England's Irish Problem

England are due in Ireland for a six match series in early September – three T20s and three Women’s Championship ODIs. It should be a series that they, and their supporters, are looking forward to, but instead it is just causing major headaches.

The problem is that England are due to play the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in early October and the prospect of spending a fortnight in Ireland prior to the tournament does not appeal to the England management. It seems therefore that none of the 15 players selected for the T20 World Cup squad will make the trip to Ireland. Instead they are due in Abu Dhabi for a pre-tournament acclimatisation training camp in mid-September. It means that none of them will play a game of T20 cricket after the Hundred Final on 18^th August (I know that is technically not a T20 either), before heading into the T20 World Cup fixtures. England play their first World Cup game, against South Africa, on 3^rd October.

So not ideal scheduling from England’s perspective, but there is the additional headache of just who will represent England in Ireland for that series, and the potential repercussions on the domestic game.

Presumably the England contracted players who are not selected for the T20 World Cup will be on the plane to Belfast – eg Beaumont, Cross, Filer, Lamb, Wong (Farrant & Gaur are injured). If not why are they contracted? But who will make up the bulk of the squad, and will all those invited to join the squad want to play? The problem is that the concluding league stage fixtures of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and the semi-finals themselves, clash with the tour. As a player if you choose to go to Ireland, you will probably miss the last two rounds of the RHF on 4^th and 7^th September and the semi-finals on 14^th September. Whilst an opportunistic England cap for some might be very appealing, loyalty to their regional set-up at the end of a 14 match 50 over season might seem more important.

If England were to select the ten “next best players" in England for the tour, then some of the major contenders for RHF Trophy honours could suffer very badly, whoever those players actually are (feel free to make your own selections and see the impact on the teams). The top four teams in the RHF league standings at the moment, with four rounds of fixtures to go, are Vipers, Diamonds, Stars and Sunrisers, but the other four teams are not out of contention for a semi-final spot, if they can turn their season’s round. Little is likely to change before the Ireland squad is actually selected, with only two more sets of RHF fixtures due to be played in late August/early September. Removing the “top” 30 players (including the England World Cup players) out of a pool of approximately 120 players from the RHF Trophy as it reaches its conclusion seems disingenuous at best.

Ultimately it will be for the non-contracted players invited to join the squad to decide if they want to make the trip. It will be a tough decision, but one which, either way, the ECB and the Regions, and their supporters, will have to respect. Quite what the Irish will make of all this is anybody’s guess?

Martin Davies

20/VI/24

Women's U19 T20 World Cup - Format and Warm Up Games

Welcome to our coverage of the inaugural Women's U19 T20 World Cup. First of all let's have a look at the format of the competition. Initially the sixteen qualifying teams are divided into four groups.

Group A - Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, USA Group B - England, Pakistan, Rwanda, Zimbabwe Group C - Indonesia, Ireland, New Zealand, West Indies Group D - India, Scotland, South Africa, UAE Each team will play two warm-up games (see below). In the Group Stage they will play each team in their group once. The top three teams in each group will then enter the Super 6s Leagues. Super 6 League 1 - A1, A2, A3, D1, D2, D3 Super 6 League 2 - B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3

In the Super 6 Leagues teams will only play two more games (not three). The top two sides from the Super 6s Leagues go on to the semi-finals, and then the winners to the final.

Warm-up games are on Monday and Wednesday this week and the competition proper starts on Saturday 14th January 2023. Here are the warm-up games.

Monday 9th January 2023

Scotland v USA Ireland v Pakistan Indonesia v Zimbabwe India v Australia UAE v Sri Lanka New Zealand v Rwanda West Indies v England South Africa v Bangladesh

Wednesday 11th January 2023

Bangladesh v India England v Indonesia Rwanda v Ireland South Africa v Australia Zimbabwe v West Indies Pakistan v New Zealand Sri Lanka v Scotland

We will try and keep you up-to-date with all the scores, results, performances and standings.

Martin Davies 08/I/23

Cool Irish heads in last ball drama

Despite nursing a slightly fragile head, Isobel Joyce managed to send one final blog from Thailand after Ireland beat Bangladesh for the first time, off the very last ball of the game, to win the final of the WWT20Q. For more details on the dramatic game click here. Ireland's next challenge is the WWT20 in April, where they and Bangladesh join the top eight nations for the World T20 crown. They can't wait...

Winning the final of a world event is a dream come true. Winning is always great but winning the way we did yesterday is a step above, especially after the drama on the last ball.

Izzy Joyce with the WWT20Q trophy

Before any tournament, the captains, coaches and managers of all the teams are gathered together and the various regulations and logistics are gone over. It can get a little tedious going to these meetings as they rarely differ but yesterday afternoon I was extremely glad I had paid attention.

In the meeting, they mentioned mankading (running out a batsman backing up). The bowler cannot have completed their action before taking the bails at the non-strikers end. Lo and behold, the last ball of the game, Salma Khatun decides to mankad Laura Delany - cue wild celebrations from the Bangladeshis. They didn't seem to realise either that we still had another batter to come or that they were yet to bowl the last ball.

As soon as this happened I jumped to my feet, ran to the boundary and told Laura to stay put. Khatun had completed her action before attempting to run Laura out. The umpires conferred and eventually retracted their decision. The stage was set for Lucy O'Reilly to pull the next ball over midwicket for the one run we needed and as soon as she made contact I was sprinting onto the pitch.

I don't think I've ever been as happy to win a match in my life, lifting the trophy was one of the best feelings I've ever had.

Isobel Joyce
06/XII/15

WWT20Q Final - Ireland are here to win

On the eve of the WWT20Q Final against Bangladesh Izzy Joyce confirms that, despite having already qualified for the WWT20, the job is not yet done...

Yesterday was a huge day for both Scotland and us because the winner of the ICC Women's World T20 Qualifier semi-final claimed the coveted last available place in the ICC WWT20 taking place in India in March 2016.

Before the game you set your plans, you do everything you can to prepare, imagine all the permutations and then more often than not, it all goes out the window when it comes down to it. Bowling changes, field placement, you can go over and over it all but you still need the players to do their job on the day, and that's exactly what happened yesterday.

We haven't taken many wickets in the first six overs in any match this tournament, but what we have done is put pressure on and then starved the opposition of runs outside the powerplay. We did that really well against Scotland and the later it got in our fielding innings, the more difficult they found it to up the run rate.

All of the bowlers did their job in the semi-final but two stood out in particular. Lucy O'Reilly who took three wickets and has gone for very few runs in every game, and Ciara Metcalfe who is invaluable as a legspinner by virtue of her consistency.

We didn't manage to bowl Scotland out but we kept them down to 78, and still the nerves weren't all gone. They soon were though, because Shillers and Cecelia blasted us to 20 after just two overs to take the wind out of the Scottish sails.

The Scotland supporters on the sideline were still singing their songs but our two openers didn't let up and piled on the runs in the first six, taking full advantage of the fielding restrictions. Shillers was out with the total in sight, and Kim Garth was happy to finish the job with Cecelia with plenty of time left over.

The celebrations were somewhat subdued because winning the semi-final is not what we came here to do, our aim was always to win the tournament and go into the World Cup as the best team outside the top 8.

The plans are set, we've done all we can to prepare. We've imagined all the permutations, bowling changes and field placements, here's hoping it all goes to plan. 

Isobel Joyce 

04/XII/15

Sticky pitches, slow outfields & high temperatures in Bangkok - Izzy Joyce updates us

On the eve of Ireland's first game in the WWT20Q against the Netherlands tomorrow, Ireland skipper Izzy Joyce sends us her latest update. All the preparations are done. Three games stand between Ireland and a place in the semi-final...

It's been a week since we left an increasingly cold Ireland to travel to what we would regard as a very hot Thailand, though we have been reassured repeatedly that this - mid 30s - is as cold as it gets in Bangkok. Staying in this bustling city to play cricket is as far away from visiting as a backpacker as I could have imagined.

The last time I was here was in 2006. My five friends and I stayed in modest accommodation and regularly ate meals bought from street vendors, a strict no no this time around as avoiding food poisoning is much higher up the list of priorities than saving money is.

The shopping is just as good as I remember it, if a bit more expensive, and the food hasn't disappointed yet. Most important, the grounds we are playing at are pretty good. Yes, the wickets are sluggish and the outfield a little slow with the ball plugging rather than kicking on but there are pros and cons to playing in any country. Ireland hosted the last version of this competition and though the outfields would usually run a bit better and the wickets play a little truer, the rain played a huge role. At least here the weather is not an issue, except the dehydration factor of course.

The day after arriving we had our first training session and every player finished the session relieved that we had a week to acclimatise. Breathing is sometimes difficult and the heat makes maximum effort difficult. It was a wake up call for our less experienced players in particular as they have never had to play in this kind of heat before. Aaron (our coach) put on a reasonably tough fielding and fitness session that day to make sure we were operating at the top of our range and got the plane journey out of our systems early.

The two warm-up games have been crucial to our preparation. We played Scotland first and though we play them pretty much every year it was like playing an entirely new team in these conditions.

Bowlers who usually skid it through moved it off the pitch and spinners got every assistance from a helpful pitch. The combination of a sticky pitch, slow outfield and high temperatures made batting difficult so the game against the Scots was valuable in terms of getting to know the conditions and tweaking game plans.

We had the day off on Wednesday in between our two practice matches and the girls took the chance to pick up some of the widely available fake designer handbags, sunglasses and watches. There's also been a huge upswing in the number of loose, patterned trousers worn around the tournament hotel in the last few days.

The next day it was back to cricket and another warm-up game against the hosts. It was the first time we have ever played Thailand and we kept them down to 72 in their twenty overs. Then our two openers, Shillers and Ceil, got an opportunity to spend some time at the crease, knocking off the runs in just under 13 overs.

None of the warm up games between the various countries were high-scoring affairs with boundaries more difficult to come by than might be expected in a T20 tournament so it feels like the team that bats the best and adapts to the conditions will win this tournament.

Today was all about photos, meetings, sizing up other teams at the opening ceremony and frantically checking and rechecking gear bags to make sure nothing is left behind for the first real game day tomorrow. We face the old enemy, The Netherlands, first up in what could be the most important game of our group so it's game faces on and friendships on pause for the time being. 

Isobel Joyce
27/XI/15

World T20 Qualifier kicks off on Saturday

Saturday sees the start of the Women's World T20 Qualifier (WWT20Q) Event being held this year in Bangkok in Thailand.

Eight teams are looking not only to win the tournament, but for the two teams that make the final on Saturday 5th December there is also a place in the Women's World T20 tournament itself in India in March 2016, where they can test themselves against the eight leading nations in women's international cricket.

The eight teams taking part in the WWT20Q are split into two groups

Group A - Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and Thailand

Group B - China, Ireland, Netherlands, Zimbabwe

The teams in each group play each other once and the winner of Group A takes on the runner-up in Group B in the first semi-final; and the winner of Group B takes on the runner-up in Group A in the second semi-final (played on 3rd December).

On form you would expect Bangladesh to win Group A and Ireland Group B. Both have had far more experience against the top cricket-playing nations, with Ireland recently running T20 World Champions close in three T20 games. Both teams played in the last T20 World Cup, with Bangladesh picking up a win over Sri Lanka in their group game and beating Ireland in the 9th/10th place play-off.

It will be tight to see who those two play in the semi-finals, but it could well be Scotland who take the runners-up spot in Group A and Zimbabwe the same in Group B.

The warm-up games have all been quite low-scoring affairs, so if one batsmen can come to terms with the apparently sticky tracks at the Asian Institute of Technology Ground and the Thailand Cricket Club, where all the games are being played, then they could lead their side to victory. On the bowling front it looks like the spinners will be playing the key role.

WCB will bring you all the scores on twitter (@womenscricblog - click on the link at the top of the right margin to follow us) as they happen, plus scorecards and match reports. If we can find a link to online live play or highlights we will, of course, share that with you too. We also have Ireland skipper, Isobel Joyce, blogging for us from Thailand, so keep an eye out for her blogs over the next week.

MD
26/XI/15

Ireland head for Bangkok and first WWT20Q game

In just seven days Ireland will be playing their first game in the WWT20Q against the Netherlands. Captain Isobel Joyce and her team have completed all their preparations and are bound for Thailand. In her second blog for WCB Izzy confirms Bangkok will be no holiday...

The weeks leading up to the departure date seemed to fly in, but then the last few days have positively dragged. I think that may be because there is so much to get in order before we go. The usual focus has probably been lacking for those of us who work while our minds are otherwise engaged thinking of packing things like suncream and cricket bats. And while we all have a good excuse for our wandering minds many of my friends and co-workers seem to think we are heading off on our holibops as opposed to travelling to Thailand with a job to do.

My sister Cecelia is a solicitor in Arthur Cox, Ireland's biggest law firm, and she keeps on being told to have fun on her holidays! Although she won't be running to court in her suit, she still sees herself as going away to do some very important work - representing the Ireland Women's Cricket team.

We have plenty of students on the team and while some won't be missing much, we will no doubt have a study crew comprising Gaby Lewis, Kim Garth and Laura Delany who all have exams and assignments due dates to look forward to.

I coach hockey along with my teammate Clare Shillington and yesterday when we were saying goodbye to our charges for a couple of weeks, they were refreshingly interested in the sports element and the fact that it would be difficult to play somewhere so hot.

With hurricane Barney and seemingly never-ending rain, we are ready to see some sunshine. Our acclimatisation training since our trip to La Manga a few weeks ago has basically consisted of wearing lots of layers to gym, training, and conditioning sessions. Our wicketkeeper Mary Waldron wanted to wear her helmet to spin class but we agreed that was one step too far.

I'm looking forward to having a week out there to prep before the tournament gets started. It's so important when you're going into a tournament that you understand how the pitches play, the best way to go about fielding on the outfield, how quick that outfield is and plenty more besides.

Personally, I'm looking forward to bowling a lot of overs before the competitive matches begin. Since June, due to injury, the only matches I have played are the three T20s against World Champions Australia so I have bowled a limited number of overs in that time.

When you get a little.... older and add an injury, everything becomes about workload and injury management. So six days devoted to training and acclimatising means that I can put in a good shift and I don't have to worry about being on my feet coaching all day and aggravating my knee from overuse.

I'm also looking forward to experiencing Thailand from a different perspective than I have before. Having visited as a backpacker in 2006, staying in no doubt less salubrious accommodations than the hotel we are staying in this time around, it will be interesting to see how things might differ.

After all of this waiting it's finally time to board the plane; no doubt when we get there we will once again be impatient, this time waiting for the tournament to begin.  

Isobel Joyce
21/XI/15

Ireland ready for World T20 Qualifier

Ireland have been preparing for the WWT20 Qualifier, which starts in Bangkok on 28^th November, with a training camp in La Manga in Spain. Irish captain Isobel Joyce will be blogging for WCB as Ireland attempt to qualify for their second WWT20 tournament. They will need to get to the final of the WWT20 Qualifier tournament to win a place in India next March. We will follow them and the other seven hopefuls throughout the tournament.

Having just returned from La Manga, Isobel Joyce gives us her first inside view, ahead of the announcement of the Irish squad which has just been announced as:-
Isobel Joyce (Captain) (Merrion), Cath Dalton (Middlesex), Laura Delany (Leinster), Kim Garth (Pembroke), Jenny Gray (YMCA), Cecelia Joyce (Merrion), Shauna Kavanagh (Pembroke), Amy Kenealy (Leinster), Gaby Lewis (YMCA), Robyn Lewis (YMCA), Ciara Metcalfe (Pembroke), Lucy O’Reilly (YMCA), Clare Shillington (YMCA), Mary Waldron (Malahide)

The toughest thing about coming home from a training camp like our recent trip to La Manga is going straight back into full-time work, when all you really want to do is keep living like a full-time athlete.

Autumn sun to train in at La Manga

We are less than three weeks out from travelling to Thailand for the Women's World T20 Qualifier, and every session feels like it's making a difference. The training camp came at a perfect time for the squad, a gruelling three days feeling like a holiday in some ways - because we didn't have anything, like work, college or school, to drag our focus away from cricket. And during the next two weeks, nobody will need motivation to get all of the gym, conditioning and training sessions in...okay, we may still need some motivation for those conditioning sessions.

It was also the perfect opportunity for newcomer Cath Dalton to get in amongst the girls and get to know people better. Both of Cath's parents are Irish so she was well up for the non-stop chatter and banter that comes along with any group of Irish people. When she got 'stuck' at a table with all of the oldies at dinner and was able to hold her own, I knew she was a good fit for the team.

The training camp gave the squad more time with our new assistant coach, recently retired international, Alex Cusack. It is easy to see why he was such a mainstay on the Ireland men's team. His straightforward, no-nonsense approach, coupled with his calm demeanor and a vast knowledge of the T20 game means that his input is well taken and very valuable to the team. And even though he is a very laid back Aussie, his years of experience around the likes of Niall O'Brien and Gary Wilson prepared him well for a group of noisy Irish women.

The trip away was a definite positive for our head coach, Aaron Hamilton. The only headache he might have now is from trying to decide on his best team as every player showed their worth in the match scenarios on the last day.

Just 16 days until we travel, sure it will only fly by.

Isobel Joyce
04/XI/15

Isobel Joyce will blog for WCB on Ireland in WWT20 Qualifier

The build-up to the 2016 Women's World T20 Cup in India has already started for the eight teams who are attempting to claim the last two spots in the WT20 competition in India next March.

Bangladesh, who qualified as hosts for the 2013 World T20 Cup, and Ireland, who won their place at the 2013 tournament by finishing third in the qualifying tournament held in Ireland (behind Sri Lanka and Pakistan, who also qualified) are the two favourites to emerge from the eight teams in the 2015 Qualifying Tournament, being played in Thailand at the end of November. Just the two teams that make the final of the Qualifying Tournament will join Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies, when the main tournament kicks off on 11th March 2016.

The format for the Qualifying Tournament is two groups of four playing each other once. The top two from each group then go into the semi-finals and the winners of those games not only qualify for the final, but have a place assured at the main competition.

The groups are:-
Group A - Bangladesh, Thailand, Scotland and Papua New GuineaGroup B - Ireland, Netherlands, China and Zimbabwe.

WCB will be following the whole Qualifying Tournament and we will have our own exclusive insider - captain of Ireland Isobel Joyce. She will be blogging for WCB in both the build-up to the tournament and as the tournament progresses, starting at the end of this month as Ireland head to Spain for a pre-tournament camp. So follow WCB on twitter (@womenscricblog) and here on the Blog for all the news on the ICC Women's World T20 Qualifier.

The 20 games will be played at the Thailand Cricket Ground (TCG) and the Asian Institute of Technology Ground in Bangkok, Thailand. These are the fixtures:-

Sat 28th November 
Thailand v Bangladesh, TCG (1000-1245);
Ireland v Netherlands, AIT (1000-1245);
PNG v Scotland, TCG (1345-1630);
China v Zimbabwe, AIT (1345-1630)

Sun 29th November 
China v Ireland, TCG (1000-1245);
Scotland v Bangladesh, AIT (1000-1245);
Zimbabwe v Netherlands, TCG (1345-1630);
Thailand v PNG, AIT (1345-1630)

Tues 1st December 
Thailand v Scotland, TCG (1000-1245);
Bangladesh v PNG, AIT (1000-1245);
Zimbabwe v Ireland, TCG (1345-1630);
Netherlands, China, AIT (1345-1630)

Thurs 3rd December 
Trophy semi-final 1 (A1 v B2) TCG (1000-1245);
Shield semi-final 1 (A3 v B4), AIT (1000-1245);
Trophy semi-final 2 (B1 v A2), TCG (1345-1630);
Shield semi-final 2 (B3 v A4), AIT (1345-1630)

Sat 5th December
Trophy third/fourth place play-off, TCG (1000-1245);
Shield third/fourth place play-off, AIT (1000-1245);
Trophy final, TCG (1345-1630);
Shield final, AIT (1345-1630)

MD
21/X/15

Could this be a decisive weekend in the Women's County Championship?

After the latest T20 action a few days ago the Women's County Championship returns to prominence this Sunday with a full list of fixtures, despite the fact that 27 England (Ashes duties) and England Academy (warm-up game v Australia) players will not be available for selection for their counties. It means that the counties that have relied on their England contingent will have to dig into their reserves, and there will be opportunities for others to take the limelight, as Lissy MacLeod did for Berkshire on Saturday. She top-scored with 61 and took 4/26, as Berkshire posted 202 and then bowled out Middlesex for 165.

It was Middlesex's second County Championship defeat in a row, with two T20 defeats sandwiched in between. This Sunday they take on Sussex, who will be one of the teams who will suffer the most due to England duties. Middlesex will be hoping to reinvigorate their season and Sussex will be hoping to maintain some sort of title challenge.

So who will be missing England players this Sunday?

Kent (5) - Charlotte Edwards, Lyda Greenway, Laura Marsh, Tammy Beaumont, Tash Farrant
Sussex (4) - Georgia Elwiss, Sarah Taylor, Georgia Adams, Freya Davies
Yorkshire (3) - Katherine Brunt, Lauren Winfield, Dani Hazell
Berkshire (2) - Heather Knight, Carla Rudd
Lancashire (2) - Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone
Notts (2) - Jenny Gunn, Danielle Wyatt
Somerset (2) - Anya Shrubsole, Sophie Luff
Warwickshire (2) - Rebecca Grundy, Amy Jones
Devon - Jodie Dibble
Essex - Beth Langston
Middlesex - Fran Wilson
Staffs - Evelyn Jones
Surrey - Nat Sciver

Div One Games
Lancashire v Berks at Wigan CC
Notts v Yorkshire at Welbeck CC
Surrey v Kent at the Kia Oval
Sussex v Middlesex at the County Ground, Hove

League leaders Kent visit local rivals Surrey at the Kia Oval without five frontline players. Surrey will be missing just Nat Sciver from their ranks. It must flip the odds in favour of Surrey who should have Rachel Candy and Sarah Clarke to lead from the front. Could Surrey inflict the first defeat on Kent this summer?
Yorkshire will be without their captain Lauren Winfield plus Katherine Brunt and Dani Hazell for their trip to Welbeck to take on Notts. Yorkshire had a good win over Middlesex two weeks ago, with their Aussie import Beth Mooney a major contributor with the bat. Notts will be missing Danni Wyatt and Jenny Gunn without whom they may struggle for runs, which should allow Yorkshire to keep the pressure on at the top of the league.
Sussex invite Middlesex down to charming County Ground at Hove and they will have to fill in five gaps left by England duties, plus another as Erin Osborne too is on Ashes' duty, but for the other side. The opportunity will be there for Middlesex, but they are low on confidence and Sussex's young pups have very little to lose. One big performance could win this game for either side.
Winless Lancashire take on a resurgent Berkshire side, who beat Middlesex last Saturday for their second win in four games. Both teams will be missing two English players each, with Berks' skipper Heather Knight perhaps the most influential with both bat and ball. Berks will also be without the services of Alex Blackwell, but they have Corinne Hall to replace her and some experience amongst their ranks and I think they may still have just too much for this Lancs Thunder team.

Div Two Games
Durham v Ireland at Durham City CC
Essex v Worcestershire at Garon Park, Southend
Somerset v Scotland at Brislington CC
Staffs v Devon at Milford Hall CC

Staffs against Devon is the top clash in Div 2, with Staffs attempting to keep their unbeaten record and Devon desperate to keep up a challenge for promotion . They are currently third but have already lost two games. A further defeat would end their chances so they have to go for it against Staffs. Defeat would be a blow but not be a disaster for Staffs. They do still have Somerset (the only other unbeaten side) to play. Hopefully both teams will agree to play that cancelled game at some time before the season ends in September.
Somerset take on Scotland, who will be glad that Anya Shrubsole and Sophie Luff will not be lining up for the west country team. But Somerset are likely to still prove too strong for Scotland, who are yet to get off the mark in this higher division.
Also winless so far are Essex, who entertain Worcestershire, at the generally pretty flat Garon Park. I cannot see it being a run-fest, but Worcestershire might just have the edge with the experienced Kiwi Sian Ruck, opening their bolwing attack. Early wickets from her might just clinch it.
And finally Ireland are at Durham. Both teams are consistently inconsistent so anything could happen. Ireland come off the back off a good win over Devon last time out, and Durham beat Worcestershire in a two run cliffhanger. Ireland will miss the experience of the injured Izzy Joyce, who is likely to miss the rest of the season, and they need at least one of their top order batsmen to stand up and get some runs on the board for the team. It could be another nail-biter?

MD
15/VII/15

Unbeaten Kent, Middx & Sussex clash in Week 2 of County T20 action

This Sunday the women are back in Nat West County T20 action around the country. Here are the details of who is doing what, where and some interesting clashes to look out for. This is the final weekend this season before the England squad will be withdrawn from games to concentrate on the Ashes, so teams should be at their strongest, subject to injuries. First games start at 10.30am.

Division One
At Arundel Castle - Kent, Middlesex and Sussex
At Welbeck CC - Berkshire, Notts and Yorkshire
At Bath CC - Ireland, Somerset and Surrey

Kent, Middlesex and Sussex
It just so happens that the three teams that won both their fixtures on the opening day of the Nat West T20 competition all meet at the picturesque Arundel Castle ground this Sunday. Kent beat Berkshire and Ireland; Middlesex beat Notts and Somerset; and Sussex beat Surrey and Yorkshire. If one team could win both their games this weekend then they would being sitting pretty at the top of the league having played half their games.
Sussex have the most powerful and diverse bowling attack and they will rely on them to keep their opponents' scores in check. They will have their work cut out against Middlesex's opening pair of Sophia Dunkley and Tash Miles, and Kent's experienced top order of Edwards, Beaumont, Greenway and Marsh. Early wickets will be the key for Sussex.
It will be interesting to compare the left-arm spin of Sussex's former England star Holly Colvin and Middlesex's Alex Hartley, who is flirting with selection for the Ashes squad. Both are happy to give the ball some air and entice batsmen into false shots. Both could prove to be very effective again.
Kent have their own young spinner in Megan Belt, plus former Sussex player Laura Marsh, and Charlotte Edwards is once again twirling her arm over for her county.
The standard of cricket is going to be very high and one or two stand-out performances will win the individual games. Too close to call.

Berkshire, Notts and Yorkshire
Each of these teams picked up one win in the first week of the competition. Berkshire beat Ireland by eight wickets; Notts beat Somerset by seven wickets and Yorkshire beat Surrey by 10 wickets.
For Notts Danni Wyatt was in scintillating form with the bat. She scored 102 against Somerset and 89 (54b) in a losing cause against Middlesex. She is obviously a key wicket for Notts' opponents.
As are the Yorkshire opening pair of Lauren Winfield and Aussie Beth Mooney. Both looked in great touch as they clocked up an unbeaten opening partnership of 125 to waltz past Surrey's 122/7. In addition Yorkshire have the free-swinging Katherine Brunt and Alex Macdonald in their middle order. Berkshire have England VC Heather Knight at the top of their order, followed by the hard-hitting Lissy MacLeod. Get past those and you just have Australia's Alex Blackwell to contend with (playing her last game for Berkshire before joining her touring Aussie teammates).
Notts won the trophy last year and they have a good T20 pedigree, so I tip them to beat Berkshire, but I think they may find Yorkshire too strong for them. If Yorkshire can also overcome Berks it could be a good weekend for them.

Ireland, Somerset and Surrey
None of these teams managed a win in the first round of fixtures, so they will all be anxious to get off the mark. Opening bat for Somerset, South African Lizelle Lee, can take the game away from any team if she gets going, and the home team will be hoping she does. Somerset and England opening bowler Anya Shrubsole has also looked good with the bat recently, so she too will be a key player, playing at her home club.
Surrey have had a bit of a torrid time of late, both in the county championship and T20 competition, but they had to manage the first T20 week without leg-spinner Sarah Clarke and Kiwi Rachel Candy was injured in game one. If both are back they could get their T20 campaign back on track.
Ireland struggled to get runs on the board against Kent and Berks in their first round games. Div 1 is a step up for them and Somerset and Surrey will do them no favours this weekend. They need someone in their top five to bat through their innings to set up a decent score. They may struggle.

Division Two 
At Fordhouses CC - Cheshire, Essex and Staffs
At Durham City CC - Durham, Derbyshire and the Netherlands
At Leamington CC - Lancashire, Wales and Warwickshire

Lancashire, Wales and Warwickshire
Lancs and Warwickshire made the perfect start to their T20 campaign with two wins out of two. Lancs overcame Essex (in a 10 over slog) and Derbyshire (with some ease). Warwickshire brushed aside the Netherlands and Staffs, bowling them out for 59 and 64 respectively. Warwickshire are probably the team to beat out of these three and Wales may find it hard to overcome a young and enthusiastic Lancashire team.

Cheshire, Essex and Staffs
Cheshire had a great opening weekend with two wins over Durham (4 runs) and Wales (48 runs). Essex and Staffs may be tougher this week. Essex beat Derbyshire to clock up their first win in any competition this season, but Staffs drew a blank with clattering defeats to both Warwickshire and the Netherlands. They will hope to bounce back this weekend and record their first T20 points of the season.

Durham, Derbyshire and the Netherlands
Promoted Derbyshire struggled in their first games in Div 2 four weeks ago and they may do so again this weekend. Durham beat Wales by four runs, but then lost by the same margin to Cheshire. They should be too strong for both Derbyshire and the Netherlands, who have one win under their belt over Staffs.

MD
3/VII/15

Staffs & Somerset in Div 2 driving seat

Staffordshire and Somerset remain unbeaten in Division Two of the Women's County Championship after both secured relatively comfortable victories over Essex and Wales respectively. Both are pulling away from their chasers as third-placed Devon slipped to their second defeat of their 2015 campaign at the hands of Ireland, by just seven runs. Worcestershire also lost their second game of the season, by the even narrower margin of two runs, to Durham. At the bottom of the league Scotland (who did not play this weekend) and Essex are both still winless.

Staffs and Somerset still have each other to play, of course (after being rained off at the beginning of the season). Staffs also have Devon, Essex and Worcestershire. Somerset have Scotland, Durham, Worcestershire and Wales still left to play.

Game 17 - Devon v Ireland
Ireland 165 all out (Kim Garth 54)
Devon 158 all out (Amara Carr 33)
Ireland won by 7 runs
Devon will be kicking themselves as this was a must-win game for them if they were going to keep up the pressure on the Staffs and Somerset. They had Ireland at 73/7 at one stage but a great rearguard action by Kim Garth who finished on 54 not out, allowed Ireland to get to 165 all out. It was to prove seven runs too many for Devon, who made a great start through Amara Carr (33) and Aylish Cranstone (22) as they added 66 for the first wicket, but from there on Devon lost wickets at regular intervals, with the last four batsmen being run out, with nine unused balls when the final wicket fell.

Game 18 - Durham v Worcestershire
Durham 133 all out (Catherine Chapman 31, Jo Greaves 3/24)
Worcestershire 131 all out (Lauren Rowles 44, Elysa Hubbard 4/20)
Durham won by 2 runs
Having bowled Durham out for just 133 Worcestershire were probably quite confident they could record their third win of the season, but Durham in the shape of Elysa Hubbard (4/20) and Rachel Petherick (3/19) had other ideas. Worcestershire were reduced to 89/8 and the game seemed gone, only for Lauren Rowles (44) to revive the Worcestershire innings. She and number 10 Emma Walters (4*) took Worcestershire tantalizingly to within three runs of victory, before Rowles was caught behind. Still Worcestershire had another wicket in hand, but despite surviving for several balls no more runs could be added before Durham snapped up the final wicket.

Game 19 - Essex v Somerset
Somerset 101 all out (Hannah Jeffery 3/6)
Essex 72 all out (Cordelia Griffith 22, Anya Shrubsole 4/18, Jenny Withers 3/12)
Somerset won by 29 runs
In another low-scoring game Somerset came out on top. They only just scraped past 100 themselves, bu then they bowled out opponents Essex for just 72, with only Cordelia Griffith (22) making double figures. It was Anya Shrubsole (4/18) that blew away the Essex top order, with Jenny Withers claiming the wicket of Griffith and two more, as Essex slipped to their fourth defeat in four games, following relegation from Div 1 last year.

Game 20 - Wales v Staffordshire
Wales 174/8 (Lauren Parfitt 30)
Staffordshire 175/5 (Molly Strano 47*, Evelyn Jones 40)
Staffordshire won by 5 wickets
Staffs maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable victory over Wales. Wales made steady if unspectacular progress throughout their innings with five batsmen getting into double figures, but none going on beyond 30. In reply Evelyn Jones and Charlotte Whyle opened up with a partnership of 70 before Jones was run out. There was a slight middle order wobble but Aussie Molly Strano (47*) continued her fine season holding the Staffs' innings together and getting them over the line with eight balls and five wickets to spare.

MD
22/VI/15

Week 2 - Middlesex and Somerset set the pace in Divs 1 & 2

It was another action-packed weekend of women's cricket in Divisions 1 and 2 of the Women's County Championship, with some great performances and some amazing results.

In Division 1 Surrey and Notts went into the weekend having won two from two, only for both of them to lose both their games this weekend and throw the County Championship wide open again. It was Middlesex that stepped through the wide-open door, with a nail-biting four run win over Surrey and a comfortable eight wicket win over struggling Lancs. They now sit top of the league with those two wins and the Championship seems to be theirs to lose now. True they still have Kent and Sussex to play, but Kent are likely to be without Charlotte Edwards, Lydia Greenway and Laura Marsh, at least, for that encounter at the end of August, and Sussex could well be missing five front-line players when they meet Middlesex in mid-July. The fixtures have fallen beautifully for Middlesex and it is a question of whether they can hold their nerve. Kent remain unbeaten after comfortable wins over Lancs and Notts, but their strength in depth will be tested in their last four fixtures against Warwickshire, Surrey, Middlesex and Berkshire, who will also be missing their England players of course.

In Division 2 Somerset have shown their title credentials after an emphatic 117 run win over fellow-contenders Devon in their only game of the weekend. True Devon's bowling attack was somewhat depleted after injuries the previous day, but South Africa's Lizelle Lee is loving life in Division 2, smashing runs to all parts of the ground for her maiden century for Somerset. It won't be her last this year. Staffs share top-spot after easy wins over Durham and Ireland. They have tougher games to come. It was also a great weekend for Worcestershire who won both their games against Scotland and a cliff-hanger against Wales. They have proved to be the surprise-package of Div 2 this year and they must be looking forward to their next fixture against Durham in four week's time.
(Div 2 matches will be reviewed and uploaded this afternoon)

Div 1 Review

Game 9 - Berks v Notts
Berks - 182/8 (Alex Blackwell 38, Danni Wyatt 2/18)
Notts - 145 all out (47.1 overs) (Jenny Gunn 52*, Fi Morris 3/28)
Berks won by 37 runs
Berkshire were probably disappointed to only post 182, but it proved to be more than enough as Notts crumbled to 145 all out with only Jenny Gunn (52) and Georgie Boyce (35) putting up any real resistance. Notts made a terrible start to their reply losing Richards, Wyatt and Odedra with only five runs on the board. They also lost Wyatt to hospital as she was run out after slipping and dislocating her shoulder. Gunn did her best to keep Notts in the game, but ran out of partners in the 47th over.

Game 10 - Kent v Lancs
Lancs 180/8 (Kate Cross 68, Kara Sutherland 3/17)
Kent 142/2 (33 overs) (Charlotte Edwards 51, Tammy Beaumont 47)
Kent won by 8 wickets on a faster run rate when game ended by rain after 33 oversLancs did well to recover from 76/5 to post a respectable 180/8 thanks to the bat of Kate Cross and some stickability from the lower middle-order. But Charlotte Edwards (51) and Tammy Beaumont (47) broke the back of the run chase with an 84 run opening partnership despite Kate Cross's bowling, and Greenway and Marsh were leading Kent to an easy victory when the rain brought a premature halt.

Game 11 - Surrey v Middx
Middx 170 all out (Tash Miles 50, Rachel Candy 4/21, Sarah Clarke 3/50)
Surrey 166 all out (41.3 overs) (Libby Walters 30, Danni Warren 5/34)
Middlesex won by 4 runs
Beth Morgan's 100th game for Middlesex was an absoulte cracker. Kiwi Rachel Candy continued her good form for Surrey picking up four wickets as Middlesex threw away a good start (they were 104/2 at one stage) set up by Tash Miles (50), Catherine Dalton (39), and Fran Wilson (30) to finish on a below-par 170. Surrey just needed one of the top five to stick around and they would have got home, but they all fell for 30 or less and it was too much for the lower order who subsided to the wily old medium pace of Danni Warren with more than eight overs still left to play and only four runs needed.

Game 12 - Sussex v Warks
Warks 148/9 (Rebecca Grundy 32, Minahil Zahoor 30)
Sussex 149/3 (Sarah Taylor 74)
Sussex won by 7 wickets
A rather disjointed Sussex strolled to victory over a dysfunctional Warwickshire, who having won the toss bravely elected to bat against one of the strongest bowling attacks in the country. Their opening pair of Rebecca Grundy (32) and Minahil Zahoor (40) managed to add 70 for the first wicket, but they took 21 overs to do so. Amy Jones (1) came in at three but when she was nonchalantly caught one-handed over her head by Izi Noakes at mid-off trying to hit Holly Colvin over the top, the writing was on the wall for Warks. Their young batting line-up gradually capitulated with only Georgia Hennessy (27) putting up any great resistance, as Warks were helped to their total by three dropped catches, some shoddy Sussex fielding, plus a rather blinkered attitude to the bowlers used. The wickets were shared around and Aussie import Erin Osborne claimed her first wicket for the county.
In reply Sussex made a swift start as Adams (20) hit three 4s off the second over, but Georgia Elwiss (10) went in the 6th over and Adams was well caught at slip shortly after to leave Sussex on 40/2. But Sarah Taylor (74) and Izzy Collis (32*) dispatched the far too frequent bad balls adding 93 for the third wicket before Taylor lofted a catch to mid-off, but it was too little too late for Warks.

Game 13 - Berks v Yorks
Berks 104 all out (Alex Rogers 24, Dani Hazell 6/28)
Yorks 105/1 (Lauren Winfield 42*, Katherine Brunt 41*)
Yorkshire won by 9 wicketsBerkshire's batting crumbled to dust before the spin bowling of Dani Hazell (6/28) and Katie Levick (2/40) as they stumbled their way to just over 100 runs. It was never going to be enough and Katherine Brunt, batting at three smashed a quickfire 41* to end the game in just the 15th over of the Yorkshire reply.

Game 14 - Kent v Notts
Kent 214/7 (Laura Marsh 58, Lydia Greenway 57, Sonia Odedra 2/33)
Notts 87 all out (26.5 overs) (Zoe Richards 34, Laura Marsh 5/15, Megan Belt 4/34)
Notts started strongly against the current County Champions removing both Tammy Beaumont (14) and Charlotte Edwards (17) to leave Kent on 40/2, but Laura Marsh (58) and Lydia Greenway (57) added 122 for the third wicket to set up a total well beyond the reach of Notts, minus Dani Wyatt due to her injury from the previous day. From 56/1 Notts disintegrated as a procession of batsmen came and went, with the next nine wickets adding only another 31 runs to the total, as off-spinners Laura Marsh (5/15) and Megan Belt (4/34) wrapped up an easy victory for Kent.

Game 15 - Middx v Lancs
Lancs 101 all out (Natalie Brown 28, Izzy Westbury 3/15, Sophia Dunkley 3/28)
Middx 102/2 (Sophia Dunkley 36*)
Middlesex won by 8 wickets
Middlesex kept their 100% record with a convincing win over Lancs who are really struggling to find their feet in Div 1. Invited to bat Lancs could only muster 101 as they were tied in knots by the Middlesex spinners - Westbury, Dunkley and Hartley. Once Middlesex's Dunkley and Tash Miles had added 63 for the first wicket the result was never in doubt. It was only when skipper Titmuss brought Kate Cross on at fourth change that Lancs got a breakthrough as she picked up both openers. But Middx did not panic and they got home in the 28th over.

Game 16 - Surrey v Warks
Warks 176/9 (Georgia Hennessy 66, Sarah Clarke 3/32)
Surrey 171 all out (49.4 overs) (Sarah Clarke 34*, Katie Green 4/24)
Warwickshire won by 5 runs
Warwickshire pulled off a remarkable victory against title-contenders Surrey thanks to a battling 66 off 110 balls by Georgia Hennessy, and the complete failure of Surrey's top order to score any runs. Hennessy entered the fray with Warks in trouble at 16/2 with both opening bats back in the hutch. When she left Warks had taken their score to 132/6. The lower order eked out another useful 44 runs, five of which would ultimately prove to be the difference between the teams. Surrey's top order got bogged down and then got out to Rebecca Grundy after opening bowler Katie Green had taken two wickets in two balls, including Nat Sciver for her second golden duck of the season. For a while it looked as though 7,8 and 9 - Candy (25), Scutt (23) and Clarke (34*) - might pull off the victory for Surrey, but Anisha Patel accounted for Candy and Scutt and then Green returned to finish off what she had started and to finish with the fine figures of 4/24. Surrey ended up just 5 runs short to round off a thoroughly miserable weekend for them.

Div 2 Review

Game 9 - Devon v Wales
Devon 217 all out (Jodie Dibble 118, Claire Thomas 3/37)
Wales 136 all out (32 overs) (Lauren Parfitt 46)
Devon won by 4 runs when Wales set revised target of 140 to win in 32 overs due to rain interruption
Devon had skipper Jodie Dibble's 118 to thank for their par total of 217 all out. Only three other Devon batsmen made double figures and the highest of those was Cait O'Keefe's 24. Wales used eight bowlers as they tried to winkle Dibble out, but she completed her maiden senior century before falling with the score on 195/7. Between innings rain delayed Wales' response and when they came back out they needed to score 140 from 32 overs. Devon made early inroads, but opener Lauren Parfitt (46) kept Wales' hopes alive. Even when she fell with the score on 100 Wales only needed 40 off 8 overs. Gradually the equation reduced to 17 off 5 with three wickets still in hand, then 11 off three and eight off two. Cartwright was the eighth wicket to fall and with five needed off the last over both Scarborough and Parfitt were run out by Rebecca Silk to clinch the win for Devon.

Game 10 - Durham v Staffs
Staffs 244/1 (Evelyn Jones 115*, Molly Strano 80*)
Durham 150/9 (Rebecca Newark 36*, Stephanie Butler 2/16)
Staffs won by 94 runs
Evelyn Jones (115*) batted throughout the entire Staff's innings for her maiden century for Staffs. She was joined in the controlled run-fest by Aussie Molly Strano who hit 80*. Durham were never in the game after they lost early wickets and only reached 150 thanks to the late order efforts of number 8 Rebecca Newark (36*).

Game 11 - Essex v Ireland
Ireland 139 all out (Kim Garth 49*, Hannah Jeffrey 5/19)
Essex 123 all out (47.1 overs) (Cordelia Griffith 31, Amy Kenealy 3/17, Kim Garth 3/20)
Ireland won by 16 runs
The only significant partnership in the Irish innings was the ninth between Kim Garth (49*) and Amy Kennealy (7 off 33 balls). They took the Ireland score from 63/8 to 112/9 before Kenealy succumbed. A last wicket partnership of 27 between Garth and Jennifer Gray took the final Ireland score to 139. It proved to be too much for Essex who are struggling desperately in Div 2 having been relegated from Div 1 last year.Only opener Cordelia Griffith (31) and keeper Emily Smith (23) scored above 11 as Garth and Kenealy took on the role of tormentors with the ball too. Essex eventually ended 16 runs short when they were bowled out for 123.

Game 12 - Worcs v Scotland
Worcs 211/9 (Joanna Cull 49*, Thea Brookes 43, Abbi Aitken 5/34)
Scotland 179/9 (Olivia Rae 36, Kate McGill 32*, Abigail Houghton 3/32)
Worcestershire won by 32 runs
Worcestershire's middle-order batting all contributed with Joanna Cull (49*) and Thea Brookes (43) the pick of the them. Together they got Worcs to the respectable total of 211/9. Regular early wickets in the Scotland reply, including three in a row to Abi Houghton (3/32), put Scotland on the back foot and they never recovered to challenge the Worcs total despite 36 from Olivia Rae and late runs from Katie McGill (32).

Game 13 - Durham v Scotland
Durham 166/7 (Catherine Chapman 39, Becky Glen 37)
Scotland 50 all out (Elizabeth Priddle 32*, Helen Fenby 4/11. Rachael Petherick 3/24)
Durham won by 105 runs
Durham set Scotland 167 to win, based around a decent third wicket stand between Catherine Chapman (39) and Becky Glen (37). It was a target that Scotland probably felt happy chasing, until that is, they went into bat. Elizabeth Priddle (32*) was the only Wildcat to get into double figures as her partners found ways t get out at the other end. Coming in at four she remained unbeaten as Helen Fenby took four wicket in just 28 balls (4/11) to skittle Scotland out for just 50.

Game 14 - Somerset v Devon
Somerset 312/2 (Lizelle Lee 111, Sophie Luff 109*)
Devon 195 all out (50 overs) (Jodie Dibble 54, Cait O'Keefe 48)
Somerset won by 117 runs
South African opener Lizelle Lee (111) and England Academy's Sophie Luff (109*) took full advantage of a depleted Devon bowling attack (due to injury the day before) and the beautiful Taunton wicket to add 153 for the second Somerset wicket. Luff, scoring her maiden senior century, then added another 139 with Anya Shrubsole (63*) as Somerset piled up 312/2. Devon got to 96/1 in reply, but then lost wickets in clusters as the game slipped away from them.

Game 15 - Staffs v Ireland
Ireland 133 all out (Shauna Kavanagh 36, Laura Delany 34)
Staffs 137/4 (Francesca James 52)
Staffs won by 6 wickets
Once again Ireland's batting looked fragile as they struggled to 133 all out in 44.1 overs with all five of the Staff's bowlers used claiming a brace of wickets for not many runs. Only three Irish players made it into double figures with opener Shauna Kavanagh (36) and number 6 Laura Delany (34) the only major contributors. Staffs had little trouble knocking off the runs they needed, with Francesca James, coming in at four, after some rather pedestrian progress, smashing 52 off just 26 balls including five 6s. She left the carnage with just 11 needed to win, which Staffs achieved in the 32nd over.

Game 16 - Worcs v Wales
Worcs 176/8 (Clare Boycott 53, Lauren Rowles 44)
Wales 174 all out (50 overs) (Megan Burton 35)
Worcestershire won by 2 runs
Having used eight bowlers the previous day Wales went one better in this match with only the keeper and one other not getting a bowl. Ffion Wynne came out the top bowler with 2/16. Worcs' middle-order did most of the run-scoring with Clare Boycott (53) and Lauren Rowles (44) chief scorers. After losing the in-form Lauren Parfitt early Wales looked to be in trouble as they tried to chase down 177 to win, but Megan Burton (35) got them to 130/5, before a flurry of wickets left them floundering again on 137/8 with overs running out. Rose Evans (21) added 14 for the ninth wicket with Cartwright before she became Sian Ruck's second victim. Evans and number 11 Marsha Davies then took the game to the last over, but still needed 15 to win. They got 13 but Evans was out off the last ball to give Worcs the win by just 2 runs.


MD
26/V/15

Four unbeaten teams in Div 2 head into Week 2 fixtures - full preview

Devon follow up their two wins from Week One (against Essex and Durham) with a home game against Wales and then a quick trip down the road to Taunton on Monday for the local derby with Somerset. Wales will be no pushover after a successful start to their campaign last week (also at the expense of Essex), but Devon will back themselves to come away with a win. However Monday's game against title-contenders Somerset will be a whole lot tougher. Somerset smashed Ireland in their only game of Week One. With hard-hitting South African opener Lizelle Lee in their midst, Somerset's bating line-up looks strong, and their bowling is not too shabby either as they bowled Ireland out for just 65. Devon need to convert their strength on paper to an overall team performance. This is their chance to prove themselves and if they do so they will be in the box seat for one of the two promotion places. It should be a cracker.

Unbeaten Staffs (they beat Scotland in Week One) are on the road to Durham on Sunday, who struggled for runs against Devon in their opening encounter of the season. Staffs will be looking for maximum points. They return home on Monday to meet Ireland, who had a topsy-turvy weekend in Week One, amassing 315/5 against Worcestershire, before being brought crashing down to earth the next day by Somerset. This is a must-win game for both these teams, who both harbour promotion ambitions. Staffs probably start as favourites to come out on top, but another good game is in prospect.

The day before Ireland will have been down in deepest Essex, where they should come out on top. Relegated Essex are finding life tough in Division 2 and Ireland can add to their woes if they beat them in their only game of the weekend. Essex's batting looks fragile, but then so did Ireland's against Somerset. It may be a case of who can hold their nerve?

Newly promoted Scotland pushed Staffs hard in their only game of Week One and will be looking to chalk up their first win in Div 2 against either Worcestershire or Durham. If they play their cards right they have the potential to win them both. Neither Worcestershire nor Durham have particularly strong bowling attacks and runs on the board against them puts more pressure on their batsmen. It will be tough for them both.

The final game of the weekend is Worcestershire's home game to Wales. This is likely to be a low-scoring affair that could go either way. It is a game that both teams will be targeting for a win. It may well be a question of who can grind out the victory.


Sunday 24th May
Devon v Wales at Sidmouth CC
Durham v Staffs at Durham City CC
Essex v Ireland at Felsted School
Worcs v Scotland at Barnt Green CC

Monday 25th May
Durham v Scotland at Durham City CC
Somerset v Devon at Taunton CC
Staffs v Ireland at Meakins
Worcs v Wales at Kidderminster Victoria CC

MD
18/V/15

Surrey, Notts and Devon make the perfect start

Despite the weather doing all that it could to spoil the first weekend's fixtures, the Royal London Women's County Championship got off to a cracking start, with only three of the sixteen games in Divs 1 and 2 lost to the weather. Thanks to all the groundsmen who did such a great job to get Sunday's games, in particular, played.

Once the dust had settled on Monday evening (and there was quite a bit of dust to settle) it was Surrey, Notts and Devon who made the most of the opening weekend with two wins out of two. Surrey head Div 1 with full points, but Devon are technically fourth in Div 2 as Somerset, Staffs and Wales all won the one game they played with full bonus points.

Here's a review of all the Div 1 and 2 results...
(scorecards should be available here)

Div 1 Review

Game 1 - Middx v Berks - cancelled
Rain had apparently got under the temporary tarpaulin covers which caused the game to be cancelled. You can read more here.

Game 2 - Kent v Yorks
(game reduced to 46 overs per side)
Yorks - 157/9 (Laura Spragg 41*, Charlotte Pape 2/31)
Kent - 158/1 (Charlotte Edwards 88*, Tammy Beaumont 43) in 31.5 overs
Kent won by 9 wickets
An easy victory for Kent against a depleted, but spirited, Yorkshire team missing Brunt, Hazell, Macdonald and Winfield, due to an England spin camp in Sri Lanka. Is Brunty thinking of becoming a spinner now too?

Game 3 - Notts v Warks 
(game reduced to 35 overs per side)
Warks 104 all out (Minahil Zahoor 34, Zoe Richards 3/13, Rebecca Widdowson 3/24)
Notts 105/5 (Jenny Gunn 27)
Notts won by 5 wickets
Invited to bat Warwickshire never looked like posting anything like a competitive score as they lost wickets early and continued to lose them as their innings progressed. Only opener Minahil Zahoor (34) put up any great resistance as Warwickshire crumbled to 104 all out. Notts overcame the required score, but it took them 33 overs and they lost five wickets in the process.

Game 4 - Surrey v Sussex
(game reduced to 31 overs per side)
Sussex - 139/9 (Sarah Taylor 77, Sarah Clarke 3/28)
Surrey - 143/3 (Kirstie White 67*, Nat Sciver 67, Ellen Burt 2/27) in 27.3 overs
Surrey won by 7 wickets
A wet outfield meant a late start and when Surrey won the toss they inserted Sussex on a green and speedy wicket. Only Sarah Taylor ever got to grips with the pace of the ball as she hit a fluent 77 out of the first 112 runs Sussex scored, before she was the fifth wicket to fall. Tormentor-in-chief for Surrey with the ball was leg-spinner Sarah Clarke, who claimed 3/28 from her seven overs including the key wicket of Taylor. Sussex had been heading for over 150 after 22 overs, but could only add 27 in the last 9 overs to fall well below a par score.
In reply Surrey lost Knight early, but Kirstie White and Nat Sciver both scored 67 apiece in a 129 second wicket stand as Sussex bowled without any great control or discipline. Sciver was dropped at slip off Colvin when on 9, with Surrey on 32/1. Had it been held it might have been a different game, but both White (who also took four catches and a stumping behind the stumps) and Sciver punished the far too frequent short balls, as a well-organised Surrey cruised to full points.

Game 5 - Berks v Surrey
Surrey 217/7 (Rachel Candy 81*, Imogen Brown 3/44)
Berks 215 all out (Emily Gerke 57, Corinne Hll 54, Katherine Robson 2/29) in 49.1 overs
Surrey won by 2 runsSurrey recovered from being 94/5 to post a competitive 217/7 in their 50 overs, thanks in the main to a sparkling 81* (71 balls) from Kiwi Rachel Candy. In response Berks lost Alex Rogers and Linsey Smith before reaching double figures, but Heather Knight (65) and Aussie Corinne Hall (54) took Berkshire beyond 100 before they lost their third wicket. Unfortunately Knight, and Carla Rudd fell in quick succession and when Hall was out, it was left to Emily Gerke (57) to try and steer her side to victory. She hit a maiden half-century, but when she was run out Berks ran out of steam, despite only needing 11 off the last four overs with two wickets in hand. They took it to the last over, needing three to win, but Immy Brown was caught in the gully off the first ball of Rachel Candy's over to get Surrey home

Game 6 - Kent v Sussex
Kent 185/7 (Deanna Cooper 82*, Holly Colvin 2/13, Ellen Burt 2/26)
Sussex 185/7 (Izzy Collis 63*, Charlotte Pape 2/32) in 50 overs.
Match tied ***Kent are appealing the result to the ECB***[see ECB statement here]
An extraordinary game of cricket that ended in a tie, when Sussex sneaked a single off the last ball as Kent erroneously believed the ball to be dead as it was in the keeper's gloves, and started to celebrate what they thought was a win.
Sussex will be kicking themselves for not winning this match. They had Kent 56/5 with Tammy Beaumont (0), Lydia Greenway (8) and Charlotte Edwards (27) back in the hutch, before a fine innings of 82 from Deanna Cooper (not selected the previous day and her highest score for Kent by some way) took Kent to a respectable, but gettable, 185/7. Cooper and keeper, Lauren Griffiths (27), salvaged Kent's innings with a stand of 87 for the sixth wicket, as Sussex failed to hammer home their early advantage, based on a good opening spell from Ellen Burt (2/26), and another stunning legside stumping from Sarah Taylor off Georgia Elwiss, to remove Edwards.
Sussex got off to a rollicking start in reply through Georgia Elwiss, before she was brilliantly caught by Beaumont in the gully from a slashing drive off Farrant. Sussex's 50 came up in the 9th over, but when Alexia Walker (18) fell in the 10th over the scoring dried up, as Sussex failed to look for singles to keep the scoreboard ticking over. The next 50 runs took another 16 overs and when Sarah Taylor (26) was out in the 27th over Sussex were 104/3, needing 82 off 23 overs. Holly Colvin departed for 14 in the 38th over by which time Sussex had only moved the score on to 133/4. 53 were still needed off 12 overs. The equation came down to 34 off the last 6 overs before Sussex seemed to realise the urgency of the situation. Singles began to be taken freely, although boundaries remained completely elusive (not one was hit in the last 15 overs). Ultimately Sussex needed five to win off the last over, and then two to win off the last ball, bowled by Kent skipper Edwards. She bowled the ball, it was missed by batsmen Ellen Burt and taken by Griffiths behind the stumps, who then removed a bail in a failed attempted stumping. The Kent team, as one, began to celebrate an unlikely victory, but non-striker Izzy Collis (63*) was already halfway down the track looking for a single. She called her partner through for the bye, as Kent continued to celebrate. Despite Kent's protests the umpires rightly adjudicated that the ball was not dead just because it was in the wicket-keeper's gloves, as Sussex were attempting a run. The run therefore stood and the game was tied.

Game 7 - Notts v Lancs Thunder
Lancs 141 all out (Natalie Brown 26, Jenny Gunn 2/20, Sonia Odedra 2/30)
Notts 142/5 (Jane Smit 31, Nalisha Patel 3/24) in 46.5 overs
Notts won by 5 wickets
New girls Lancs Thunder came unstuck in their first game in the "Big Time" as they were bowled out for 141. Their top order all made starts, but no-one could go on to make a significant score as Notts shared the wickets around. At 73/4 with Gunn and Wyatt out Lancs might have sniffed an unlikely win, but Aussie Zoe Richards came in at 7 and smashed a quick-fire 28 off 16 balls to bring the game to an abrupt ending.

Game 8 - Warks v Yorks 
Yorks 207/9 (Lauren Winfield 64, G Davies 3/28)
Warwks 121/8 (Katie Levick 5/19)Yorks won by 86 runs
Yorkshire bounced back from their defeat to Kent on Sunday with a convincing win over Warwickshire, It helped that they had Brunt, Hazell, Macdonald and Winfield back in the fold, particularly as Winfield top scored with 64. Brunt then took two early wickets, but it was Katie Levick's legspin which put paid to Warwickshire's chances. She took 5/19 which ensured Warwickshire ended well short.

Div 2 Review

Game 1 - Devon v Essex
Essex 98 all out (Karen Baker 21, Cait O'Keefe 2/13, Hazelle Garton 2/17, Jodie Dibble 2/18)
Devon 99/6 (Cait O'Keefe 19, Hannah Courtnell 3/28)
Devon won by 4 wickets
Only Karen Baker (21) and Beth Langston (20) got into double figures for Essex as they struggled to make any headway against the Devon attack. After an opening stand of 34 Devon lost three quick wickets in the 40s, to be 45/4 at one stage, but recovered their composure to defeat an Essex side who look like they may struggle again this season, despite the drop in divisions.

Game 2 - Staffs v Somerset - cancelled due to rain

Game 3 - Wales v Scotland - cancelled due to rain

Game 4 - Worcs v Ireland
Ireland 315/5 (Isobel Joyce 127*, Meg Kendal 56*, Abigail Houghton 3/49)
Worcs 189 all out (Rachel Baldwin 47, Laura Delany 3/27)
Ireland won by 126 runs
Isobel Joyce got her, and Ireland's, season off to a flying start hitting an unbeaten 127 in Ireland's massive total of 315, against the Div 2 underdogs Worcs. She shared an unbroken stand of 150 for the sixth wicket with New Zealand import, Meg Kendal.
In reply Worcs batted well to reach a creditable 189 with decent contributions from the top and middle order, but never looked like troubling Ireland's huge total.

Game 5  - Devon v Durham
Devon 268/4 (Amara Carr 95, Aylish Cranstone 60)
Durham 102 all out (Jodie Dibble 3/19)
Devon won by 166 runs
Openers Amara Carr (95) and Aylish Cranstone (60) put on 144 for the first wicket for Devon, which set the platform for a sizeable total, which Durham never got close to overcoming. They were bowled out in the 42nd over for 102 with Jodie Dibble the chief wicket-taker (3/19).

Game 6 - Somerset v Ireland
Somerset 223/9 (Sophie Luff 65, Gwenan Davies 52, Louise McCarthy 2/35)
Ireland 65 all out (Anya Shrubsole 2/9, Lauren Shrubsole 2/9, Jeny Withers 2/23)
Somerset won by 158 runs
Ireland came crashing back down to earth after their huge win against Worcs on Sunday when they were on the other end of a hiding from title-chasers Somerset. South African Lizelle Lee missed out at the top of the Somerset order, but Welsh import Gwenan Davies (52) and Sophie Luff (65) set up the Somerset innings with a stand of 83. Skipper Anya Shrubsole (37) kept the scoreboard ticking over, but the Somerset innings fell away towards the end to leave them slightly short of where they might have expected to be. But it proved to be plenty as Ireland subsided to 65 all out in less than 25 overs with only Gaby Lewis (28) scoring above 14 and four players picking up ducks, including the previous day's heroine Isobel Joyce.

Game 7 - Staffs v Scotland
Scotland 194 all out (Kirstie Gordon 60*, Kathryn Whyle 3/40)
Staffs 196 for 5 (Evelyn Jones 54) in 43.5 overs
Staffs won by 5 wickets
Having had their game the previous day rained off this was Scotland's debut in Div 2. Promising youngster Kirstie Gordon (60*) top-scored for the Scots with a maiden half-century, but found little support from the Scot's middle and late order batsmen. Staffs made a solid if unspectacular start to their reply through Evelyn Jones (56) and Charlotte Whyle (26). Scotland took the occasional wicket but could never really impose too much pressure on Staffs who knocked off the required runs in the 44th over.

Game 8 - Wales v Essex
Wales 217/6 (Lauren Parfitt 109*)
Essex 133 all out (Beth Langston 65, Claire Thomas 3/22)
Wales consigned Essex to their second defeat of the weekend as opener Lauren Parfitt scored her maiden Wales Senior's century, in her 60th knock for her country. Opening bowler Beth Langston could not break through with the ball for Essex, but she did hold the faltering Essex reply together with 65 off 101 balls. Karen Baker (19) was the only other Essex batsman to make double figures, as Essex stumbled to 133 all out in the 41st over.

MD
5/V/15

Women's County Championship 2015 Div 2 Squads, Preview & Fixtures

The nine teams in Division 2 for 2015 will be - Devon, Durham, Essex, Ireland, Scotland, Somerset, Staffordshire, Wales, Worcestershire. Cheshire were relegated from Division 2 last year and Scotland were promoted to Division 2 after finishing top of Division 3. Worcestershire retained their place in Division 2 after beating the Netherlands in the relegation/promotion play-off last season.

Each team will play each other just once and the teams that finish first and second in Division Two at the end of the season will be promoted to Division 1. The teams that finish eighth and ninth will be automatically relegated to Division 3 for the 2016 season.

Positions in the league will again be decided on the average number of points a team achieves from completed, but not cancelled or abandoned games (which are ignored). Teams are awarded 10 points for a win and 5 points for a tie. No points are awarded for an abandoned game. Up to 4 batting (RR of 4 RPO required) and 4 bowling bonus points (9+ wickets) can be achieved, making a maximum of 18 points per completed game.

Having failed to achieve promotion in 2013, despite winning all their games, Lancashire were red hot favourites to make it into Div 1 in 2014. They achieved their goal winning all but their last game of the season to Staffordshire. Somerset just pipped Ireland to second place in the league, beating them by 10 runs in the last game of the season. It meant they got to play against Div 1's Warwickshire to decide who played in Div 1 next year. Having missed out on promotion last year (due to the weather) they must have been heartbroken when Warwickshire achieved the required 15 runs needed off the last over (from Anya Shrubsole no less) to win by 3 wickets and preserve their place in Div 1. Ireland had a good season finishing with five wins out of eight, as did Devon and Staffs.

The scrap at the top in 2015 should be between these four teams - Somerset, Ireland, Devon and Staffs, with newcomers Scotland the wildcard. They were promoted as champions of Div 3 last year and will be keen to make their mark in this higher league.

Devon (finished 3rd in 2014)
Team Colours : Blue
Overseas Player : Hannah Linton
England Academy Players : Aylish Cranstone, Jodie Dibble

Devon will be looking to make that final step to Division 1 in 2015 with what looks like being a fully fit squad for the first time in recent years. They welcome back top order bat and left arm seam bowler Aylish Cranstone after a year out recovering from shoulder injury. They will be skippered once again by Jodie Dibble and will be hopeful that they can get a full season out of both her and keeper bat Amara Carr. They also welcome back Kiwi Hannah Linton for a second stint and have added the promising young all-rounder from Cornwall, Sophie Mackenzie, to bolster the seam attack and middle order. It is also hoped that former U19 Development player Rebecca Bertrand will make herself available for the 2015 campaign, which should help to cover the loss of last year’s stand out batsman Rosalie Fairbairn, who misses the season as she prepares for the birth of her first child. Perhaps the most interesting additions are the signings of Rebecca Silk and Bryony Butcher, formerly of Sussex and Essex respectively. Both bring Division 1 experience and Silk gives more balance to the spin attack of  left armers Dibble and Garton, with her off breaks. Devon are a youthful looking side that should be looking to make a serious challenge for the top two spots. 

Squad (with numbers) : Jodie Dibble (48) capt, Amara Carr (1), Lydia Harris (2), Rebecca Bertrand (3), Vicky Bowden (5), Hazelle Garton (6), Alli Kelly (8), Lauren Bowden (9), Cait O'Keefe (10), Rebecca Donahue (11), Lydia Clements (15), Bryony Butcher (20), Hannah Linton (23), Phoebe Graham (25), Rebecca Silk (26), Claire Varcoe (28), Sophie MacKenzie (32), Aylish Cranstone (44), Jodie Dibble (48)

Durham (finished 7th in 2014)
Team Colours : Dark Blue with yellow details
Overseas Player : None
England Academy Players : None
Durham only beat the two teams who finished below them in the league last year and struggled against the rest, apart from a tight, low-scoring game with champions Lancashire. Runs were often the issue. Laura Hockaday hit her maiden century for the county against Worcestershire, but could not get past 50 in any other game. Catherine Chapman was the only other batsmen to get beyond 50 during the season. Lynn McDonnell and Rachael Petherick led the bowlers. 2015 could be another tough season.
Squad (with numbers) : Laura Ellison (31) (capt), Hayley Falla (2), Laura Hockday (9), Rachael Petherick (3), Catherine Chapman (5), Danielle Peart (1), Sarah King (14), Elysa Hubbard (8), Rebecca Newark (37) , Laura Jones (4), Phillipa Rawbone (56), Lynn McDonnell (98), Caitlin Byrne (7), Jane Riddell (11), Helen Fenby (6), Courtney Coulson (26), Becky Glen (24), Caroline Jamieson (28), Courtney Rowland (97), Bethany Walker (10), Sophie Jacobson (12), Amy Hearn (16), Vanessa Watson (17), Athena Fernyhough (25)

Essex (relegated from Div 1 in 2014)
Team Colours : Blue
Overseas Player : Emily Smith
England Academy Players : Beth Langston
Essex struggled in Div 1 for the past two seasons and were relegated to Div 2 after finishing bottom last year, with just one win. They struggled to score runs all season except in their win over Berkshire (chasing down 193 to win). Overseas signing Emily Smith will keep wicket, but will not strengthen the batting a great deal. If Beth Langston and Cordelia Griffith can both stay fit and play then Essex will at least have a fighting chance, but they are are more likely to be in the bottom three than the top three.

Squad : Hannah Courtnell (capt), Beth Langston, Cordelia Griffith, Lilly Reynolds, Hannah Jeffery, Kara Toleman, Emily Smith, Mady Villiers, Kelly Castle, Shona Keaney, Jessica Bird, Florence Wilkinson, Millie Oddi, Rebecca Neill, Charlotte Hayman.


Ireland (finished 4th  in 2015)

Team Colours : Green
Overseas Player : None
England Academy Players : None
Ireland had a decent season in 2014 winning five of their eight games and finishing level with Staffs in fourth place in the league and 2015 will be a big season for them. Veteran Clare Shillington topped the batting in 2015, but only she and Cecilia Joyce got past 50. 17 year old leg-spinner Elena Tice was top wicket-taker last year (18 wickets) and she will be a key weapon this year. Ireland will also be hoping that the influential and experienced Isobel Joyce, who missed two months in the middle of the 2014 season, will be fit for all their games this year. With World Cup qualification also looming at the end of the year Ireland will need her. Should be in contention for promotion.
Squad (with shirt numbers): Hannah de Burgh Whyte (32), Laura Delany (14), Emma Flannagan (20), Kim Garth (34), Jennifer Gray (29), Cecilia Joyce (44), Isobel Joyce (33), Shauna Kavanagh (85), Amy Kenealy (18), Louise McCarthy (47), Kate McKenna (46), Lucy O'Reilly (99), Eimar Richardson (8), Rebecca Rolfe ((5), Clare Shillington (11), Elena Tice (48), Mary Waldron (81)

Scotland (promoted from Div 2 in 2014)
Team Colours : Blue with a wee bit of tartan
Overseas Player : None
England Academy Players : None
Scotland arrive in Div 2 as Div 3 champions having lost only one game, to Northants, in their 2014 season opener. They are a young and enthusiastic bunch ably led by veteran Abbi Aitken. Scotland's player/coach and number 3, Kari Anderson (Carswell), was the most consistent with the bat, finishing with a league average of 85 thanks to four not outs in seven innings. She also topped the wicket-takers. Her potential absence on the pitch this year will be a big blow. Scotland too are involved in the World Cup tournament in November, so will be challenging themselves in their first season in Div 2. They may find life quite a bit tougher.
Squad (with shirt numbers): Abbi Aitken (91) capt, Charlotte Bascombe (19), Sarah Bryce (6), Kathryn Bryce (17), Kari Carswell (82), Priyanaz Chatterji (7), Lynne Dickson (13), Annette Drummond (8), Briony Gillin (46), Kirstie Gordon (24), Sam Haggo (42), Lorna Jack (10), Abtaha Maqsood (9), Caitlin Ormiston (33), Liz Priddle (16), Ollie Rae (14), Rachel Scholes (5), Kirsty Strachan (1), Fiona Urquhart (27), Nadia Wheeler (23), Kathryn White (11), Lois Wilkinson (73), Ruth Willis (4)

Somerset (finished 2nd  in 2014)
Team Colours : Maroon
Overseas Player : Lizelle Lee
England Players : Anya Shrubsole
England Academy Players : Sophie Luff
Somerset have missed out on promotion for the last two years and you get the feeling that that boat may have sailed. They are unlikely to see much of Anya Shrubsole, although they didn't see much of her last year (she only bowled 18 overs in county games). They have also lost Fran Wilson to Middlesex. But they have bolstered  their batting line up recruiting Gwenan Davies from Wales and South African international Lizelle Lee, who could have a huge impact. 2014 saw the emergence of young bowlers Lorraine Szczepanski & Cassie Coombes who both made a significant impact and a great deal may rest on their shoulders again this year. Lee could be key to another promotion challenge.

Squad (with shirt numbers): Anya Shrubsole capt (41), Lizelle Lee (67), Beth Howe (3), Cassie Coombes (5), Emma Godman (19), Georgia Adcock (7), Georgia Tulip (13), Gwenan Davies (33), Gwyn West (20), Jackie Hawker (21), Jenny Withers (9), Lauren Shrubsole (16), Lorraine Szczepanski (10), Moira Comfort (1), Sophie Luff (6)

Staffordshire (finished 4th  in 2014)
Team Colours : tba
Overseas Player : Molly Strano
England Academy Players : Steph Butler, Evelyn Jones
Staffs were due to have South African Dane van Niekerk as their overseas player for 2015, but when that fell through they picked up promising young Aussie off-spinner Molly Strano. If she makes the Aussie Ashes touring squad she will not play much of the season, but she and Steph Butler may prove an interesting combination. Much will be expected of opening bat Evelyn Jones after her swift elevation to the England Academy this winter. The left-hander will be looking to make some big runs this season. Staffs are likely to be in the top four again, but there are other teams that again look stronger in this division this year.
Squad : Elsa Evans capt, Francesca James, Molly Strano, Steph Butler, Evelyn Jones, Elysse Lally, Charlotte Whyle, Kathryn Whyle, Amy Carnwell, Lucy Kelsall, Cheryl Allcock, Alex Hale, Charlotte Steele

Wales (finished 6th  in 2014)
Team Colours : tba
Overseas Player : None
England Academy Players : None
Wales struggled for runs against the decent sides last year and with the loan of key bat Gwenan Davies to Somerset they are likely to struggle in 2015. Lauren Parfitt will probably shoulder most of the burden for runs and wickets and she will need some of her young players to help her out, if Wales are not to be fighting relegation come September.
Squad : yet to be announced

Worcestershire (finished 8th in 2014)
Team Colours : tba
Overseas Player : None
England Academy Players : None

Worcestershire struggled in 2014 beating just relegated Cheshire in the regular season, but then survived with a win over Div 3 runners-up Holland in a low-scoring play-off game. Lauren Rowles takes over the captaincy full time this year having performed really well in the role last year having deputised for Thea Brookes towards the end of 2014. Brookes should be available for the whole of the 2015 season and her experience and quality will be invaluable in providing the team with firepower at the top of the order, and quality spin bowling and athleticism in the field. Emily Arlott had a wonderful breakthrough year in 2015. Having been involved in the England Women’s Development Programme over this past winter, it will be interesting to see how she progresses. Charlotte North returns on loan from Yorkshire again for 2015.
Squad : Lauren Rowles capt, Naomi Heyward, Emily Arlott, Rachel Baldwin, Clare Boycott, Thea Brookes, Jo Cull, Vicky Evans, Jo Greaves, Abi Houghton, Jess Humby, Charlottre North, Sarvi Razavi, Emma Waters

Fixtures

Sunday 3rd May
Devon v Essex at Exmouth CC
Staffs v Somerset at Bloxwich
Wales v Scotland at St Helens Swansea CC
Worcs v Ireland at Kidderminster Victoria CC

Monday 4th May
Devon v Durham at North Devon CC
Somerset v Ireland at Bath CC
Staffs v Scotland at Oakmoor
Wales v Essex at Pontarddulais CC

Sunday 24th May
Devon v Wales at Sidmouth CC
Durham v Staffs at Durham City CC
Essex v Ireland at Felsted School
Worcs v Scotland at Barnt Green CC

Monday 25th May
Durham v Scotland at Durham City CC
Somerset v Devon at Taunton CC
Staffs v Ireland at Meakins
Worcs v Wales at Kidderminster Victoria CC

Sun 21st June
Devon v Ireland at Tiverton Heathcoat
Durham v Worcs at Durham City CC
Essex v Somerset at Felsted School
Wales v Staffs at Ynystawe CC

Sunday 19th July
Durham v Ireland at Durham City CC
Essex v Worcs at Garon Park, Southend
Somerset v Scotland at Brislington CC
Staffs v Devon at Milford Hall CC

Monday 17th Aug
Durham v Staffs at Durham City CC

Sunday 30th Aug
Essex v Scotland at Billericay CC
Somerset v Durham at Midsomer Norton CC
Wales v Ireland at Newport CC
Worcs v Devon at New Road, Worcs

Mon 31st Aug
Essex v Staffs at Garon Park, Southend
Scotland v Ireland at Wellesbourne CC
Wales v Durham at Newport CC
Worcs v Somerset at Barnards Green CC

Sun 13th Sept
Devon v Scotland at Exmouth CC
Durham v Essex at Durham City CC
Somerset v Wales at The County Ground, Taunton
Staffs v Worcs at Meakins

MD
03/IV/15