Work Still to do Despite Comfortable Second Win

Lauren Parfitt once again stood at the heart of Glamorgan’s innings crafting a measured 73 from 93 balls, a second half-century in as many matches. Sara Phillips and Gemma Porter added a record 69-run partnership for the eighth wicket, both scoring personal List A bests in the process.

Parfitt’s was an innings built on control rather than flourish, anchoring the middle overs while others played around her. Tier One loanees Megan Sturge and Bethan Ellis had starts but when wickets fell in clusters, the captain remained, stitching the innings together until a late surge from the youthful pair of Porter and Phillips combined from 194 for 7; Glamorgan were 170 for 4 before Parfitt’s dismissal.

Anna-Mae Shaern continued her strong start from 3 for 38 against Gloucestershire to open with 2 for 24 from eight overs. All Glamorgan bowlers picked up where their predecessor would leave off. Economical spells left the required run rate rising until Ellen Watson and Becky Brooker came together to cause brief panic in Parfitt’s camp.

Some forced run outs and dependable bowling from Porter and Bethan Ellis closed out the game comfortably.

On paper, it was a comfortable victory, but Lauren Parfitt’s post-match reflections revealed, it was something more intriguing. A performance that hinted at a team still warming up, not yet fully unleashed.

“It’s lovely to put the game on the board,” Parfitt began. “I think there’s more to come from us; we’re definitely not at 100%. To be able to win, I suppose, at 70-80% is really nice.

“To get the two from two, in a consistent competition, is good for us, and it sets us up with the platform to go on and push to do what we know we’re capable of,” she added.

One of the key areas of improvement from the previous outing was in the field, something Parfitt was quick to acknowledge while maintaining high expectations.

“Definitely an improvement in the field, we still push ourselves to be the best fielding unit that we can be, and we want to be the best unit in the competition.”

She underlined just how significant those improvements can be: “We value and know how important that is, to save you sometimes 70-80 runs, that can win you a game. Take your catches. There’s still more to come from all the assets of the game, not just the fielding.”

Parfitt also highlighted the contribution of Glamorgan’s loan players, who have integrated quickly into the side. “The loan players have settled in really, really well. They’ve got a great skill set and fit our team.” she said.

Charlotte Lambert, on loan from Surrey, made her debut for Glamorgan against Leicestershire in her first game in the revamped tier system. Bethan Ellis and Sturge are also loanees although the latter will face Glamorgan in the coming days for her parent club, Hampshire.

Despite her own strong start to the season with consecutive half-centuries, Parfitt was keen to keep the emphasis on her role within the team rather than individual responsibility.

“My job as a batsman is to score runs. Do I feel extra responsibility as the captain? No. I’m just a batter. My job is to go out and bat.

“I’m happy to be in good form. Maybe it’s willpower, probably hard work, but I’m happy to score runs. Ultimately, I want that team total to go up, and that’s my overall aim.”

Attention now turns to the shorter format, the T20 County Cup against Tier Three side Devon is next; Parfitt is embracing the change in approach.

“It will be nice to go harder at the ball, score a few more boundaries hopefully,” she said.

“The shorter format is always exciting, and everyone is looking forward to that next week before we come back into the one-day competition.”