Nicole Bolton has described how she can’t remember her match-winning heroics in her final game for the Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash League game last summer before she took a break from the game.
Speaking to the West Australian newspaper, Bolton explained how she could be at the top of her game, while struggling with a mental toll behind the scenes.
“A lot of people ask me about it and we’ve heard Will Pucovski who went out and made 243 at the WACA, he talks about how he can’t really remember what happened,” Bolton said.
“I had a similar experience where I just really can’t remember that batting innings, I can’t remember the game. All I can remember is the emotional discomfort I was in.”
Bolton revealed how she was crying and couldn’t complete the warm before producing a match-winning half-century and taking 2-26 against the Sydney Thunder.
“We went out to bat, I came in at number five and I just remember the context of the game, we were sort of a little bit in the shit I guess and I just knuckled down,” Bolton said.
“It was the first time I sort of felt at ease which seems really bizarre because everything outside of it was just unbelievable scenes.
“I was able to go on and get our team to a decent total and I came off after that batting innings so overwhelmed that again I found myself in the changerooms with (doctor) Tom (Hill) and (coach) Lisa (Keightley) in tears but I had to collect myself to go open the bowling.
“To be able to pull off a couple of wickets and play a role with the ball was really awesome but after the game they came over to tell me I’d won player of the match and I just said ‘I can’t, I can’t speak to anyone’,
“Lisa and Tom took me off to the changerooms and again I broke down. It was almost a stage where I knew it was sort of the end, I was obviously happy I was able to perform but I was also really sad it got to a point where I couldn’t do my job anymore.”
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