Thank You Skipper
As one Waltzing Matilda wove her magic for Twickenham Women at the weekend (see here for more on that), it turns out our captain of three seasons, Sarai Knight, is dancing her own way Down Under.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Sarai joined Twickenham in 2019 and by the end of the season was appointed captain, such was the impact of both her skills and her calm presence both on and off the pitch.

At the time, as many in the club were aware, the women’s section was faced with a huge rebuilding process after a number of long-standing core players retired or moved away and there was a difficulty in getting new recruits, and that’s even before we talk about the pandemic hitting at the start of 2020.

However, with what became her trademark organisational efficiency and personal touch, Sarai continued to lead from the front, encouraging new players into the side without alienating existing ones and being a star in her own right.

Sarai always, and we really do mean always, stood up when we needed her. Whether it was in committee meetings or with bat and ball, it is fair to say that she never gave anything less than her all, leaving nothing on the field - and given that she was always carrying some sort of injury or another, perhaps a comparison to Ben Stokes might not be wholly inappropriate!

Whether it was stacking it, in a Mark Wood-esque style, after she’d put everything into her bowling, to launching what looked like a sure-fire wicket-taking Yorker over long on for six, or even making weird noises as she attempted a run out (we’re still working on whether it was more like Jar-Jar Binks or a startled kookaburra), it is fair to say that The Skipper was always, always, in the game.

Sarai, thank you, you stood up when the women’s section looked like it was doomed to fold, you’ve provided a sound foundation from which we can build and embodied the spirit of cricket as you did so. We have no doubt you will continue to be a shining light wherever you go and we hope to see you for a schooner in your new home soon.

By Melissa Cole (on behalf of everyone involved with the TCC Women)