Birmingham Bears Women retain their 2018 Vitality T20 Division Two status
Birmingham Bears Women retained their 2018 Vitality T20 Division One after finishing in fourth with four wins from eight matches.
The Bears ended their campaign with a defeats against third-placed Kent (seven wickets) and league leaders Middlesex Women (22 runs) at a humid Bromley on Sunday.
Opening batsman Ria Fackrel, who top scored with 45 in the second match against Middlesex, acknowledged her team’s efforts were competitive throughout the season.
“In the T20 format we started strong, we lost a bit towards the end but all in all our team performance has been good all round,” sad Fackrell.
Opening partner Gwen Davies added: “I think the fact that we have stayed in the Division One in both the 50 Overs and the T20s is really positive going forward and we can build on that going into the next season.”
Although the team acknowledges their successes and good effort, skipper Rebecca Grundy, looked back at the 2018 season drawing some lessons she believes will be vital in 2019.
She said: “We have changed our team a little bit and we have lost a couple of players without people come in. So, it has been a year to kind of find our feet and we struggled a little bit with the competition being so strong but we have also put in some really good performances. Its just a case of putting everything together and we haven’t quite managed to do throughout the 50 Overs and the T20s.”
Davies who has been crucial in steering the batting attack of the Bears this season will also be reflecting on her game during the break with a plan to come back stronger.
“Personally I think I have taken a lot from the 50 Overs stuff, but I haven’t been successful in the One-day thing,” Davies concluded.
“So, its just going away and trying to implement some of the staff that I worked with in the T20 and putting it into the 50 Overs to be more positive and just go for it and not worry about who is on the other end,” she said.