Cricket Match

This is a sequel to 'Amy's makes a new Life' and 'After the game,' it doesn't matter if you skipped those, I'll cover what you need to know, but it would be best to check them out first.

This story is mainly about Sarah and what happens to her in the period after her international one-day cricket debut. It is told mainly from her perspective but occasionally, later on, her friend Olivia takes over the narrative.

The story includes sexual activity, but it is secondary to the events, so if that is not what you're after, look elsewhere.

The game of cricket features in this story, but you don't need to know anything about it, except that it's a team game, played with a bat and ball. There are three formats of the game; a 'test match' is played between countries and takes place over five days for men and four days for women, (I have no idea why). It is the purest form of the game. A one-day game takes place, as the name suggests, on one day and lasts for up to 50 overs for each team (that is 300 fair deliveries or balls). A T20 game takes just over three hours, each team receives 20 overs (120 deliveries) and it is fast and furious with games often taking place under floodlights. A new format of cricket, 'The Hundred' is being played in England for the first time in July/August 2021, but it's new and I've chosen to disregard it as we have no idea how it will work out.

I hope that my words will provide you with enough detail to enjoy the story. There are lots of explanations on the internet if you really are serious about understanding the game of cricket - but don't do it! The term 'batsman' refers to the person holding the bat, it is not, at least in my stories, intended to be gender-specific. I use the terms batsman, batswoman and batter interchangeably as I feel most appropriate, if this offends you, oops!

All characters are fictitious and over eighteen when involved in anything sexual and all activity is consensual. The Bandit's cricket team is fictional. The England Cricket team referred to in this story is entirely of my own creation. Any resemblance to real people is accidental.

New Year

There was a sound somewhere in the house that sounded like a fire alarm or a fog horn, it was something strident and very annoying. I sat up only to realise that it was just the alarm on my phone. It also seemed like sitting up wasn't a great idea, because I felt my head spin, so I flopped back onto the pillow. That caused my brain to wobble violently inside my skull. I closed my eyes; it was all my own fault. I should have cancelled my alarm, there was no need to get up at 7 am, as usual, especially not when you've only been in bed for four hours and have had too much to drink, far too much.

Last night I'd been out with some fellow university students, it was fun, so much fun that I forgot, or rather ignored my golden rule. Two drinks are enough, three if I was really determined to party and never more than that. For me, two beers alone are okay, more than two glasses of wine make me start talking, a lot! Some of what I say is funny, but I ramble all sorts of nonsense and my discretion filter goes to bed early leaving me exposed. I play cricket, I keep fit, very fit and I know that alcohol impairs my training regime. But it was New Year's Eve today, last night was an early celebration at a club in the city centre and, given the time of year, a couple of drinks shouldn't hurt. Except that I had about five, two beers, then two glasses of wine and a shot of something that I thought could be used to run my car. I wasn't one of those people who could drink all night, I was a lightweight and now I was paying for it.

It had been a mistake on many fronts. Tonight, I was celebrating with my friends Karen and Olivia and in four days I was flying out to Barbados, to play against the West Indies, on my first overseas tour with the England Women's Cricket team. I'd done a junior tour last year and I'd played my first one day and T20 games in the autumn. I was lucky to be picked for the full tour and this was not a great way to start.

I washed my face and pulled on running gear thinking that exercise was the way to recover. I drank a litre of water before I set off. Normally when I'm at home I have a three-mile loop that I do every day, if I'm feeling good, I add a bit extra. As I set off, I decided that my two-mile route was much a better idea. Then stupidity set in again when I reached the halfway point, I turned left instead of right and that added another two miles to the run. The last half mile, normally where I sprinted a bit harder, almost killed me. I struggled up the three flights of stairs, didn't use the lift and almost had to crawl into the kitchen for coffee.

I put the mug down on my bedside table and fell back onto the bed. I closed my eyes hoping that the Grim Reaper wasn't lurking underneath it waiting for me. I sipped the coffee, groaned again and was asleep seconds later.

*****

Almost five years ago I'd first played cricket at school, discovered that I loved it and had some skill. The coach had identified it and I was good enough to be spotted by scouts. I'd played and trained with the junior England set up and last summer had played for the University and local women's teams including the Bandits who play the shorter forms of the game. That had resulted in me being selected for the One Day International team and I'd made my debut at the ground a quarter of a mile from where I was now lying.

The first time I attended a cricket match was about the same time I started playing and at that same ground. That was where Mum and I met Amy for the first time. Amy was single, having lost her wife a few years earlier. Mum was divorced, Dad had walked out on us when I was only seven. Mum and Amy became friends. Mum had no idea that she was gay before then and the two of them fell in love. We moved in with Amy a year later. They were a good match and loved each other very much. Living with Amy had been wonderful, I loved her as well, in my own way.

When I woke up, I felt a lot better but I didn't smell very fresh, so had a long shower and that was followed by a huge pile of toast and more coffee. When Mum and Amy arrived home, I spent a little while with them before getting dressed, a pair of tailored trousers, a blouse and sweater, with pair of low heels. I packed a holdall with nightclothes and a change of clothes for the next day. I'm tall, 5 feet 10 inches, skinny with long blonde hair and I know that I'm not bad looking.

Mum and Amy had been invited to a party somewhere and I was staying over with Karen and Olivia, but first I had to drop in to see my grandparents. I collected two bottles of bubbly, boxes of chocolates and set off.

Gran and Grandad had been incredibly supportive of Mum and me, they were wonderful people. They approved of Amy and she, in turn, enjoyed being with them. Her parents had died when she was in her early teens and now, she enjoyed having parents again as an adult. I suspect that Grandad liked her all the more because she kept bringing him bottles of whisky, I just brought chocolates. I smiled when I thought about him, he'd had a dream as a young man that maybe his son would one day play football for England, then he'd had two daughters, who he loved to death, so much that his dream didn't matter to him. I remember the pride and pleasure he had when I told him that I'd been picked to play cricket for England, that was when he told me the story of his dream and he'd added, "Football, cricket it doesn't matter, you've made my dream come true." I'd got immense pleasure from seeing him after my debut game and giving him the stump that I'd grabbed as a souvenir and which he kept safely, brandishing it occasionally when he wanted to brag in the pub. I spent two hours with them and promised to keep them up to date with what happened on my tour.

It was almost 9 o'clock when I arrived at Karen and Olivia's home. Well, where they lived, it was Karen's parents' home, but they were working in the middle east and Olivia was living with her. Karen had made a huge bowl of pasta and the three of us tucked in. I ate by far the largest portion and told them about the previous evening and the consequences of alcohol. "The good thing is, I won't be troubling your stock this evening, soda water and lime for me and I brought my own. I also brought a couple of bottles of bubbly for midnight and I may have a single glass."

Olivia smiled at me, "You've never had much tolerance for booze, that's why we like being with you, you're a cheap date." We all laughed.

We chatted for another half hour before the other guests arrived. There were four of my former schoolmates, three girls and a boy, none of whom I'd seen for almost eighteen months. I was a bit surprised to learn that Katrina and Joe were a couple, they'd barely looked at each other in school.

There were another two couples, who Karen and Olivia knew from university and also a cousin of Karen's. We had music playing and sat in small groups chatting. I had to retell the story of my cricket exploits a couple of times and the story of how Olivia and Karen became a couple had most of them sitting with their mouths agape

Just before midnight we cracked open the bubbly and handed around glasses, raising them as the bells rang out, well, as they sounded via the TV. There was a round of hugs and kisses, handshakes and lots of good wishes. There was a bit of dancing and a lot of laughter. I was pleased that I was here amongst friends.

During the evening I'd watched Karen and Olivia closely, not to the exclusion of being a party pooper or some kind of weirdo. These were the two people that I was closest to, apart from Mum and Amy obviously. They knew almost all of my secrets, as I knew theirs, although maybe not as many as I once did. They'd always been close and since they'd told me of their new relationship, I'd been able to see how much they loved each other. That evening, however, I saw something else; they were even more comfortable with each other in company, never far apart, they touched each other a lot and I'd guess that most people wouldn't have noticed unless they were watching, as I'd been. It was almost as if they had moved to a new plane, a new depth of their love. I smiled, I was happy for them, I could have fancied either one of them if only I'd known they were interested in girls. But their relationship made me happy; I wasn't jealous of them, except that they'd found their special person and, although barely twenty, I knew that I wanted to find that same relationship and of that, I was jealous.

*****

It was late when the others left and the three of us were alone. I headed to Karen's room, expecting to sleep there as I'd done so many times, but Olivia took my hand, "Why don't you share with us? Like old times."

"But..." I hesitated, "The two of you, surely you don't want me, like a spare thing?"

Karen heard her, "Don't expect anything except a cuddle, but yeah, come with us." We headed for what had been Karen's parent's room, which they now shared. I got a goodnight kiss, Olivia snuggled up behind me and Karen behind her. I slept well that night, it felt like old times, I felt loved and very happy.

Over toast and coffee late the next morning, actually, it was closer to lunchtime, I asked them about their relationship. It was Karen who answered, "For some reason, I was uneasy about the label, but I knew that I loved her and not how I love you or my folks. When you throw that unease away, the clouds clear and you can be free. I can't imagine not feeling like this about her, I know with a certainty that I want to be able to love her and wake up with her for the rest of my life. I'd like a family with her, to share her sorrows, for her to comfort me when I need it." She looked at Olivia and what I saw there was hard to describe, but it was love, total love.

"I'm jealous, well not of you two, but what you have, I'd like that. I can see how you feel and it makes my heart sing."

Olivia stroked the back of my hand, "One day Sarah, you'll find her. You're gorgeous, fit, clever and a nice person. It'll happen."

The Tour begins

My cricket gear was stowed, including several bats, gloves, hats and pads. Our playing and training kits were being sent separately, but even so; the 'coffin' was full. The 'coffin' used to be a long box that cricketers transported their kit in, so named because it resembled a coffin. Nowadays they were made of ballistic nylon, much lighter and shaped more like huge backpack, but the name had stuck. I laid out the clothes that I wanted to take, shorts, T-shirts, skirts, underwear, shoes and a few dresses for evening wear. A phone, camera, laptop, headphones and chargers were stowed in my shoulder bag, along with a couple of textbooks. I was going to miss a couple of weeks of classes and tutorials at university, but the staff were used to this and had set up things so that I'd be able to catch up when I got back.

Mum gave me a safety lecture; drink, boys and behaving myself. "Boys?" I asked.

"You never know." She replied.

"Mum, I think that I do. I'm not like you used to be, I've never had any doubt about who I prefer. I see how you two are and I doubt if love could ever be any better than what you have. I watched Karen and Olivia the other night, it almost made me cry they're so good together."

"Just be careful." Amy joined us and added her own words of wisdom, oddly very similar to Mum's.

"I've transferred money to your account, for emergencies. Remember what I told you last year, stand your round, don't go short. And one more thing..."

"Stay in touch because you worry about me. I will I promise. Thanks, both of you. I'm excited and terrified at the same time."

"Take your chances when they come your way and learn from this experience." Amy hugged me as she spoke and I'm sure that she was blinking back tears.

"I doubt if I'll get much playing time, I'm the baby of the squad, but I'm still chuffed as hell to have been picked."

"They wouldn't be taking you for fun. Enjoy it."

As Mum left my room, I was sure that she was crying. I'd been certain that she loved me my whole life, despite all of the other issues we'd had and she'd done everything that she could to encourage and nurture me. Amy had joined in that process after they became a couple. I'm not sure I could have asked for any more.

*****

I loaded my cricket gear and suitcase into the van before giving Mum and Amy a hug. "I love you both, take care of each other and I promise I'll be in touch regularly. Love you both." After their words of love and well wishes, they drove off. The other girls on the team were gathered in groups chatting and, even standing alone I could feel the excitement amongst them. One of the support staff checked on me and I joined one of the groups, listening to the chat until I realised that someone was standing close to me and I smiled when I realised that it was Hayley. "Hey, Sarah, nice to see you. Excited?" She asked.

"Excited, nervous, lots of feelings. All old hat to you though?"

"I still feel the excitement at the start of a tour. Fancy sitting with me on the bus and the flight?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Not sure who I'm sharing a room with yet."

"That would be me too. I thought it might help you and, as we're friends anyway, we should get on okay."

Hayley and I trained together regularly and we'd seen each other away from training, but really only for a coffee and not much more. I'd never really thought of her as a friend outside of cricket, just my hero, my role model and she was rather gorgeous. It pleased me and sharing with her rather than someone I hardly knew was good. I smiled at her, "Great, do you snore?"

She burst out laughing, "No idea, but not when I'm awake." That made me laugh and gave me confidence that things would be good.

We chatted with our teammates and the support staff at the airport whilst we waited to board and didn't talk to each other much until we got onto the flight. Then it was nonstop, we discussed our parents, families, university, cricket, music, films, anything and everything until we'd eaten some pretty average airline food. We had a single beer each during the meal, but that was enough and suddenly there was a silence. I asked if she fancied watching a movie so we checked out the various channels and both selected the same film. There was no chat as we watched, but when it was done, we talked about the action, the characters and the plot. Hayley talked about her tactics as a bowler and what she knew of our opponents. The cricket talk was engaging and I'm sure I learned a fair bit, but only time would tell. I settled back into silence with a coffee and reflected, spending the next few weeks with Hayley seemed as if it would be easy and fun. She was a great cricketer and I hoped to be able to rely on her experience.

*****

The hotel was set on a beach to the north of Bridgetown and all of the rooms were on ground level in lovely gardens. The reception area was open to the elements, full of plants and the whole place looked much more luxurious than I'd anticipated. As expected, Hayley and I were sharing a room and it was delightful, two double beds, a large bathroom, TV, sitting area and doors that opened onto a small patio. There was a small pool a few yards away and the beach fifty yards further on. It was dark, so it was hard to see what the beach would look like in the daylight. Hayley threw her bag on the bed nearest the patio doors and said, "This looks lovely and I fancy this bed, any objections?"

I shook my head; I didn't care which bed I used and was overawed by what we had for the next couple of weeks, thinking that this would do nicely.

When I got to bed that night, I was tired but happy. Hayley had been great company and I was pleased to be with someone that I knew. I fell asleep quickly.

*****

We were both awake early and decided to have a quick run along the beach. We went about a mile and turned back. The area was amazing, with a beautiful blue ocean, clean sand and verdant vegetation, by the time we headed for breakfast I felt relaxed and eager to see what was next.

Next was training. We started with a warm-up, then a vigorous workout and even though this was not unusual for me several times a week, it was tough going. After a break, we split into groups for practice; catching, fielding, batting and bowling. The hotel had set up some nets behind the main building and we took full use of them.

We stopped for a light lunch and plenty of rehydration, which we needed, it was hot and we were working hard. By the time we stopped mid-afternoon, sun bathing was the only option as we were all shattered. We ate dinner together as a group, the food was good and there was a terrific atmosphere. I fell into bed that night and slept soundly.

The next few days followed the same routine, one exception being a practice match with a local junior team.

Hayley is gorgeous and very talented, we rubbed along nicely, when not practising we spent our time together, I enjoyed her company and was grateful that she chose to spend so much time with a junior member of the team.

*****

The coaches had organised a nice dinner, some music and asked us to dress up. It was a chance to let our hair down a little, even though it would not be a late night, before the game the next day.

Hayley had a fairly long dress in pale blue with short sleeves and it showed plenty of cleavage. She'd done her make-up and looked stunning. I wore a red halter neck dress that stopped mid-thigh and I stepped into a pair of heels, not something I wore very often, but they did great things for my legs and I knew this outfit suited me. Hayley whistled when she saw me, "You scrub up nicely."