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Sporting Times
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Wednesday March 28 | 2018
Pioneer Davidson-Richards picked for England who were founder sponsors of girls’ cricket at the club. From an original group of 19, there are now close to 100 girls as well as a women’s team. To add to the club’s lustre, Alice’s Tunbridge Wells team mate Izzy Cloke was selected for the England Women’s senior academy last year, and is awaiting her international call-up too. Alice has represented Kent for eight years, winning the County Championship four times. She
By Andy Tong CRICKET: THE first girl to play cricket for Tunbridge Wells, Alice Davidson-Richards, saw all her hard work pay off in style as she was awarded her first England cap. The 23-year-old all-rounder made her international debut for the World Cup winners in the Twenty20 Tri-Series in India, taking on the Australians in an eight-wicket victory in Mumbai on March 23. Two days later she was again on the winning side as England beat the hosts by seven wickets. The series reaches its climax with the final on Saturday (March 31).
‘I definitely thought my time had passed me by. When I finished university it was like, what am I going to do with my life? No idea’
Power A right-handed batsman brought in by national coach Mark Robinson to provide ‘power down the order’, she also bowls right-arm fast-medium. Alice, who grew up near the Nevill ground, was the first female member of Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club, arriving in 2002 at the age of seven. At first she trained and played with the junior boys teams. The club formed a separate girls’ section in 2009 with significant support from the Brew House Hotel – now One Warwick Park –
INDIAN SUMMER: Alice Davidson-Richards (left) is handed her cap by Tammy Beaumont in Mumbai
Angels are brought back down to earth
was appointed vice-captain in 2016, and was handed her England cap by her county captain Tammy Beaumont at the Brabourne Stadium. She has also been playing for the Yorkshire Diamonds in the Kia Super League while studying for her degree in Human Physiology at the University of Leeds – she works as a personal trainer. At the tender age of 15 she helped Kent win the Under-17 County Championship in 2010, making 72 not out and taking two wickets in the final against Sussex. CRUNCH TIME Former Rusthall striker Steve Smith tussles with Yannick Tchoundjin (left), who was later sent off
Wingate & Finchley 2 Tonbridge Angels 1 FOOTBALL: AFTER the fine victory over high-flying Billericay Town two days before it was a weary Angels who travelled to Wingate & Finchley. They came out of the blocks slowly and it took the home side 10 minutes to take the lead. A glorious strike from distance by Reece BecklesRichards gave keeper Jonny Henly no chance. On 22 minutes Tashi-Jay Kwayie was presented with a clear sight of goal following Joe Turner’s low cross but his shot went over the bar. Four minutes later Alex Akrofi also fired over from Turner’s corner, and he also forced a good save from Shane Gore just before half-time.
Patience
Janes double propels Ladies into last four Tonbridge Angels Ladies 3 Oasis Community 0 FOOTBALL: TONBRIDGE ANGELS Ladies will play their first ever cup semi-final at Longmead Stadium after they worked hard to defeat Oasis Community at Tonbridge Farm. The Sheppey-based visitors are second in the Kent Division Two East, a level below the Angels, and their well-marshalled defence restricted Tonbridge’s chances despite a lot of possession. They needed a goal to open up the game and it arrived in style within a minute of the restart. A cross from Kelly Moran caused a moment of hesitation from Oasis sweeper Charley Morrow at the near post and this was enough for striker Becky Janes to pounce, lifting the ball over her shoulder and firing in from the tightest of angles.
By James Rowe
Wingate, who had been denied by Henly three times, took advantage of these misses, adding to their score in the 40th minute through Luke Ifil. A rejuvenated Angels came out for the second half and with Nathan Elder now leading the line they became a threat particularly from set pieces. With Andrew Seesay providing momentum on the left, Akrofi had a header cleared off the line. Fom another corner Sonny Miles scored with a flick header in the 61st minute. But Wingate managed to hold out and leapfrogged Tonbridge into ninth place in the Bostik League Premier. Angels manager Steve McKimm said: “We did start slow and to be honest, with all that’s happened in the past week, I half expected that. “But second half I thought we forced the issue and taking the performances over the last four games I am very proud of this squad.” Angels now host Harlow Town on Good Friday (March 30, kick-off 3pm) before the return match at Billericay on Monday (April 2, kick-off 3pm).
She then made her full Kent debut in a T20 match against Surrey, scoring 29 runs and picking up four wickets. The following season Kent won the Championship and the T20 Cup. Now a regular in the England Academy side, she staked her claim for a senior debut with an unbeaten half-century and a wicket in a friendly against Ireland in April last year. And Alice was named Player of the Match in front of the TV cameras at Headingley last season when she scored 22 not out and took 3 for 20 against arch rivals Lancashire Thunder. But she has had to wait a long time for national recognition, and said: “I definitely thought my time had passed me by. When I finished university it was like, ‘what am I going to do with my life? No idea!’ “I went and played for six months in Australia, enjoyed the game again, which is the important thing for me. And from there it’s somehow got me to here.” During the winter of 2016-17 she played a high standard of cricket at Grade One level in Sydney, representing University Women’s Cricket Club. “It’s a really big step up,” Davidson-Richards admitted after her call-up for the India tour. “I like going back to work on a Monday. It brings me back to the centre.”
Hamici strikes to leave Rusthall in mire Rusthall 0 Glebe 2 By Richard Smith FOOTBALL: RUSTHALL’S winless run in 2018 continued as two second-half goals from striker Laurant Hamici were enough to secure the points for an aggressive Glebe side, But it was a much-improved performance by the Rustics, who saw their in-form striker Steve Smith turning out for the opposition following his recent transfer. The home side played well without creating any clear-cut chances and it was no surprise that the sides went in at the interval with the game still goalless. The visitors took the lead on 56 minutes when they caught Rusthall on the break. Smith
received the ball wide on the right and made good ground before crossing to find Hamici inside the six-yard box, who fired home. Glebe doubled their lead on 73 minutes when Hamici was again on hand to score from close range. Rusthall’s disappointment was compounded on 85 minutes when striker Yannick Tchoundjin was shown a straight red card after clashing with Glebe’s Aaron Frey. The Rustics, in 18th place, now face a crucial home game against bottom-of-the-table Rochester United tonight (Wednesday, kick-off 7.45pm) in their bid to stay out of the relegation zone in their first season in Southern Counties East League Premier Division. Then they will entertain Lordswood on Saturday (March 31, kick-off 3pm)
Patience Tonbridge’s forwards were kept at bay by the impressive visiting keeper Gemma Norton. But the lead was eventually doubled in the 77th minute when Nancy Syrett’s ball into the left channel released Janes, who lobbed Norton. A place in the Kent Divisional Cup semi-final was confirmed when Sharon Lyons’ free-kick was converted by Lauryn Underhill in the final minute. Manager Dan Couldridge said: “It was a fantastic all-round performance, Oasis were well-organised defensively, which required plenty of patience and belief that we would eventually break the deadlock. “With goalkeeper Sam Wright unavailable with a shoulder injury, we were grateful to Tracy Edwards who stepped in at the 11th hour and produced a solid performance to earn her second consecutive clean sheet.” Diamond United, who are top of Oasis’s division, will be the visitors to Longmead Stadium for the semi-final on Sunday, April 8.