Cherwell: Thank you so much for letting the Cherwell interview you. Let us start with a little bit about yourself. Helen has mentioned that you’re originally from Canada. How have you enjoyed your transition to the UK?
Anne: It required some adjustment at first but I finally feel as if I’ve settled in here. Given that I’m in my fourth year at Oxford now, I feel as if I’ve learned to wield an umbrella much better now than I did before — and a cricket bat as well, perhaps!
C: What are you currently studying?
A: I’m currently in the third year of a DPhil in Medieval Literature. My area of specialty is Older Scots Literature, so basically that means that I study texts written in Scots (a dialect originally derived from English spoken in the north of England) and covering the late fourteenth century through to the first quarter of the sixteenth.
C: Cricket’s not too common in North America. How are you enjoying it so far? Were the rules easy to pick-up or are there some that you find peculiar?
A: It’s really not very common at all! That being said, there are more teams than one would expect as a result of Canada’s big immigrant population. In fact, my uncle was from Trinidad and bowled in a team which played in downtown Toronto. Although he died of cancer a few years ago, I’m sure he’d be delighted to know that I’ve picked up the sport and that I absolutely love it. I did not find the rules so strange, although the first match I played I dropped my bat after I hit it, forgetting that I needed to run with it. I also had a hard time picking up some of the terms of the sport, describing ‘overs’ as ‘thingies’ — to great hilarity within the team.
C: As someone who has previously played softball, would you say the skills were transferable?
A: Some are and some aren’t. Fielding has been an easy enough transition. There is nothing like bowling at all in softball, so that took some time to learn. Aspects of batting have crossed over whereas others have not. There isn’t really a defensive stroke in softball, so learning not to try and swing at everything has also been a challenge. I always welcome the opportunity for a cross-batted shot, though, since that is much more like what I’m used to.
C: For our readers who aren’t familiar with softball, could you give us a quick “softball in a nutshell”?
A: Softball is like baseball in its resemblance to ’rounders,’ a sport which is not played in North America. There are some big differences between softball and baseball, primarily that the ball is bigger in softball, the diamond is smaller, and the pitcher doesn’t throw overhand but with a windmill motion. One important thing to note: the ball in softball is not soft at all! In fact, it’s just as hard as a cricket ball.
C: The cricket varsity is coming up soon, how’s the team looking? Are you guys ready to shoe some tabs?
A: The team is very strong this year. Although we lost some good players at the end of last season, we’ve also gained some as well. We fully intend to shoe the tabs but we won’t take Cambridge for granted, of course.
C: On the topic of the team, what is the dynamic like?
A: The team dynamic is great. We have a very diverse squad of girls as a result of encouraging anybody who would like to learn the sport to come out to training. This has presented a great opportunity to learn from each other and assist in each other’s development. Although we take the sport very seriously, there is also a lot of joking around, which is really the ideal atmosphere in which to practice and to play.
C: Any advice for anyone that wants to give cricket a shot?
A: You absolutely should! Joining OUWCC has probably been one of the best decisions which I made in my time here at Oxford. It has introduced me to a new sport but, more importantly, to a great group of girls and coaches as well. We would love to have you!
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