Ye match ek aisa nazaara tha jahan ek taraf Villiers ka damdaar pradarshan tha, toh doosri taraf Nat Wraith ki teekhi half-century ne Warwickshire ko jeet dilayi. Lekin Durham ke liye ye ek aur mauka tha jo haathon se nikal gaya, aur unki team ke chhote-chhote mistakes unhe bhaari pade.
Mady Villiers ne Durham ke batting line-up ko apni shandaar innings se sambhala. Unki 85 runs, jo unhone 56 balls mein banaye, mein ek chhakka bhi shamil tha jab unhone Arlott ki ball ko ground ke neeche maara. Unki is innings mein Bess Heath ka bhi saath mila, jinhone Durham ke score ko 20 overs mein 162/5 tak pahunchaya. Ye score competitive tha, lekin shayad utna bhi nahi ki Warwickshire jaise mazboot team ke aage tik sake. Durham ke liye ek ummeed ki kiran thi Villiers ki ye innings, jo unhone tab banayi jab team ka shuruaati daur kharab raha. Issy Wong ne pehli hi over mein Suzie Bates ko teeno stumps uda kar out kiya aur Leah Dobson bhi jaldi pavillion laut gayi. Aise mein Villiers ne na sirf team ko sambhala, balki ek aisa score khada kiya jo jeet ke liye kaafi lag raha tha. Ye yaad dilata hai 2019 ke Women’s Ashes ka ek match, jahan Amy Jones ne England ke liye ek aisi hi clutch innings kheli thi jab team mushkil mein thi. Villiers ki is performance ne dikha diya ki woh bhi bade mauke par bada khel dikha sakti hain.
Lekin jab Warwickshire ki batting shuru hui, toh unke openers Meg Austin aur Davina Perrin ne Durham ke bowlers ko peeche chhod diya. Dono ne 62 runs ki shandaar opening partnership ki, jisme Perrin ne 49 runs banaye, jo ekdum 2017 ke World Cup semi-final mein Sarah Taylor ke aggressive batting style ki yaad dila raha tha. Katie Levick ne Durham ke liye wapas lautne ki koshish ki, jab unhone Austin (27) aur Perrin ko out kiya, lekin tab tak Warwickshire ka momentum ban chuka tha. Yahan se Nat Wraith ne match ko apne haathon mein liya. Unki 56 runs ki innings, jo 37 balls mein aayi, ne match ka rukh Warwickshire ki taraf mod diya. Wraith ka ek legside boundary aur unka fifty poora karna, ye sab Warwickshire ke liye ek turning point tha. Unki ye innings 2023 ke T20 Blast mein Nat Sciver-Brunt ke ek chase ki yaad dilati hai, jab unhone Mumbai Indians ke liye ek impossible chase ko possible kiya tha. Wraith ke saath Charis Pavely ne bhi chhote lekin ahem contribution diya, aur Warwickshire ne 10 balls bachi hone ke bawajood target haasil kar liya.
Durham ke liye ye match ek aur mauka tha apne aap ko saabit karne ka, lekin unke bowlers mein woh dum nahi dikha jo Villiers ke score ko defend kar sake. Katie Levick ne do wickets liye, lekin unke spells ke bawajood Warwickshire ke batsmen hamesha ek kadam aage rahe. Ye thodi si kami Durham ke recent performances mein bhi dikhti hai, jaise unke Surrey Women ke khilaaf match mein, jahan unki batting line-up 131 runs par hi simat gayi thi. Lekin Villiers ka pradarshan ek chhoti si ummeed jagata hai. Unki consistency, jaise ki Women’s One-Day Cup 2025 mein Warwickshire ke khilaaf 65* aur 2 wickets, dikhati hai ki Durham ke paas ek aisi player hai jo bade teams ke khilaaf bhi lad sakti hai.
Warwickshire ke liye ye jeet unki team ki strength ko dikhati hai. Unke paas depth hai, experience hai, aur players jaise Wraith jo pressure mein bhi apna khel dikha sakte hain. Lekin Durham ke liye, Villiers ke bawajood ye haar ek aur jhatka hai. Unki team mein talent hai, lekin consistency aur chhote moments ko pakadne ki kami unhe bhaari pad rahi hai. Ye match ek yaad dilaata hai ki cricket mein ek player ka shandaar pradarshan bhi kabhi-kabhi kaafi nahi hota, jab team ke baaki hisse saath nahi dete.
