Match ka mahaul shuru se hi udaas tha – aasmaan mein kaale baadal, aur pitch itni slow ki runs banana ek challenge tha. Durham ne pehle batting ki aur 119 runs ka score khada kiya, jo shayad kaafi nahi lag raha tha. Suzie Bates ne 34 aur Bess Heath ne 29 runs banaye, lekin Hampshire ke bowlers, Freya Davies aur Bex Tyson, ne do-do wickets lekar Durham ko bada score banane se rok diya. Ye wahi pitch thi jahan South Africa aur Zimbabwe ne World Test Championship ke liye practice kiya tha, aur iska slow nature kisi ke liye bhi asaan nahi tha.
Lekin jaise hi Hampshire ne chase shuru kiya, match mein ek nayi energy aa gayi. Maia Bouchier ne shuru mein tezi dikhayi aur Hampshire ko DLS ke hisaab se aage rakha. Paanch overs ke baad, jab match ek legal contest ban gaya, scores DLS ke hisaab se barabar the, thanks to Trudy Johnson ke do dot balls. Yahan se match ka rukh badla. Grace Thompson, ek 17 saal ki young fast bowler, ne chhata over daala aur sirf teen runs diye. Ye over itna shandaar tha ki Hampshire ko jeet ke liye chahiye paanch runs ke bajaye do runs peeche rehna pada jab barish ne match rok diya. Umpires Ant Harris aur Julia Jarvis ke paas koi option nahi tha – match khatam, aur Durham ne ek run se jeet haasil ki. Ye ek aisa moment tha jo cricket fans ko yaad rahega, bilkul usi tarah jaise 1992 World Cup mein South Africa ko barish aur DLS (tab Duckworth-Lewis method) ne semi-final se bahar kiya tha, jab unhe 22 runs ek ball mein chahiye the.
Grace Thompson ka ye performance uski kabiliyat ka saboot tha. Ek teenage bowler, jise Edgbaston ke preview mein “future star” kaha gaya, ne apni height, speed, aur accuracy se sabko impress kiya. Isse pehle bhi, Lauren Bell jaisi England bowlers ne aise hi pressure situations mein apna dum dikhaya hai, aur Grace ka temperament unki tarah hi lagta hai. Suzie Bates, jo ek experienced international player hain, ne bhi match mein apna contribution diya, aur Bess Heath ka chhakka deep midwicket ke upar ek highlight tha. Durham ke liye ye jeet sirf points table ke liye nahi, balki women’s cricket ke liye bhi badi thi. Jaise Edgbaston ke article mein kaha gaya, Durham mein women’s cricket ka future bright hai, aur Grace jaise players iski wajah hain.
Ye jeet Durham ke fans ke liye ek chhota jashn thi, bilkul usi tarah jaise 2019 World Cup final mein England ne New Zealand ko super over mein haraya tha, jab boundary count ne match ka faisla kiya. Lekin is jeet ke bawajood, ek khali sa ehsas bhi hai. Barish ne match ko poora hone nahi diya, aur cricket fans ko ek full chase dekhne ka mauka nahi mila. Hampshire ke liye ye back-to-back haar thi, aur unke fans ke liye ye ek aur mauka tha jab weather ne unka saath nahi diya. Cricket mein barish aur DLS hamesha se ek controversial topic raha hai – yaad hai na 2002 Champions Trophy ka final, jab India aur Sri Lanka ke beech match barish ki wajah se do din tak stretch hua aur dono teams ne trophy share ki? Aise moments mein lagta hai ki cricket ke rules shayad kabhi bhi poori tarah se fair nahi ho sakte.
