In a truly groundbreaking weekend, Hungarian women's cricket announced itself to the rest of Europe with the Anita-Hungaria Women's Cricket Festival. Featuring two matches against the Thoiry Falcons from Paris, the Festival marked the start of what is hoped to be a long future of women's cricket in Hungary.
Saturday's match will go down in history as the first-ever all-women cricket match in Hungary. The Hungary girls team has been competing abroad since February 2008, but this was the first match in which the Hungary team was comprised of only officially eligible women players (born in 1992 or before). The 22 players taking part in the match on the specially prepared football pitch of Szent Istvan University in Gödöllo were aged from 16 to 53. The Hungary team was younger on average than the visitors, but most of the players were relatively new to the game and have only been playing for a matter of weeks or months.
Hungary won both matches over the weekend, but had to work hard for the victories. Some nice bowling was on display from both sides (Brigi Hotea and Mirtyll Hagymasi were the stars for Hungary, although the Thoiry captain was the most successful). All of the batswomen found it hard to score runs (points), with Fanni Cziraky of Hungary getting the top score of the weekend with 16.
After a prolonged training and tactics session for both teams, play finally got underway on Saturday at 3.50pm. Hungary won the toss and elected to field, trusting their young but experienced strike bowlers to do their business. Wickets fell with alarming regularity, including four for Mirtyll Hagymasi, to leave the Falcons lurching at 26-8. However, the bowling duties then had to be shared by the new bowlers and they proceeded to donate points in the form of wides - 9 in one over alone. Isabelle and Krissie shared a partnership of 38 to steer Thoiry to a respectable score, but Fanni Cziraky snapped up both of their wickets to end their resistance.
Confidence was high for a quick victory, but the first ball of the Hungary innings saw Fatime Juhasz (batting with a runner due to a knee injury) bowled by Thoiry captain Sharon and further wickets fell to leave the hosts at 24-6 and staring defeat in the face. Enter the weaker bowlers on the French team and again the wides began to flow. School PE teacher Vanda Szabo and beginner Katinka Andrassy (who had only started playing five days before the match) stayed at the crease and the target gradually got closer and closer (thanks in large part to Katinka's two boundaries) until it arrived and the Hungary women ran on to the pitch to celebrate a historic victory.
Sunday's match was almost a carbon copy of Saturday's, but this time the Hungary bowlers controlled their deliveries better and held their nerve to secure an 11-run victory. Fifteen-year-old Adrienn Zics replaced Fatime in the team (meaning the match cannot be classified as an official women's match) and she batted and bowled well, alongside her older sister Nora. Fanni was the only batsman to outscore the sisters. For the French, guest German player Stephanie Frohnmayer was allowed to bowl and bat earlier than on Saturday, but she was unable to help Thoiry reach the required 97 to win.
At the award ceremony, medals were handed out to all the players, coaches and organisers by Andy Grieve (women's officer for the Hungarian Cricket Association) and Judit Kovács, representing Anita-Hungaria.
Hungary captain Balogh Claudia received a special prize for her leadership and enthusiasm in encouraging the new players.
More important than the results and the medals, however, were the chance for all the players to play competitive cricket and to make new cricket friends. Plans are already being made for the Hungary team to travel to Paris in September.
The Thoiry group went sightseeing on Saturday morning in Budapest and some of the touring party couldn't resist experiencing Budapest's nightlife, even though they had important matches to play. The sun shone throughout the weekend and the players enjoyed training before each match. Dinner at Babat Valley (a hunting lodge just outside the town) on Saturday night for all the players and coaches saw some lively discussion of the day's play and some efforts to learn Hungarian to great amusement.
The weekend enjoyed publicity on TV, thanks to the Eurosport2 commentators during the ICC World Twenty20 tournament - the first time cricket has ever been shown live on TV in Hungary. A film was made of the matches and that will shortly be edited and shown on cricket websites throughout Europe.
Thanks to new sponsors Anita Hungaria (distributors of sports, pregnancy and care lingerie and swimwear), the teams enjoyed the facilities of Szent Istvan University in Gödöllő and of Babat Valley. With the continued support of its sponsors, the HCA is determined to get more Hungarians learning, playing and enjoying cricket. Men, women, boys and girls are all being targeted to increase the numbers, and the Anita Hungaria Women's Cricket Festival is an important step in the right direction.
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