Having won the toss, Harpenden chose to bowl on what turned out to be a very tricky surface. Tring is usually a flat wicket, so it was a surprise when well-bowled deliveries started flying through at waist height and sometimes well above. Emelia's first ball sailed clean over Ellie's head for four. Third ball, same again. Not a normal day's cricket.

Both Emelia and Tamsin adjusted quickly, bowling fuller and straighter. Anything short was a lottery and they knew it. Tring's managers were equally quick to acknowledge the conditions, and both sides just got on with it, which set the tone for a really good-spirited game.

Emelia's second over was a maiden and her third produced the breakthrough, Tring's opener and number three bowled in consecutive balls, narrowly missing a hat-trick. 28 for 2 after five looked a lot better than 24 for 0 had six balls earlier. Holly did what Holly does, consistently tidy line and length, 2 wickets for 9 from three overs. If she keeps growing, we might have our very own Lauren Bell on our hands. Harriet was unlucky, finding the edge three times without reward as the big gaps in the outfield swallowed everything up. Those days happen, bank it and move on. Lily, Hannah and Isla wrapped up the innings and Tring finished on 91 all out from 15.4 overs.

At the break, your correspondent was deep in conversation with Tring's management about their groundsman. Specifically, how poor he is. Importantly, this was their view, I just nodded along enthusiastically. What was being said in the actual team talk? I can only guess it involved something about not giving your wicket away in an eight-a-side format. Whether that was Ant's plan, I couldn't say, though the odds suggest probably not.

Chasing 92, Holly and Harriet opened knowing Tring would come out hard. They did. The first five overs were a tough watch, both girls fending off short, aggressive bowling on a surface you simply couldn't trust. Bravery was the main skill required and both had it in abundance. They dug in, looked after each other and got us through.

Harriet's reward for doing the hard work was to pick out Tring's best fielder at mid-off. Sod's law. But the platform was there. Hannah, up to number three and finally in the right place to do damage, hit two boundaries straight away and never looked back. As the run rate climbed, Tring's energy in the field dropped and by drinks we needed 16 from 10 overs. Start the car!

Ellie came in at the 11th over and her clip off the legs behind square was the shot of the match. Calm, clean and perfectly timed. Harpenden reached the target in the 14th over, Hannah unbeaten on 42, and everyone got off that surface as quickly as possible.

Five wickets sounds comfortable, it wasn't quite. Tring were organised and competitive throughout and the pitch made it hard for everyone. What's really encouraging is that the girls figured it out themselves. Adapted, communicated, got the job done. Unless Ant had delivered a masterplan at half time. But we'll never know.

Big shout out to Maya and Olivia who rotated out and headed to Hitchin with the Women's 2s, Maya smashing 60-odd, Olivia taking wickets and a run out. Add that to the girls turning out for the Women's 1s on The Common on Sunday afternoon and it tells you everything about this squad.

Next up: Broxbourne away on 11th June, happy hunting ground for many of these girls. In the cup, it’s Chenies & Latimer at home around 21st June, already on our radar. Big games coming. This team keeps moving forward.