March cricketers reflect on an excellent 2024
It’s been a long season for the March Marvels as they have only just finished their cricket for the year.
Correspondent Stephen Wallis caught up with their inspiring skipper Lois Hopkins in our latest Q and A covering the local club cricket scene.
The March Marvels have had another successful season can you update us on the side’s achievements?
We finished second in the Cambridgeshire T20 Softball League, we won the Cambridgeshire Softball Festival
League and finished 3rd in the Cambridgeshire T20 Hardball League.
What mark would you give the Marvels out of ten for 2024?
I'd give an 8/10. Everyone trains and plays hard but there is always room for improvement.
After a few years of playing softball only, how much is the side now developing playing hardball cricket?
A lot of the Marvels have made the natural progression onto hard-ball cricket. Some are faster than others. Both are great formats of the game.
We played 15 softball games and 10 hardball games, either league or friendlies.
What’s it like to play at The Avenue?
It's amazing to play at home, we love the growing number of spectators we have had supporting us during our matches. We are very lucky with our facilities.
We were lucky to have a new artificial wicket fitted early this season and that has been well used during our training and softball matches.
What are the different skills needed for each format?
Softball is a fantastic foundation to begin your cricket with, you bat as a pair, everyone usually has to bowl so everyone has equal opportunities to give everything a go.
Hardball is the natural progression from softball with the addition of having to wear helmets, pads and gloves so even having to get used to wearing and running in those can take some getting used to.
Both formats are the same as you all play as a team, and we are so lucky to have a fantastic team bond.
The Marvels have now been going for three years what do you think are the reasons why you continue to grow? I see you now offer Mini Marvels.
Yes, the Marvels started on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at a Cricket taster session March Town Cricket Club arranged.
Twenty women turned up for the prosecco and cricket night and the rest is history as they say!
We run a prosecco and cricket taster session at the start of each season now and always recruit new players who become vital players in our squads.
We have around 15 Mini Marvels - U11 and U13s and lots of younger Marvels through our Dynamos programme too.
The Marvels have a great reputation for how welcoming we are to new players and teams.
One of the Marvels has recently been selected for Cambridgeshire. That must be a huge boost to the club’s young players and the March Marvels set-up as a whole?
Yes, we are incredibly proud of Erin Brook and all of her achievements for not just the Marvels but for the club also. She was the 3rd XI player of the year for 2024.
It's been fantastic to see her play through our junior section and join the Marvels.
She is highly respected by everyone in the squad, and everyone wishes they could field, throw, and bowl like her. A great role model for the team and club for our Mini Marvels to aspire to.
Another area where the Marvels are strong is supporting charitable causes. In 2024 the players completed a 17-mile Mind Walk. Why did you choose Mind and what did the challenge involve?
In January this year, we sadly lost our Marvel Janice Fiore, and we wanted to raise money for Mind so our Marvels' vice-captain, Catherine Goakes planned a 17-mile walk from March Town Cricket Club to Skylark Garden Centre and back.
It was a lovely walk despite the rain and Janice was with us every step of the way. We raised an incredible £3,000.
In addition, in May 2023 we completed the Macmillan Cancer Support Norfolk Mighty Coastal Marathon Hike, walking from Cromer to Holkham Hall. We raised an amazing £4,059.
We plan to do a team charity fundraising challenge every year for a worthy cause. It’s great for team building as we all train together, fundraise together, and keep one another going during the challenge.
The Marvels have also just completed a season of indoor cricket. Can you update us on how you have performed along with details of the format?
Yes, we have been playing in the Norfolk Women's Indoor League. We look set to come third in the league which is a great achievement.
The indoor league side was captained by our Marvels' outdoor vice-captain Catherine Goakes, who has done a fantastic job.
We have already been invited to play in the league in 2025.
It’s a six-a-side format, everyone bowls at least an over and bat as a pair for four overs. If a wicket is lost five runs are deducted.
It’s a really fun way to keep your eye in and we have come across some friendly clubs within the league who we are planning on having some friendlies against next season.
As for next season, what plans have you got to make further improvements at the March Marvels?
With the rate at which the Marvels are growing and the quality of cricket being played, it's very exciting.
We have been invited to play in the Iceni Premier League Division One West (Hardball) 2025.
The idea behind it is to bring the strongest women’s teams from across Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cricket East.
We are incredibly proud to be asked to play in this new and exciting league.
With our Mini Marvels performing at every festival and our Marvels softball and hardball team we have an offering for everyone.
The future is very exciting for us as a team and our club. I would also like to thank our Marvel and main club sponsor Ashlie Barnard of Mayflower Financial Planning for all their support during 2024.
