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

England wrap up T20 series win

England pulled off what was actually a very comfortable win in the first T20 played at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, the third game in the T20 series. They won by 5 wickets with eight balls to spare, but they could, and would, have won by seven wickets with more like 20 balls to spare had it not been for the unfortunate late demise of Nat Sciver (16) - run out at the bowler's end as Bermingham deflected a Lydia Greenway drive onto the stumps, and then Greenway herself for 25, bowled going back to a full ball from Georgia Guy.

Greenway and Sciver had taken England to within five runs of victory before they fell and it was left to Katherine Brunt (8*) to hammer the fourth ball of the penultimate over for a maximum over cow corner to finally finish off the Kiwis, after a series of dot balls.

Team-mates watch on as Greenway drives (C) Don Miles

But England's win was actually really based around their tight bowling, some poor shots from the Kiwis and some decent work in the field. Having won the toss Edwards elected to field first on a track that looked a decent one to bat on. Her decision may have been influenced by the team she had to play with. Lauren Winfield was out with a quad injury (she spent the day hobbling around on crutches so it doesn't look too hopeful for the last two ODIs); Anya Shrubsole was sick in bed and Rebecca Grundy is still having problems (although it is hoped that she will be fit for the two ODIs). Kate Cross surprisingly missed out leaving England somewhat short on bowlers - Sciver is not bowling at the moment (she is apparently remodelling her action) and Edwards seems to have little or no confidence in Danni Wyatt's off spin. That left the England skipper with three off-spinners (Knight, Hazell and Marsh), Brunt and Gunn, and when Gunn's first over went for 13 England looked to be in a spot of bowling bother.

Fortunately Knight had already accounted for Bates (7) and McGlashan (6) caught by Greenway at cow corner and Jones at mid-off, and Hazell had snapped up the dangerous Priest again caught at cow corner by Greenway (her 64th T20 wicket for England taking her to the top of the English T20 pile of bowlers), to leave the White Ferns at 30/3 in the 8th over. Broadmore then clipped Marsh to midwicket (Knight) to make it 53/4. Only Sophie Devine seemed in any sort of nick for the White Ferns as she took a liking to Gunn, but she found no support at the other end. Perkins was caught behind off Brunt; Peterson (dropped first ball by Wyatt off Brunt) was lbw to Hazell (2/15) and Bermingham drove Marsh (2/24) straight to Wyatt at extra cover. New Zealand were 92/7 with just over two overs left to bat. Devine was still there though until Gunn's day got better thanks to a diving catch at mid-off by Amy Jones. Devine had scored 37 off 30 balls and looked in a class above the rest of the Kiwis. Gunn then picked up Tahuhu caught by Knight at long-off to finish with 2/28. It was just left for Brunt to terrify young Georgia Guy into missing four out of five balls she faced in the final over, and New Zealand had finished on a poor return of 97/9.

Without Winfield Heather Knight accompanied skipper for the 200th time, Charlotte Edwards, to the crease and looked in positive mood, although she looked to have been run out in the first over trying to come back for a second to square leg. The Kiwis were clearly disappointed by the decision of umpire Katey Cross, who has been hard to convince in this series. Edwards played on to Tahuhu in the 4th over for 4, who then picked up Knight (26) rather fortunately, as she clipped her nicely off her legs only to see the ball career down to Peterson at deep fine leg. When Taylor bunted Tahuhu (3/28) again to Bates at mid-off for another frustrating 20 off 15 balls, England were 55/3 with their middle order once again exposed. But Greenway has looked more confident since her recall and Nat Sciver always seems to have time to play her shots. The 38 they added for the fourth wicket may not sound like much, but in the context of this game it was gold. They deserved to be there at the end, but it wasn't to be.

Heather Knight was made player of the match and one hopes that Paul Downton was grateful to see an England team win in some style.

Full scorecard available here.

MD
24/ii/15

New Zealand level series with 6 wicket win

Sophie Devine smashed 29 off 20 balls to take the White Ferns to a deserved six wicket victory in the second T20 at Whangerai, and level the three match series at 1-1. Her innings was the decisive one for the Kiwis, but the win had been set up by another good opening partnership between Rachel Priest and Suzie Bates. They set the platform with a controlled 64 run opening partnership in less than 10 overs, despite all that England could throw at them.

England had won the toss and elected to bat first on a wicket which still looked to have plenty of runs in it. After a quiet first over Lauren Winfield took to the bowling of Holly Huddleston, in to replace Lea Tahuhu, with two sweetly-timed 4s. 13 came from the over and England looked to be up and running, but after playing out a maiden over to Erin Bermingham Charlotte Edwards lofted an easy chance to Sara McGlashan at cover to depart for an eight ball duck.

At the end of the powerplay overs England were 30 for 1 and, as the fielders dispersed to the boundary, runs became hard to come by. The pressure told on Sarah Taylor, as she edged through to Priest for 8 attempting a reverse sweep. Nat Sciver looked comfortable but advancing to the flighted off-spin of Georgia Guy she played over the ball and was bowled for 9 and England were struggling at 66 for 3 in the 14^th over. Winfield was joined by Lydia Greenway who opened her account with a sumptuous 4 through extra cover off Guy, but it was one of the few boundaries that England could manage. With four overs left Winfield’s determined knock came to an end as she skied Bermingham to Satterthwaite at cover for 48 off 59 balls. England were still below par at 82/4, but Heather Knight took 10 off the 18^th over with the first six balls that she faced at the crease and then plundered another 19 runs off the last over from Devine, including a huge six over midwicket, to take her personal tally to 30. She perished run out off the last ball of the game as she tried to get back for a second run, but her 30 off 15 balls took England to a respectable total of 122 for 5.

The Kiwis knew that the first six overs gave them the opportunity to reduce the runs required in the following overs and Priest, later named player of the match, in particular punished anything off a good length. She found the boundary six times in the powerplay overs as New Zealand took control of the game at 39 for 0. The opening pair brought up their 50 partnership in the 8^th over and had set the game up for their team when Priest was eventually out for 41 off 33 balls. It was the returning Kate Cross, in the England side in place of the rested Katherine Brunt, that enticed her to drive to long on where Knight safely pouched the catch. In her next over Cross then accounted for an out of sorts Sara McGlashan. When Laura Marsh tempted Amy Satterthwaite out of her crease with a nicely flighted delivery and Sarah Taylor removed the bails, England were back in the game with New Zealand on 77 for 3.

But that was to discount the hard-hitting abilities of Devine. To date she had not made an impact in this series, but she picked up Cross for four through square leg and then hoisted Dani Hazell for 6 over midwicket in the next over to bring the runs required equation back below a run a ball. Despite losing Bates for 33 in the 18^th over caught by Winfield off Marsh, Devine continued to dominate the bowlers and find the boundary. England took the game to the last over, but Kate Broadmore finished the match clubbing Marsh’s second ball over wide mid-on for the winning runs.

The teams now move down to Christchurch for the last T20 and two more ODIs to complete the tour.

Full scorecard here.

Martin Davies

20/ii/15

England destroy New Zealand in first T20

England skittled out the New Zealand White Ferns for their lowest ever T20 score of just 60 to set up a convincing eight wicket win in the first of their three T20 internationals.

Having won the toss New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates had no hesitation in batting on what looked like a good batting wicket. But within five overs the New Zealand innings was in tatters. Heather Knight once again opened the bowling for England in her new role as main spinner. The trust placed in her by Charlotte Edwards was not misplaced. After her opening bowling partner Katherine Brunt had picked up the key wicket of Bates in her first over, caught at mid-on by Hazell, Knight proceeded to take three wickets for two runs to reduce New Zealand to 10 for 4 after five overs. There were no great demons in the wicket it seemed, but Priest tried to go over the top, but succeeded only in skying a catch to Winfield at mid-off; McGlashan advanced down the track but played and missed to allow Sarah Taylor an easy stumping; and then Sophie Devine slog-swept Knight out to the deep midwicket boundary. It looked to be going for 6, but Lydia Greenway positioned herself just inside the boundary rope and leapt to take the ball in her hands. However her momentum carried her over the rope, but she threw the ball upwards and then stepped calmly back inside the boundary to complete a remarkable catch.

England celebrate Greenway's staggering catch (c) Ruth Conchie

There was no let up even after player of the match Knight completed her four overs taking 3 – 10. Dani Hazell moved to become the joint-leading wicket taker for England accounting for Broadmore for the third duck in the White Fern’s top five, and then Satterthwaite, as both tried to play across the line of the ball and were adjudged to be lbw. At 18 for 6 New Zealand looked strong candidates to record the lowest ever T20I score, beating Sri Lanka’s 57 all out against Bangladesh in 2012.

Katie Perkins and Erin Bermingham saw New Zealand through the next few overs, but the introduction of Anya Shrubsole accounted for Perkins for 8 to another fine catch by Greenway, and then Tahuhu, hitting a leading edge to Sciver to be caught at cover for 3. Bermingham, the only Kiwi to reach double figures, had taken her score to 20 and the New Zealand total to 55 before she too played across the line and was lbw to Laura Marsh. At 55 for 9 New Zealand still needed three runs to make it past Sri Lanka’s previous low. They just about managed to get there, as they limped to 60, before Shrubsole wrapped up the innings removing Georgia Guy’s middle stump with two balls of the New Zealand innings unused. Shrubsole finished with the excellent figures of 3 – 6 off her 3.4 overs.

England made a nervous start to their reply, losing Lauren Winfield for 1 with the score on five, as she skied a drive off Bermingham to Sophie Devine at cover, but Charlotte Edwards looked in confident mood as she hit Morna Nielsen for four over midwicket and then pulled her for another four in her next over. Meanwhile Sarah Taylor looked to have found some timing as she twice cut Georgia Guy for four through the covers to take her score onto 16, but she then feathered one through to keeper Priest off Guy to leave England on 35 for 2. But Edwards, and new partner Sciver, saw England home without further alarm in the 12^th over for a comprehensive victory which should fill them with confidence ahead of tomorrow’s second T20 on the same wicket. After that England move down to Christchurch for the last T20 and two more ODIs at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln University to end the tour.

full scorecard here - http://scoring.blackcaps.co.nz/livescoring/match2524/scorecard.aspx

Martin Davies

19/ii/15

2015 County T20 Competition

2015 will see another new format to the County T20 competition it seems with at least two divisions of nine teams, playing each other over four separate dates. On each date three teams will play two games each against two of their opponents.

The top two divisions are

Div 1 - Berkshire, Ireland (promoted), Kent, Middlesex, Notts, Somerset (promoted), Surrey, Sussex, Yorkshire
Div 2 - Cheshire, Derbyshire (promoted), Durham, Essex (relegated), Lancashire, Netherlands (promoted), Staffs, Wales, Warwickshire (relegated)

The fixtures will be played on :-
Sunday 14th June
Sunday 5th July
Sunday 2nd August
Sunday 16th August

The full fixture list is yet to appear on the ECB Women's County Championship play cricket website.

MD
08/XI/14

Can we make Women's T20 cricket better?

England duly won the second of the three T20s against South Africa at Wantage Road last night by 42 runs, thanks once again to another fine knock of 75* by Charlotte Edwards, which allowed England to set the Saffers 142 to win.

To be fair to South Africa for the first half of their reply they were in the game thanks to the batting efforts of Dane van Niekerk (34), Marizanne Kapp (27) and skipper Mignon du Preez (15). They took a liking to the pace of Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole hitting nine boundaries in the six over powerplay and taking South Africa to 46/1 (Lizelle Lee the only casualty). But once England could put five fielders out on the boundary South Africa could only get the ball over the rope on two more occasions, and their effort petered out once du Preez and van Niekerk had fallen to hoisted leg-side shots. In fact they lost their last eight wickets while scoring just 28 runs, to be bowled out in the 19th over for just 99 runs. It was a disappointing end for the crowd of around 1,000 and those watching on television.

Television coverage of the women's game is, of course, a two-edged sword. Good games encourage more to follow (and play) the sport, but one-sided games encourage derogatory and negative comments, usually from ill-informed male morons. Unfortunately India chose not to stay after the Test and ODI series and have a T20 series against England, perhaps for fear of their own shortcomings in this format of the game. Given that the T20s are the only format that Sky are willing to broadcast at the moment, the ECB decided that they had to fill the fixtures and keep the sport on the television. Unfortunately so far South Africa have not proved much of a challenge, so the coverage has attracted negative rather than positive reaction. But even two evenly-matched teams often fail to produce a decent viewing spectacle and therefore I think the rules for Women's T20s need to be reviewed.

Much criticism has been levelled at England for their failure to hit 6s (they have not hit one since 29th January 2014), and there was much discussion on Sky about the size of the boundaries at Chelmsford (too big it was thought). Personally I am not that bothered about the girls hitting 6s. What I think is far more important is the lack of boundaries outside of the powerplay overs. The reason is obvious. The girls do not have the power to muscle the ball over the rope when there are five fielders back on the boundary, usually all in front of the bat - three on the legside - deep square, deep midwicket (cow) and long-on, and two on the off-side at long-off and deep extra cover. With little pace on the ball from the spinners and the medium-pacers, if you bowl straight then it is very difficult to get the ball to the boundary. The first change I would suggest therefore is that the maximum number of players allowed outside the circle outside of the powerplay is four.

In addition I would also suggest that the batting team be allowed a second four over batting powerplay spell to be taken before the end of the 15th over. As in the first six overs of the game only 2 fielders would be allowed outside the circle during these overs.

The final suggestion, and this is a bit more radical, is that the number of players in the team be reduced to 10, so that a skipper only has eight fielders available to plug the gaps in the field, along with the bowler and wicket-keeper. I can hear sharp intakes of breath being taken all over the country, and especially at Lords and the headquarters of the Association of Cricket Statisticians & Historians. This would fundamentally change the game. Records would have to be "pre" and "post" the change. The chances of it being implemented are probably less than 1%, but it is at least worth thinking about, isn't it?

Cricket revenues are dictated by television and therefore women's cricket needs to have a product that it can sell to the television companies that will attract viewers. At the moment I am not sure that Women's T20 cricket fulfills that brief. Perhaps some of these changes could be considered by the first Board brave enough to stage their own international T20 tournament?

MD
04/IX/14