Durham Women will play Oxfordshire on Monday, 27 August in the ECB Women’s County Championship Division 3 playoff for the chance to earn promotion to Division 2.
Durham qualified for the playoff after topping their group in Division 3 with five wins and a single loss earlier this season.
Set to face Oxfordshire, winners of group C, Durham are expected to enter a close clash, with Oxford sharing the same league record as Durham with just one defeat.
Durham wicketkeeper and opening batter Laura Hockaday said: “I think everything is coming together. People playing week in and week out will have a massive impact on the game and everyone’s been working really hard on individual skills.
“There’s a really good atmosphere within the group and I just think if we take that into the game on Monday and everything we’ve worked hand on in training, we should do really well and win.”
The playoff is taking place away at Bicester and North Oxford Cricket Club (11.00am start on Monday, 27 August) and despite the home advantage to Oxford, Durham do not see it as a potential setback.
Hayley Falla said: “We’ve always travelled well as a team and because the team spirit is so good, being able to travel and stay together actually probably brings us closer and gives us the advantage.”
Durham dropped from Division 2 in 2015 and have since had two close chances to get back up. In 2016, they finished second, missing out on promotion by three points and in 2017 they again managed to get to the playoffs but lost to Northamptonshire.
Comparing last season to this year, Laura Ellison said: “Last year we had a big gap in the ages of players in the team but this year I think we have the right balance between young and experienced players so I think that’s definitely going to help.”
Hockaday added: “I think we have quite a young and enthusiastic side this year and that’s showing through. We’re looking really strong – all the kids have been performing in their age groups and the seniors have been performing in their club cricket and I think that will show on Monday.”
Hockaday, who played in the Division 3 playoff last season, reflected on what it means for the team to have made it to the promotion battle a second time in a row. She said: “The feeling after we lost that playoff last year was just horrendous. It’s like you’ve played the whole season and to lose in the playoff game, was disappointing. Half the girls played last season and taking that into Monday, it just makes you want the win that little bit more.”
Commenting on the team’s journey across divisions, Falla said: “We’ve taken a couple of seasons out of that league (Division 2) and we’re probably more prepared now to go back and compete with the stronger teams.”
Durham Women will face Oxfordshire on Monday, 27 August at 11.00am at Bicester & North Oxford Cricket Club.