This year the Devon Women's Indoor League has been an extremely successful competition. The league had 12 teams enter, six in the Exeter league and six at Plymouth, which included teams from our established hardball teams, as well as teams from Exeter and Plymouth University. It was also great to see the entry of two of the newest teams to enter the Devon Women's League - Exeter CC and Ipplepen CC. In fact Ipplepen entered two teams. 

                                  

                    

One of the striking factors about many of the teams entering was the amount of  teams that were fielding a large number of players of secondary school age. The Exeter team was made up of many of the girls who had played in the Under 13s Lady Taverners club competition last year, which they eventually went on to win. Ipplepen and Bovey also had teams of girls. We also had  Sandford and Hatherleigh who fielded teams that were a mix of half experience and half young players. It certainly puts the future of Women's Cricket on a very strong footing for the future!

The indoor winter league is a chance for teams to dust off their skills and feedback from parents, players and managers around the games as the weeks went on was about how much the teams improved. As one team player said "It has been great to see the girls and the team grow in confidence and talk about different strategies of play" 

Despite not all games being completed, a decision was made to first look at points and if this could not determine a winner, then runs scored would determine the result. 

In the Exeter League, we have to say congratulations to Exeter CC. Having won all their games they were in a position that they led the table and the teams who had a game in hand could not catch them even if they got full points.   Exeter were well organised and had a very positive approach to batting, taking chances where they could as well as fielding well. This is a great achievement for such a young team and shows that it could be a great first season for them in the hardball league when it gets underway. Tammi Vakusic, team manager says "The girls have thoroughly enjoyed their first taste of indoor cricket. Even though they were a young team, they held their own. The games were fast and furious and you needed lightening reactions...which luckily they have in abundance!" 

In the Plymouth League it was more difficult with the points as the teams were closer, so a decision was made to go on runs scored. With this there was no contest, Plympton had scored the most runs across the teams for games played. In one game, they had won by 124 runs! Looks like they may again be contenders for the Champions! 

Thank you to all the teams that took part in the Indoor League, as well as all those people who organised, umpired and scored - it could not happen without you! The competition was certainly a great success and we look forward to the continued growth of the indoor tournament next winter.