Tomorrow I will be at Lord's with about 26,500 other people to watch the culmination of the best Women's Cricket World Cup there has ever been. It is estimated that around 100 million people will be watching around the world. Whatever the result it will be a great day.
Before the tournament started we all hoped that it was going to be just that. Great cricket played by skillful players on decent wickets. It has turned out to be a batsmen's heaven with the white Kookaburra ball doing little for the seamers or the spinners. The result has been 14 individual hundreds by 13 separate women (only Nat Sciver has two), and 15 team scores over 250 (in 30 games to date).
It has also produced those knocks that will live long in the memory - Chamari Attaptu's 178* against Australia, as she took them on single-handed; and Harmanpreet Kaur's 171* against the same opponents in a World Cup semi-final. Perhaps they were even more important because they were struck by a Sri Lankan and an Indian - two countries who have taken their time to embrace women playing cricket - on a world stage in front of millions of people, and have produced positive headlines for women's cricket across the globe.
In the five years I have been writing this blog women's cricket has changed beyond all recognition, but it is still in it's infancy and it needs to be nurtured. The pool of top talent is still very thin. Despite what coaches and team managers may say there is no real strength in depth for international teams, as Australia have shown in this tournament, where their lack of seam bowlers coming through has been exposed.
England have the same problem in depth. Beyond the current contracted 18 players there are few who are knocking on the door for selection to the squad, let alone a place in an England starting 11.
This then is the challenge for the next five years - create more depth to the women's game - which will only come about if there is a semi-professional level of cricket below the international players. Australia have already taken this step with all WNCL and WBBL players being paid salaries. In England the KSL pays a few players a pittance - about 25 county players will have earned an average of about £500 from the last tournament.
Much more needs to be done, particularly for 50 over cricket in England. If KSL50 is not to happen, as it seems, then a fully-funded County Premiership 50 over competition needs to be established, with far more games played than in the current County Championship (just seven this year). It will have to be funded by the ECB, but it is essential for the development of the game here in England. It needs to be the best 50 over competition in the world, attracting players from around the world - I'd suggest no more than two per team. Inevitably there would be clashes with international duties for both England and overseas players, but that would allow more opportunities for fringe players.
Six premiership teams with professional coaches, players and support staff, working all year round to produce players with the talent to go on and play for England - that would be my hope.
Will it happen? I have no idea, but something must. The challenge to women's cricket administrators in England, and around the world, is to seize the opportunity that this brilliant competition has opened to take the game to the next level....again!
MD
22/VII/16
expert & informed news, views and comment on women's cricket around the world - sponsored by B3 Cricket
Showing posts with label wwc17. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wwc17. Show all posts
Saturday, 22 July 2017
Monday, 10 July 2017
Aussie win a watershed moment
England's heart-stopping win over Australia yesterday has taken them to the top of the WWC17 Standings with each team with just two fixtures left to play this week. It puts them in a great position to qualify for the semi-finals.
People often talk in sport about something being "a watershed moment" - a turning point or a fundamental change in direction or attitude. England's win was just such a moment. It was all the better because it was never really expected, and England won despite not really playing their best cricket.
When new coach Mark Robinson decided it was time to move on from the Lottie Era it was a tremendous statement of trust in the girls who remained in the squad that they could do the job for England, without their former captain and leading run scorer.
Frequently in interviews Robinson would state that the girls really never knew how good they were. What they lacked was confidence in their own abilities. On Sunday they began to show that Robinson's confidence in them was not misplaced and that their confidence in themselves, and as a team, is on the way up.
It was not a faultless performance by any means. Anya Shrubsole and Nat Sciver dropped catches they would normally take in their sleep, and the batsmen will be annoyed that they made good starts, got the pace of the wicket, but did not go on. But whereas such lapses would have led to a collective dropping of heads, this time there was a determination to do better next time. Each batsman who came to the crease knew they could do a job - this time it was left to Katherine Brunt and Jenny Gunn to be the ones to take the England innings from ordinary to enough to give the Aussies something to think about.
In the field Heather Knight's ground fielding was exceptional as she led her team from the front and Nat Sciver held her nerve as she caught Ellyse Perry on the boundary edge at cow corner in the dying embers of the game.
Mark Robinson won't be getting too excited just yet, and there will no doubt be some dark days amongst the good ones, but inside he will be relishing the next few days with the hope of some more signs that this England team have got what it takes.
Here is who plays who in the next five days, with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals :-
People often talk in sport about something being "a watershed moment" - a turning point or a fundamental change in direction or attitude. England's win was just such a moment. It was all the better because it was never really expected, and England won despite not really playing their best cricket.
When new coach Mark Robinson decided it was time to move on from the Lottie Era it was a tremendous statement of trust in the girls who remained in the squad that they could do the job for England, without their former captain and leading run scorer.
Frequently in interviews Robinson would state that the girls really never knew how good they were. What they lacked was confidence in their own abilities. On Sunday they began to show that Robinson's confidence in them was not misplaced and that their confidence in themselves, and as a team, is on the way up.
It was not a faultless performance by any means. Anya Shrubsole and Nat Sciver dropped catches they would normally take in their sleep, and the batsmen will be annoyed that they made good starts, got the pace of the wicket, but did not go on. But whereas such lapses would have led to a collective dropping of heads, this time there was a determination to do better next time. Each batsman who came to the crease knew they could do a job - this time it was left to Katherine Brunt and Jenny Gunn to be the ones to take the England innings from ordinary to enough to give the Aussies something to think about.
In the field Heather Knight's ground fielding was exceptional as she led her team from the front and Nat Sciver held her nerve as she caught Ellyse Perry on the boundary edge at cow corner in the dying embers of the game.
Mark Robinson won't be getting too excited just yet, and there will no doubt be some dark days amongst the good ones, but inside he will be relishing the next few days with the hope of some more signs that this England team have got what it takes.
Here is who plays who in the next five days, with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals :-
England - New Zealand & West Indies
Australia - India & South Africa
India - Australia & New Zealand
New Zealand - England & India
South Africa - Sri Lanka & Australia
And here is how they stand to date...
Friday, 30 June 2017
A deep intake of breath...
It has been a hectic few days, following the start of the Women's World Cup last Saturday. I have had trips to Taunton and Bristol and seen the Aussies win both of their games - one against a West Indies side that looked devoid of any energy, cohesion or game plan, and the second against a team who should have had no chance, but were inspired by a stunning innings by Chamari Atapattu.
We are eight games into this tournament now, and have a couple of days to catch our breath, before all the teams take to the field again on Sunday. I'd like to be the first to say that this will be "a pivotal day" in the tournament. In truth it will be one of many pivotal days. There are certainly some intriguing match-ups - England play Atapattu, sorry, Sri Lanka; South Africa play West Indies; India play Pakistan and Australia play New Zealand. But once these games are done we will still only be 12 games into a 28 game league programme. There will still be plenty of time for a few more twists and turns.
There have already been seven centuries in the tournament, all of them very classy, from some of the top batsmen in the women's game - Atapattu, Lanning, Sciver, Bolton, Bates, Mandhana and Knight. Top class batsmen take advantage of good pitches and just one white Kookaburra ball, which has barely deviated off the straight for any of the seamers, and, with a small seam, has spun very little. As the tournament goes on things may get harder for the batsmen as they play on more used pitches. For the time being they are enjoying the conditions and teams are racking up scores which would have been unthinkable five years ago.
Australia look to have the strongest batting line up with their top five all having got runs already, but their bowling looks innocuous with part-timers, Elyse Villani and Nicole Bolton, being thrown the ball, almost on the basis that no-one will have done any research on them, so they might get away with a few overs. The Aussies back themselves to chase down any target they are set, but against better bowling attacks than they have faced so far, and better fielding sides than the Windies and Sri Lanka, they will find it more of a challenge. Sunday's game with New Zealand could set a benchmark, but I'm not quite sure for who?
India have been the surprise package so far, defeating England in their opening game and following up with a decisive victory over West Indies, who have presumably already cancelled any hotel booking they may have had for semi-final week. India should beat Pakistan comfortably on Sunday, and then Sri Lanka the following Wednesday, which will give them four out of four and a great chance of making the semi-finals.
New Zealand will be disappointed that their game with South Africa was washed out. It would have been a much sterner test than their win over Sri Lanka, and it means they come into Sunday's clash with the Aussies rather cold.
England picked themselves up well after the India defeat. The encouraging thing about that game is that they had a chance to win it with ten overs to go, chasing a mammoth 282 target. Indeed they will be annoyed that they did not get over the line. Their demolition of Pakistan was brutal, but professional. They need to do the same to Sri Lanka on Sunday.
South Africa very nearly slipped up against Pakistan, which could have ended their tournament before it had even begun, but a win over the Windies on Sunday looks likely, which will make England's game against South Africa the following Wednesday a must-win for both teams.
It has been a great competition to date, despite the lack of mainstream press coverage and the awkward streaming coverage, which is sometimes behind a required Sky Sport subscription.
Along with Syd, Raf and Snehal we will continue to try and provide full coverage of every game in the WWC17 on the WWC17 Blog.
MD
30/06/17
We are eight games into this tournament now, and have a couple of days to catch our breath, before all the teams take to the field again on Sunday. I'd like to be the first to say that this will be "a pivotal day" in the tournament. In truth it will be one of many pivotal days. There are certainly some intriguing match-ups - England play Atapattu, sorry, Sri Lanka; South Africa play West Indies; India play Pakistan and Australia play New Zealand. But once these games are done we will still only be 12 games into a 28 game league programme. There will still be plenty of time for a few more twists and turns.
There have already been seven centuries in the tournament, all of them very classy, from some of the top batsmen in the women's game - Atapattu, Lanning, Sciver, Bolton, Bates, Mandhana and Knight. Top class batsmen take advantage of good pitches and just one white Kookaburra ball, which has barely deviated off the straight for any of the seamers, and, with a small seam, has spun very little. As the tournament goes on things may get harder for the batsmen as they play on more used pitches. For the time being they are enjoying the conditions and teams are racking up scores which would have been unthinkable five years ago.
Australia look to have the strongest batting line up with their top five all having got runs already, but their bowling looks innocuous with part-timers, Elyse Villani and Nicole Bolton, being thrown the ball, almost on the basis that no-one will have done any research on them, so they might get away with a few overs. The Aussies back themselves to chase down any target they are set, but against better bowling attacks than they have faced so far, and better fielding sides than the Windies and Sri Lanka, they will find it more of a challenge. Sunday's game with New Zealand could set a benchmark, but I'm not quite sure for who?
India have been the surprise package so far, defeating England in their opening game and following up with a decisive victory over West Indies, who have presumably already cancelled any hotel booking they may have had for semi-final week. India should beat Pakistan comfortably on Sunday, and then Sri Lanka the following Wednesday, which will give them four out of four and a great chance of making the semi-finals.
New Zealand will be disappointed that their game with South Africa was washed out. It would have been a much sterner test than their win over Sri Lanka, and it means they come into Sunday's clash with the Aussies rather cold.
England picked themselves up well after the India defeat. The encouraging thing about that game is that they had a chance to win it with ten overs to go, chasing a mammoth 282 target. Indeed they will be annoyed that they did not get over the line. Their demolition of Pakistan was brutal, but professional. They need to do the same to Sri Lanka on Sunday.
South Africa very nearly slipped up against Pakistan, which could have ended their tournament before it had even begun, but a win over the Windies on Sunday looks likely, which will make England's game against South Africa the following Wednesday a must-win for both teams.
It has been a great competition to date, despite the lack of mainstream press coverage and the awkward streaming coverage, which is sometimes behind a required Sky Sport subscription.
Along with Syd, Raf and Snehal we will continue to try and provide full coverage of every game in the WWC17 on the WWC17 Blog.
MD
30/06/17
Sunday, 29 January 2017
The Aussies really do have a seam problem
Back in November I wrote a piece asking whether the Aussies had a seam problem (click here to read it). I received various comments, including a very polite tweet, I seem to recall, from the esteemed Mel Jones, indicating that this was really a non-issue. However Southern Stars coach, Matthew Mott, did identify pace bowling as an area for improvement, following their series win over the Proteas later that month (see here).
As the Aussies now prepare for a three match T20 series with the Kiwis in Australia, followed by a three match ODI series in New Zealand, it seems that their "problem", if it wasn't a problem before, then it certainly is now.
The last Southern Stars squad selected was for their home series against South Africa. It looked like this :-
Lanning, Blackwell, Beams, Bolton, Farrell, Ferling, Harris, Healy, Jonassen, Mooney, Perry, Schutt, Villani.
Of that 13 it seems certain that Ferling will not be fit to play in the upcoming home T20 series, which starts on 17th February, although it has to be said that she may well not have been picked even if she was fit.
That reduces the pace options (and I use the term loosely) to Farrell, Perry and Schutt (keeping Villani up your sleeve for the odd over of liquorice allsorts). Perry, of course, is herself currently injured, and while she has been batting sublimely, her bowling has been below par. In the WBBL she managed 39 out of a possible 48 overs and took just five wickets at an economy rate or 6.23 (31st best). If the Aussies do not strengthen their seam department this means that they will be relying primarily on Farrell and Schutt. That may be enough for the T20s, but for 50 over games that is light.
So who is out there that they can bring in? Unfortunately Lauren Cheatle, who had such a good WBBL01, which saw her given a chance in the national T20 team in early 2016, has had a forgettable WBBL02, after focussing on schoolwork and recovering from illness. Others with potential from the Shooting Stars are Heather Graham, Tahlia McGrath and Belinda Vakerewa.
Graham is a talented all-rounder, who certainly looks good with a bat in her hand, and can do a reasonable job with the ball. McGrath played most of WBBL02 as a batsman, who bowled if needed. She didn't set the world on fire. And Vakerewa only got six outings for the Thunder and bowled just 11 overs. Neither she, nor the others, looks ready to make the jump to the Southern Stars.
Unfortunately for the Southern Stars the new and exciting bowlers to emerge from WBBL02 were all spinning all-rounders - Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux (just named Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year) and Molly Strano (second highest wicket-taker in WBBL02).
All of which leaves Matthew Mott in a bit of a pickle. He will be praying that Perry can get herself fit, so that he has three decent seam options to turn to, and he can then include Gardner and Molineux in his squad to replace Ferling and Harris. But with the 50 over World Cup looming on the horizon I am still not convinced that the Aussies have the seam attack that will take them to a seventh WWC win in July.
MD
29/I/17
As the Aussies now prepare for a three match T20 series with the Kiwis in Australia, followed by a three match ODI series in New Zealand, it seems that their "problem", if it wasn't a problem before, then it certainly is now.
The last Southern Stars squad selected was for their home series against South Africa. It looked like this :-
Lanning, Blackwell, Beams, Bolton, Farrell, Ferling, Harris, Healy, Jonassen, Mooney, Perry, Schutt, Villani.
Of that 13 it seems certain that Ferling will not be fit to play in the upcoming home T20 series, which starts on 17th February, although it has to be said that she may well not have been picked even if she was fit.
That reduces the pace options (and I use the term loosely) to Farrell, Perry and Schutt (keeping Villani up your sleeve for the odd over of liquorice allsorts). Perry, of course, is herself currently injured, and while she has been batting sublimely, her bowling has been below par. In the WBBL she managed 39 out of a possible 48 overs and took just five wickets at an economy rate or 6.23 (31st best). If the Aussies do not strengthen their seam department this means that they will be relying primarily on Farrell and Schutt. That may be enough for the T20s, but for 50 over games that is light.
So who is out there that they can bring in? Unfortunately Lauren Cheatle, who had such a good WBBL01, which saw her given a chance in the national T20 team in early 2016, has had a forgettable WBBL02, after focussing on schoolwork and recovering from illness. Others with potential from the Shooting Stars are Heather Graham, Tahlia McGrath and Belinda Vakerewa.
Graham is a talented all-rounder, who certainly looks good with a bat in her hand, and can do a reasonable job with the ball. McGrath played most of WBBL02 as a batsman, who bowled if needed. She didn't set the world on fire. And Vakerewa only got six outings for the Thunder and bowled just 11 overs. Neither she, nor the others, looks ready to make the jump to the Southern Stars.
Unfortunately for the Southern Stars the new and exciting bowlers to emerge from WBBL02 were all spinning all-rounders - Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux (just named Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year) and Molly Strano (second highest wicket-taker in WBBL02).
All of which leaves Matthew Mott in a bit of a pickle. He will be praying that Perry can get herself fit, so that he has three decent seam options to turn to, and he can then include Gardner and Molineux in his squad to replace Ferling and Harris. But with the 50 over World Cup looming on the horizon I am still not convinced that the Aussies have the seam attack that will take them to a seventh WWC win in July.
MD
29/I/17
Thursday, 24 November 2016
ICC Player Rankings
World champion Australia’s dominating 3-0
series win over South Africa in the last leg of the ICC Women’s Championship
reflects in the latest MRF Tyres ICC ODI Rankings for Women Players with
captain Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry among those reaping the benefits of some
fine performances.
Lanning has consolidated her position at
the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings for Women Batters with 232
runs in the series. Lanning played a stellar role in helping her team win the
championship as she was the leading scorer with 1,232 runs, the only one to top
1,000 runs in the tournament that ran from 2014-16.
All-rounder Perry has moved up three places
to take a career-best second position among batters after scoring 188 runs in
the series to finish with 985 runs in the tournament. She shares the spot with
India captain Mithali Raj, a former top-ranked batter, but the pair trails
Lanning by 91 points. Perry has also advanced one slot to fourth position in
the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Player Rankings for Women Bowlers with three wickets in
the series and 23 in the tournament.
The latest rankings take into account 15
One-Day Internationals played in November including 12 matches of the ICC
Women’s Championship that featured three other series which saw New Zealand
defeat Pakistan, England beat Sri Lanka and India defeat the West Indies, all
by 3-0 margins.
Australia won the championship with 36
points, followed by England (29), New Zealand (26) and the West Indies (22),
which were the other sides to advance directly to the ICC Women’s World Cup
2017. India, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will get a second chance to
make it to the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier to be held in Sri Lanka from
February 7 to 21.
New Zealand’s Amy Satterthwaite, who became
the first woman batter to score three consecutive ODI centuries in the series
against Pakistan, has moved up three places to a career-best fifth position
while West Indies batter Deandra Dottin has moved up two positions to 10th
place scoring 85 runs in India.
Pakistan’s left-hander Bismah Maroof has
got into the 10 top for the first time as she advanced one rank from 11th
position while England captain Heather Knight is just six points behind her,
also moving up one place to take the 11th slot.
England’s Natalie Sciver has climbed up six
places for a career-best 15th position while South Africa’s Lizelle Lee, who
scored her maiden century (102) in the last ODI against Australia, has moved up
seven ranks to take 16th position.
In the bowlers’ rankings led by India pace
bowler Jhulan Goswami, left-arm spinners Jess Jonassen of Australia and India’s
Rajeshwari Gayakwad, as well as New Zealand pace bowler Lea Tahuhu have
achieved career-best rankings.
Jonassen, who was the most successful bowler in the competition with 31 wickets, has risen to sixth position.
Gayakwad, who finished with 25 wickets, has moved up four positions to take
10th place, while Tahuhu has moved up nine slots to take the 13th slot.
The complete results of the ICC Women’s
Championship can be seen here.
The ICC Women’s Championship points table
can be seen here.
MD
24/XI/16
24/XI/16
Thursday, 20 October 2016
England claim series win in West Indies
Well it wasn't very pretty, but sometimes you have to win ugly, and that is exactly what England managed to do in Jamaica.
After a horrible batting collapse allowed the West Indies to take the fourth ODI, and the two ICCWC points with it, England came back with a solid performance to win the final ODI comfortably, winning the series 3-2 and taking four of the six ICCWC points.
It means they only need one more point in Sri Lanka (in November), or for South Africa to lose one of their three ICCWC games against Australia (also November), to be sure of qualifying for the World Cup next year (assuming the Pakistan v India series does not happen in the next 10 days, which looks unlikely). Put it this way I don't think anyone will offer you odds against them getting there.
Make no mistake this was an important series for England. They were tested. Slow pitches, hot conditions, spinning wickets, some top quality players in the opposing side, and lumpy outfields. They lost two games that they probably should have won, but they showed they have some character by winning that final ODI. That will stand them in good stead as they move forward.
It was an excellent series for Alex Hartley, who seems to have stepped into the number 1 spinner slot, ahead of young Sophie Ecclestone, and probably Laura Marsh. Marsh is much more of a containing bowler, whereas Hartley is a wicket-taker. She took 13 in the five games and bowled with great control and accuracy AND she spins the ball. Without Anya Shrubsole a lot fell on the shoulders of Katherine Brunt. At times it looked like the pressure told, but she is a gutsy cricketer and usually came good when she needed to, which is tough for fast bowlers in the heat and on slow pitches. Generally England will have been pleased with all their bowlers, who gave very little away. Both games that England lost were down to their batsmen.
Overall Coach Robinson will have been pleased with his openers - Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield. Winfield had scores of 79 and 51, and Beaumont finished with scores of 57 and 34 after a poor start to the tour. She looked in good touch in games 4 and 5, having adjusted well to the conditions. Both now need to look beyond nice 50s, to big hundreds.
Number three is obviously still an issue. Georgia Elwiss had this slot for the first three games, as she did in the summer against Pakistan (where she had scores of 12, 17, and 77). Here she made 3, 16 and 3 batting at three, and then 9 and 5 coming in at number six. Having failed to grasp her opportunity at the top of the order she may find that she loses out to Fran Wilson in the middle order for the trip to Sri Lanka.
The number three slot was taken by skipper Heather Knight for the last two ODIs. A position she had not occupied in her previous 57 innings. After a golden duck in the first ODI she scored a frustrating 26, 22, 36 and 29. No-one will be more frustrated with those scores than her. She will know that she needs to turn these starts into big scores and get her side over the line in run chases.
Nat Sciver got two scores of 58, the second one not out in the final ODI, which was the sort of mature knock that her coach will have been willing her to make. It is sometimes difficult to remember that she is relatively new to the England team. She has only batted 22 times in ODIs and she has a healthy average of over 40 - the best in the England team. She is yet to record three figures for England, but this will come. She is maturing nicely in the England middle order.
Which brings us to Danni Wyatt and Amy Jones. Wyatt is the cheeky, chirpy, bubbly character from Stoke. She is a good athlete, smart in the field and has a rocket arm, but she has now played in 44 ODIs, and in 35 innings her highest score is just 44, which she scored on this tour in the first game at Trelawny Stadium. She followed this with 7, 17, 0 and 12. She bats for the team, but she seems to find ways to get out. She is an enigma.
As for Jones she kept well in four of the five games, but contributed little with the bat. She has been around quite some time, but has had relatively few opportunities in the middle (just 12 innings in nearly four years). She has the shots in her locker and needs to target spending more time at the crease, as she did in the first ODI with Wyatt. She has had big shoes to fill following on from Sarah Taylor, but given an extended run she could prove herself just as capable.
And finally a word about Heather Knight's captaincy. She looked comfortable making the decisions and used her bowling resources well. There were a few opportunities where she could perhaps have had more attacking fields, but the more she skippers the better she will get. Winning this series in the West Indies without her vice-skipper on the pitch, will be a feather in her cap.
Will this England team win the 2017 World Cup? They have the capability to do so, but it is a question of whether they have the self-belief. It is likely to come too early for this developing team, but I wouldn't write them off. If they can get on a roll early in the competition then they will be in with a shout.
MD
20/X/16
After a horrible batting collapse allowed the West Indies to take the fourth ODI, and the two ICCWC points with it, England came back with a solid performance to win the final ODI comfortably, winning the series 3-2 and taking four of the six ICCWC points.
It means they only need one more point in Sri Lanka (in November), or for South Africa to lose one of their three ICCWC games against Australia (also November), to be sure of qualifying for the World Cup next year (assuming the Pakistan v India series does not happen in the next 10 days, which looks unlikely). Put it this way I don't think anyone will offer you odds against them getting there.
Make no mistake this was an important series for England. They were tested. Slow pitches, hot conditions, spinning wickets, some top quality players in the opposing side, and lumpy outfields. They lost two games that they probably should have won, but they showed they have some character by winning that final ODI. That will stand them in good stead as they move forward.
It was an excellent series for Alex Hartley, who seems to have stepped into the number 1 spinner slot, ahead of young Sophie Ecclestone, and probably Laura Marsh. Marsh is much more of a containing bowler, whereas Hartley is a wicket-taker. She took 13 in the five games and bowled with great control and accuracy AND she spins the ball. Without Anya Shrubsole a lot fell on the shoulders of Katherine Brunt. At times it looked like the pressure told, but she is a gutsy cricketer and usually came good when she needed to, which is tough for fast bowlers in the heat and on slow pitches. Generally England will have been pleased with all their bowlers, who gave very little away. Both games that England lost were down to their batsmen.
Overall Coach Robinson will have been pleased with his openers - Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield. Winfield had scores of 79 and 51, and Beaumont finished with scores of 57 and 34 after a poor start to the tour. She looked in good touch in games 4 and 5, having adjusted well to the conditions. Both now need to look beyond nice 50s, to big hundreds.
Number three is obviously still an issue. Georgia Elwiss had this slot for the first three games, as she did in the summer against Pakistan (where she had scores of 12, 17, and 77). Here she made 3, 16 and 3 batting at three, and then 9 and 5 coming in at number six. Having failed to grasp her opportunity at the top of the order she may find that she loses out to Fran Wilson in the middle order for the trip to Sri Lanka.
The number three slot was taken by skipper Heather Knight for the last two ODIs. A position she had not occupied in her previous 57 innings. After a golden duck in the first ODI she scored a frustrating 26, 22, 36 and 29. No-one will be more frustrated with those scores than her. She will know that she needs to turn these starts into big scores and get her side over the line in run chases.
Nat Sciver got two scores of 58, the second one not out in the final ODI, which was the sort of mature knock that her coach will have been willing her to make. It is sometimes difficult to remember that she is relatively new to the England team. She has only batted 22 times in ODIs and she has a healthy average of over 40 - the best in the England team. She is yet to record three figures for England, but this will come. She is maturing nicely in the England middle order.
Which brings us to Danni Wyatt and Amy Jones. Wyatt is the cheeky, chirpy, bubbly character from Stoke. She is a good athlete, smart in the field and has a rocket arm, but she has now played in 44 ODIs, and in 35 innings her highest score is just 44, which she scored on this tour in the first game at Trelawny Stadium. She followed this with 7, 17, 0 and 12. She bats for the team, but she seems to find ways to get out. She is an enigma.
As for Jones she kept well in four of the five games, but contributed little with the bat. She has been around quite some time, but has had relatively few opportunities in the middle (just 12 innings in nearly four years). She has the shots in her locker and needs to target spending more time at the crease, as she did in the first ODI with Wyatt. She has had big shoes to fill following on from Sarah Taylor, but given an extended run she could prove herself just as capable.
And finally a word about Heather Knight's captaincy. She looked comfortable making the decisions and used her bowling resources well. There were a few opportunities where she could perhaps have had more attacking fields, but the more she skippers the better she will get. Winning this series in the West Indies without her vice-skipper on the pitch, will be a feather in her cap.
Will this England team win the 2017 World Cup? They have the capability to do so, but it is a question of whether they have the self-belief. It is likely to come too early for this developing team, but I wouldn't write them off. If they can get on a roll early in the competition then they will be in with a shout.
MD
20/X/16
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)