So the international season has come to an end for England with a 3-0 defeat of South Africa in the T20I series, following the Test defeat to India and the 2-0 ICC Women's ODI Championship victory over the same opposition. Sarah Taylor, Charlotte Edwards and Heather Knight are now heading off to Australia to play for three separate state teams until Christmas. For the rest of the squad it is winter training before the tour to New Zealand in February for three more ICC WC ODIs, three T20Is, and then another two ODIs to finish off the tour.
Next summer is an Ashes Series Summer, so the New Zealand tour is a going to be key preparation for the biggest test England will face before the T20 World Cup in India in 2016, which they have to be looking to win. New Zealand themselves are currently in the West Indies about to start their ICC WC campaign (starts Friday). It will be interesting to see the England Winter Training squad. Will there be any new faces added to the 18 contracted players? Their current contracts take them through to October 2016. It will also be interesting to see the squad (or squads) ultimately selected to tour New Zealand.
On the domestic front the County Championship season will also conclude this weekend with the final play-off matches. These are:-
Div 1/Div 2 Play-Off
Warwickshire v Somerset at Moseley CC - Sunday 14th September (NB this game is now at Moseley CC)
Div 2/Div 3 Play-Off
Worcestershire v Netherlands at Birlingham CC - Saturday 13th September
Div 4 Promotion Play-Off
Suffolk v Cornwall - Sunday 14th September
MD
09/IX/14
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POSITIVES
ReplyDeleteWe won the series 3-0
Edwards – great series (with the one caveat – see below)
Winfield delivered. I’m not alone in having suggested that Winfield should open in T20 and its great that she’s proved she has that capability.
England’s fielding was generally good or brilliant. Taylor’s keeping was exceptional – so far ahead of any other keeper.
Knight bowled surprisingly well given she can’t have been spin bowling for very long (and her run up is a good laugh as well). It would be good news if she became a genuine all-rounder.
South Africa look like they can improve from being contracted. They need to sort out how to keep the powerplay momentum going when the spinners are on but their semi final place in the WC was no fluke and they will go from strength to strength.
Seeing a leg spinner (Van Niekerk)
NEGATIVES
Taylor and Greenway’s form with the bat. Yes Greenway scored 18 off 19 in the 3rd T20 but she contributed to only doubling the score in the last 10 overs – 18 from 19 in that situation wasn’t good enough. No reason to drop them but still a negative.
Brunt and Shrubsole seemed a bit off colour - they’ll be back to their best I’m sure.
England STILL haven’t mastered how to bat the last 10 overs. Either the current batsmen (or any from the Academy) have to realise that less than run-a-ball scoring in these overs is not going to win a World Cup. We need No3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 to be capable of scoring 20 from 15 balls if the situation requires it. Even Edwards was not capable of scoring faster in the 2nd half of her carry-yer-bat innings than the 1st half.
One England six all summer (thanks to Moose for hitting the one). If we are going to promote women’s T20 then nudge-and-nurdle won’t do it. T20 is about one thing and one thing only (like it or not) and that is ‘bishbashbosh’ and ‘blast’. Spectators do not want to watch 20 over ODIs pretending to be T20s. England women’s rugby team are able to provide a very attractive (ball in hand) alternative to the men’s power/kick orientated game and some would say its actually a better spectacle than the men’s game. T20 doesn’t have a similar alternative – its bash or bust, its Dottin not dabbers, its brutal not subtle. It’s not to everyone’s liking but it’s not going away and we got to make women’s T20 look like T20. It can be made into a very marketable product.
QUESTIONS
Why play T20s before a men’s T20 to an empty stadium ? Follow England Rugby and play AFTER the men’s match. This is likely to attract a bigger crowd for whole match and it allows those who only want to see the women’s match to truck up after the men’s. If we have to have double headers then lets have them the correct way around. It’s a shame India could not have stayed on because same country opposition is likely to attract more spectators whether played before or after.
An opportunity missed ? Wyatt given no (real) chance to carry her superb form into these matches. Jones sitting on her bum all summer. Farrant unused. If this type of series (first after the T20 World Cup) isn’t a chance to really rotate the squad and give the whole squad some time in the middle then when will we give these player some experience.
Are we playing enough T20s ? Maybe money comes into this but 3 T20s over the period of time SA were here seems a bit light (yes they did played the Academy twice as well). Exposing players to the real deal – the heat of an full blown international – is the best way to advance their games and hopefully provide the best T20 standard.
Wyatt’s original omission ? Wyatt’s omission from all the original England summer squads must rank as the most bizarre selectorial decision in the 10 years I’ve followed women’s cricket. Perhaps one of the selectors will round off the summer and do us the honour of placing a comment on this site explaining the logic of her omission.
PLAY OFFS
Thanks for the details.
Play Cricket is still showing Wellsbourne as the venue for Warks/Somerset. Somerset trucking up to Wellesbourne might be Warks best chance of survival !!
Double headers need to end. the way to go for women's T20 is weekday evenings on county grounds. Aside from the exhorbitant men's ticket prices, one of the problems with a double header is the length of time between the two matches (1h 40 on Sunday, so lost of hanging round with nothing to do). If the women's match came second we'd still have the same issue of having to wait 1.5 hours for changing, warm ups etc, and spectators drifting away when they get bored.
ReplyDeleteOn the playing side, still not convinced by England. Still replying on too few batters, will Brunt ever be the same again, and 140 v S Africa is probably no better a performance than 100 v Aus
I think this was a missed opportunity for trying new budding academy players like Page or Armitage or Henessey. England need to think beyond its coterie of players while playing weaker teams. Perhaps the ICC championship point method is putting off the management to take the risk. We want to see Dottin pf England in next two years before world cup licks in.
ReplyDeleteNeither Paige Scholfield nor Hollie Armitage are even in the Academy at this time. Far too early to blood them in international games. Both are also currently injured.
DeleteWhat about Henessey or Brown. I was just checking their records and both these players are consistent six hitters..a prerequisite for T20. David Warner was a club player before he was picked to play at international level. My point is unless such players are given mandate to go and deliver against weaker teams like SA, we will never find our Dottin.Academy or any such levels should be altered to catch such players. We can't loose another cup to Aussies in 2016. ECB should try every trick of this trade to find couple of explosive batters who could just turn the match on its head and crowd could just turn up to see them play. India is cricket crazy and rest assured you will always find 5000 people watching women game. They need to be entertained.
ReplyDeleteI suggested this point of view to MCC girls when we had game against them this summer. And both the batters obliged the crowd by playing some entertaining cricket. I think it is possible to make women's game as interesting and pleasing for the spectators if the top management decides so. But do ECB has courage to take risks? Or they still want to play safe and hope 'things would happen '?
ReplyDelete