed Aaron Moody with a sharp catch to keeper Tye it left Haxey reeling on 8-2.

The Louth standards in the field had risen with the inclusion of the internationals as the home side strangled the scoring rate as Haxey struggled to 61-2 at drinks in the 23rd over.

Shortly after, Tonks tried pushing the scoring on, but drove a straight delivery past bowler Rankin who deflected it onto the stumps, leaving opener Metcalf stranded at the non-striker’s end.

Rankin’s sustained pressure brought two wickets in as may overs, both caught by Tye who had an excellent game, conceding no byes and taking three catches.

White Ferns skipper Bates then took her maiden wicket for Louth to leave Haxey 97-6, and the score had reached 124 when Tonks (60) finally pushed his luck and was caught in the deep off Brindle by a reinvigorated West.

Harkin added a quick 19 before West removed Jack Smith lbw as the Haxey innings closed on a below par 150-8.

The crowd’s anticipation was short-lived as Joe Scott managed to get his first delivery to rise sharply on a length, catching Edwards by surprise and taking the outside edge straight to second slip.

Wright and Bates set out to rebuild the innings and both players rotated the strike well and punished any wayward bowling,

Aaron Moody forced a delivery through Wright’s defences to end his brisk innings of 19 (35-2).

West soon began to play more expansive strokes, and Bates followed suit, but holed out for 25 off Allen’s bowling, miscuing a pull shot (56-3).

Skipper Brindle added stability to the innings, playing in her usual unruffled fashion as a brilliant counterfoil to West.

The pair ran well and punished any width offered by the Haxey attack.

West brought up a well-earned 50 in the 34th over with the win insight, and this was confirmed in the very next over as Louth reached their target, Brindle finishing with a technically astute 41 not out and West a triumphant 51.

* Thanks to matchball sponsors Tetney Golf Club.

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