Kira Chathli couldn’t have wished for a better comeback a few months ago when she was still nursing a foot injury that kept her out of action for the first half of the season.
Since her return, Chathli has smashed three consecutive half-centuries, averaged 58.50 with the bat, has been slick with the gloves, and – most importantly – stood in for skipper Bryony Smith, who was on England duty, to lead South East Stars into their first Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy final. To say her re-entry to the Stars has been impactful would be an understatement.
The trust of her teammates and coaches, feels Chathli, has allowed her to settle back seamlessly and thrive immediately. “I feel like I couldn’t really ask more… it’s just the environment that Johann [Myburgh] creates, and we’ve created for ourselves,” says the wicket-keeper-bat. “I felt like I was trusted to score the runs and make an impact. It was really helpful.”
Handed the reins of the team after Smith was called up for England’s tour to Ireland, Chathli and her Stars succeeded in each of their three assignments, with the most significant of them being the nail-biting semi-final victory against Southern Vipers – the regional team’s first knockout win at Beckenham in five attempts.
Chathli credits the support she received from the “leadership group” in helping her guide the Stars during the business end of the competition. “It’s been a real privilege to be able to captain the side and win three out of three games,” she shares. “I’ve had a great time and been supported by ADR [Alice Davidson-Richards] and Aylish [Cranstone] as well… We’ve made a sort of like a leadership group and they just made it really easy for me.”
Continuing on “amazing” Davidson-Richards – or ADR as she is known by the team and the fans – who has been instrumental in the run-in to the final, Chathli says: “It’s so comforting when you go out knowing you’ve got a player like her coming in to finish off games. She’s been amazing to have around in this part of the season.”
Stars will be boosted by the return of Smith, Paige Scholfield, and Ryana MacDonald-Gay from England duty for what will not only be the last game in South East Stars’ history but also one of their biggest.
Going into the final against Sunrisers tomorrow in Leicester, the squad is excited for the big game but also relaxed and quietly confident. “I think we’re kind of just excited. It’s our first Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy final,” comments Chathli. “Everyone’s quite relaxed. We are going into the game in a great position, psychologically and physically, and hopefully we’ll come out on top.”
Expanding on how the group is feeling about the end of Stars’ era, a time when everyone involved has worked hard to create a distinct identity and uplifting culture in the camp, Chathli continues: “I think what we’ve managed to create is our own sort of special environment… it is also the end of an era that we’ve created for ourselves.”
