Tomorrow (Friday) England will play the Aussies in the second of the three ODIs in the Ashes Series. After Lords they find themselves 4-2 down, with a potential 10 more points to play for.
England will be bitterly disappointed with the Lord's loss. They had done well to restrict a tentative Australia to just 203/8 in their 50 overs, with Katherine Brunt (3/29) and Laura Marsh (2/27) the pick of the bowlers. It was with the bat again that England struggled with the exception of skipper Charlotte Edwards (61). Arran Brindle was becalmed at the crease; Sarah Taylor scored another nice twenty-something; Lydia Greenway looked a little lost; Heather Knight probably should have opened; and Tammy Beaumont has only scored 183 runs in 18 ODIs with a top score of 44.
To make matters worse Ellyse Perry was having an off-day and it was the loopy spin of Erin Osborne (3/39) and Jess Jonassen (4/38) which accounted for England, together with two unnecessary run-outs. Jonassen's selection had been somewhat of a surprise, but it seems the Aussies had done their homework and that pace off the ball was what was needed. Perry and Holly Ferling only bowled 10 overs between them.
So what can we expect at Hove tomorrow? It is generally a good batting wicket and the outfield will be quick, despite the rain that we have had in the last 24 hours. I doubt the Aussies will change a winning side, which gives England a chance. They did not look unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination. As for England I hope they promote Heather Knight to open, or bring in Lauren Winfield and tell her to bat in her normal positive style. The England batsmen seem to lack confidence in their own ability at the moment and there is little that can be done about that, apart from getting out in the middle and scoring runs - that is easier said than done. Someone other than Charlotte Edwards needs to get in and bat at a decent tempo. England have the skills, but 90% of cricket is played in the mind. I hope they adopt a positive rather than a cautious approach. It will be a long way back for England if they go 6-2 down in the series.
MD
22/VIII/13
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Thursday, 22 August 2013
Monday, 19 August 2013
England v Australia - ODI Preview
Tomorrow England will take on Australia at Lords in the first of the three Ashes ODIs. Six Ashes Points will be up for grabs. Just to recap the teams are level on 2 points each after the drawn Test at Wormsley last week.
The 50 over format is more familiar ground for each of the teams, neither of whom play any multi-day cricket apart from the Test Match against each other every couple of years. England will be back in their red strip and the Aussies in their green and gold. Both have had a recent run out and I was at the Australia v England Academy game at Wellington College on Saturday. In a rain-affected match the Aussies won comfortably having scored 303/6 in their 50 overs with three other batsmen retiring. Alyssa Healey opened with Meg Lanning. Healey looked in good touch and will have enhanced her chances of playing tomorrow. Lanning was not quite so comfortable to start and was missed twice by the Academy, before she became more fluent and hit some cracking fours over extra cover off the slow left-armer Rebecca Grundy. The other batsmen that stood out was Ellyse Perry, who hit the ball very cleanly and with a perfectly straight bat. England need to be wary of her with willow in hand, as well as ball. Jess Cameron surprisingly looked out of touch and could not get her timing going.
All the Aussies bowled pretty well - Perry, Schutt, Hunter, Ferling, Coyte and Osborne but none of them looked unplayable on a decent wicket. For the Academy only Danni Wyatt (39) was able to make a decent contribution. Amy Jones flattered to deceive at the top of the order, after an ordinary day behind the stumps, and Jess Watson hit a battling 29.
In between fielding stints the Aussies worked on fielding one-to-one with their fielding coach and did various sprint tests. After the game they also stayed on to do more work. No-one can doubt their work ethic.
England are likely to field a pretty similar side to the Test team with Holly Colvin coming in for Danni Hazell and possibly Nat Sciver coming in for Arran Brindle or Jenny Gunn. England may also look at giving Lauren Winfield a go instead of Tammy Beaumont, possibly to open with Test heroine Heather Knight.
England will have their work cut out against the World Champions, who must start as favourites, but they do not look unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination. England need their top five to all contribute and possibly have the stronger overall bowling attack. I think they might just sneak it.
The game is not being televised, but you can watch a live stream on the ECB website (www.ecb.co.uk) and on their YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/ecbcricket), if you cannot get along to Lords. Unfortunately I cannot be there myself, nor at Hove on Friday, but I will be listening to Charles Dagnall and Co on TMS. I will be back tweeting and blogging from Hove for the final ODI on Sunday.
MD
19/VIII/13
The 50 over format is more familiar ground for each of the teams, neither of whom play any multi-day cricket apart from the Test Match against each other every couple of years. England will be back in their red strip and the Aussies in their green and gold. Both have had a recent run out and I was at the Australia v England Academy game at Wellington College on Saturday. In a rain-affected match the Aussies won comfortably having scored 303/6 in their 50 overs with three other batsmen retiring. Alyssa Healey opened with Meg Lanning. Healey looked in good touch and will have enhanced her chances of playing tomorrow. Lanning was not quite so comfortable to start and was missed twice by the Academy, before she became more fluent and hit some cracking fours over extra cover off the slow left-armer Rebecca Grundy. The other batsmen that stood out was Ellyse Perry, who hit the ball very cleanly and with a perfectly straight bat. England need to be wary of her with willow in hand, as well as ball. Jess Cameron surprisingly looked out of touch and could not get her timing going.
All the Aussies bowled pretty well - Perry, Schutt, Hunter, Ferling, Coyte and Osborne but none of them looked unplayable on a decent wicket. For the Academy only Danni Wyatt (39) was able to make a decent contribution. Amy Jones flattered to deceive at the top of the order, after an ordinary day behind the stumps, and Jess Watson hit a battling 29.
In between fielding stints the Aussies worked on fielding one-to-one with their fielding coach and did various sprint tests. After the game they also stayed on to do more work. No-one can doubt their work ethic.
England are likely to field a pretty similar side to the Test team with Holly Colvin coming in for Danni Hazell and possibly Nat Sciver coming in for Arran Brindle or Jenny Gunn. England may also look at giving Lauren Winfield a go instead of Tammy Beaumont, possibly to open with Test heroine Heather Knight.
England will have their work cut out against the World Champions, who must start as favourites, but they do not look unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination. England need their top five to all contribute and possibly have the stronger overall bowling attack. I think they might just sneak it.
The game is not being televised, but you can watch a live stream on the ECB website (www.ecb.co.uk) and on their YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/ecbcricket), if you cannot get along to Lords. Unfortunately I cannot be there myself, nor at Hove on Friday, but I will be listening to Charles Dagnall and Co on TMS. I will be back tweeting and blogging from Hove for the final ODI on Sunday.
MD
19/VIII/13
Thursday, 15 August 2013
Ashes Test - Post Match Thoughts
The morning after the four days before and it seems appropriate to look back on the Women's Ashes Test before I forget what I saw and before the one day stuff starts next Tuesday at Lords.
It was a good Test Match, played on a very docile pitch and from the end of Day One, when the Aussies were 243/3 it looked inevitable that it was going to be a draw. Sarah Elliott (104) duly completed her century at the beginning of Day Two and when Australia finally declared 25 minutes before lunch on the second day on 331/6 it was up to England not to cock it up. As Jenny Gunn trudged back to the clubhouse just after tea and the scoreboard read 113/6 they were not making a very good job of it.
Fortunately for England Heather Knight, who had been in great form for Berkshire all year, showed just how to play on a slow pitch. She timed the ball exquisitely off her legs and through the covers and never really looked in any danger of getting out until she misjudged a run on a misfield and stranded herself in the middle of the wicket. But by this time she had scored 157 and England had moved on to 269. It was a record 7th wicket partnership for England of 156. Knight's ally at the other end was the obdurate Laura Marsh. Of the 156 she made just 35 and it was not until her 225th ball that she struck a boundary - it mattered not a jot. She was doing exactly what her room-mate and captain, Charlotte Edwards, wanted her to do - occupy the crease. The draw now looked nailed on.
Eventually just after tea on Day Three Marsh missed her 304th ball and was bowled for 55. It was the slowest 50 in women's Test cricket, but that is a record of which Boggie should be proud. She batted for 17 minutes short of 6 hours. It was a great feat of endurance, concentration and stamina. England were bowled out shortly after for 314. The Aussies had a lead of just 17. By the end of the day they had moved onto 64/1 - a lead of 81. Speculation was rife as to when they would declare on Day Four. In a post Day Three interview Alex Blackwell indicated they would be positive and the Aussies were going for the win.
Day Four saw a cautious start from the Aussies and a fired up one from England. Meg Lanning and Jess Cameron then showed some positive intent, but England's fielding was sharp, with Lydia Greenway's run out of first innings centurion Sarah Elliott, the icing on the cake. The Aussies were soon four down with only 108 on the board and their charge had been halted. Blackwell having promised to be positive in fact scored just 22 off 92 balls before she fell just before lunch. With their score at 153/5 at lunch (they had added just 89 in 34 overs) the game was already beginning to peter out. They did make one final gesture towards positivity as they hit 31 off the last three overs before they declared on 231/5, leaving England to score 249 off 45 overs.
It was never going to be of any great interest to England. With 6 points for this one match out of a total of 18 throughout the whole series, neither side could afford to lose. Australia had probably declared 10 overs later than they would have liked and had scored about 50 runs more than England would have been willing to chase. England lost Knight, run out for a second time in the match, and Brindle, but Sarah Taylor (38*) and Charlotte Edwards (23*) (who was obviously very miffed to have missed out on the runs in the first innings) saw England to a comfortable draw.
Heather Knight was rightly named Player of the Match, but one would hope she shared her magnum of Veuve Clicquot with Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt. The latter two toiled away on a dead track with commendable accuracy and gumption. Shrubsole got through 47 overs and Brunt 38. It was a sterling effort from both quicks.
Both teams will hope that the rest of the pitches in this series have more life in them than the Wormsley pitch. It was a great setting and the crowds were excellent (over 2000 on the First Day), but the pitch was lifeless. This may suit the corporate matches that it is most frequently used for, but it was not conducive to entertaining Test cricket. In the circumstances both teams did well to make the game as good as it was.
The teams now prepare for three ODIs and three T20 which will decide the destination of the Ashes. One team needs to win four of the six games, assuming they are all played. Ideally the marketing men would like it to go down to the last T20 in Durham on August 31. Let's just hope the weather does not intervene.
As for the future of the Ashes Points Series - it does seem the way forward, but 6 points was always too much for one game. I understand the concept of 6 points for each format, although I personally do not think the T20s merit the same status and I would reduce these to 1 point each. I would suggest two Tests in future for 3 points each, one at the beginning of the series and one in between the shorter games somewhere. The girls want to play Test cricket and Wormsley has proved that the public will support it. CA and ECB let them have it.
MD
15/VIII/13
It was a good Test Match, played on a very docile pitch and from the end of Day One, when the Aussies were 243/3 it looked inevitable that it was going to be a draw. Sarah Elliott (104) duly completed her century at the beginning of Day Two and when Australia finally declared 25 minutes before lunch on the second day on 331/6 it was up to England not to cock it up. As Jenny Gunn trudged back to the clubhouse just after tea and the scoreboard read 113/6 they were not making a very good job of it.
Fortunately for England Heather Knight, who had been in great form for Berkshire all year, showed just how to play on a slow pitch. She timed the ball exquisitely off her legs and through the covers and never really looked in any danger of getting out until she misjudged a run on a misfield and stranded herself in the middle of the wicket. But by this time she had scored 157 and England had moved on to 269. It was a record 7th wicket partnership for England of 156. Knight's ally at the other end was the obdurate Laura Marsh. Of the 156 she made just 35 and it was not until her 225th ball that she struck a boundary - it mattered not a jot. She was doing exactly what her room-mate and captain, Charlotte Edwards, wanted her to do - occupy the crease. The draw now looked nailed on.
Eventually just after tea on Day Three Marsh missed her 304th ball and was bowled for 55. It was the slowest 50 in women's Test cricket, but that is a record of which Boggie should be proud. She batted for 17 minutes short of 6 hours. It was a great feat of endurance, concentration and stamina. England were bowled out shortly after for 314. The Aussies had a lead of just 17. By the end of the day they had moved onto 64/1 - a lead of 81. Speculation was rife as to when they would declare on Day Four. In a post Day Three interview Alex Blackwell indicated they would be positive and the Aussies were going for the win.
Day Four saw a cautious start from the Aussies and a fired up one from England. Meg Lanning and Jess Cameron then showed some positive intent, but England's fielding was sharp, with Lydia Greenway's run out of first innings centurion Sarah Elliott, the icing on the cake. The Aussies were soon four down with only 108 on the board and their charge had been halted. Blackwell having promised to be positive in fact scored just 22 off 92 balls before she fell just before lunch. With their score at 153/5 at lunch (they had added just 89 in 34 overs) the game was already beginning to peter out. They did make one final gesture towards positivity as they hit 31 off the last three overs before they declared on 231/5, leaving England to score 249 off 45 overs.
It was never going to be of any great interest to England. With 6 points for this one match out of a total of 18 throughout the whole series, neither side could afford to lose. Australia had probably declared 10 overs later than they would have liked and had scored about 50 runs more than England would have been willing to chase. England lost Knight, run out for a second time in the match, and Brindle, but Sarah Taylor (38*) and Charlotte Edwards (23*) (who was obviously very miffed to have missed out on the runs in the first innings) saw England to a comfortable draw.
Heather Knight was rightly named Player of the Match, but one would hope she shared her magnum of Veuve Clicquot with Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt. The latter two toiled away on a dead track with commendable accuracy and gumption. Shrubsole got through 47 overs and Brunt 38. It was a sterling effort from both quicks.
Both teams will hope that the rest of the pitches in this series have more life in them than the Wormsley pitch. It was a great setting and the crowds were excellent (over 2000 on the First Day), but the pitch was lifeless. This may suit the corporate matches that it is most frequently used for, but it was not conducive to entertaining Test cricket. In the circumstances both teams did well to make the game as good as it was.
The teams now prepare for three ODIs and three T20 which will decide the destination of the Ashes. One team needs to win four of the six games, assuming they are all played. Ideally the marketing men would like it to go down to the last T20 in Durham on August 31. Let's just hope the weather does not intervene.
As for the future of the Ashes Points Series - it does seem the way forward, but 6 points was always too much for one game. I understand the concept of 6 points for each format, although I personally do not think the T20s merit the same status and I would reduce these to 1 point each. I would suggest two Tests in future for 3 points each, one at the beginning of the series and one in between the shorter games somewhere. The girls want to play Test cricket and Wormsley has proved that the public will support it. CA and ECB let them have it.
MD
15/VIII/13
Monday, 12 August 2013
Ashes Test Match Reports
For blog updates throughout each day of the Test Match click on the "Ashes Test" link above.
For twitter updates follow me on twitter@wmnscricketblog.
MD
11/VIII/13
For twitter updates follow me on twitter
MD
11/VIII/13
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
England's Ashes Squads
From the 18 players originally named in the Ashes Squad England have selected three separate squads of 14 for the Ashes Series, which starts on Sunday with the only Test Match. The three squads include 17 of the original 18 players - only Amy Jones misses out on inclusion in any of the squads.
England left-arm stalwart Holly Colvin has not been selected in the Test squad. She was probably England's most consistent bowler at the recent World Cup and one can only summise that she has not yet recovered fully from her recent broken thumb. She is however named in the ODI and T20 squads.
Katherine Brunt and Laura Marsh are named in all three squads, despite having played very little cricket this season due to injury and recovery from surgery respectively. Hopefully they have proved their fitness for what will be a gruelling series games over a short space of time.
Newcomer and all-rounder Nat Sciver is included in both the Test and the T20 squad, while fellow debutant this year, Lauren Winfield, gets the nod in the Test and ODI squads. Her recent innings of 76 against the Aussies for England A in their two day warm-up match will have re-emphasised her claims to a place in one or both teams. And young left-arm pace bowler Tash Farrant is named in the T20 squad after proving her abilities in her debut games this summer against Pakistan.
Danni Wyatt misses out on the ODI squad and is replaced by Georgia Elwiss.
Australia have started their tour with a win over England A racking up 340, with an ominous century for the gifted Meg Lanning. Ellyse Perry claimed three wickets and Holly Ferling two and spinner Jess Jonassen helped herself to 4/18 as England were bowled out for 224.
England Women - Ashes Test squad
Charlotte Edwards (Kent) (Captain)
Tammy Beaumont (Kent)
Arran Brindle (Sussex)
Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
Lydia Greenway (Kent)
Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire)
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
Heather Knight (Berkshire)
Laura Marsh (Kent)
Natalie Sciver (Surrey)
Anya Shrubsole (Somerset)
Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire)
Danielle Wyatt (Nottinghamshire)
England Women - Ashes ODI squad
Charlotte Edwards (Kent) (Captain)
Tammy Beaumont (Kent)
Arran Brindle (Sussex)
Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
Holly Colvin (Sussex)
Georgia Elwiss (Sussex)
Lydia Greenway (Kent)
Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire)
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
Heather Knight (Berkshire)
Laura Marsh (Kent)
Anya Shrubsole (Somerset)
Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire)
England Women - Ashes T20I squad
Charlotte Edwards (Kent) (Captain)
Tammy Beaumont (Kent)
Arran Brindle (Sussex)
Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
Holly Colvin (Sussex)
Natasha Farrant (Kent)
Lydia Greenway (Kent)
Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire)
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
Laura Marsh (Kent)
Natalie Sciver (Surrey)
Anya Shrubsole (Somerset)
Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
Danielle Wyatt (Nottinghamshire)
MD
07/VIII/13
England left-arm stalwart Holly Colvin has not been selected in the Test squad. She was probably England's most consistent bowler at the recent World Cup and one can only summise that she has not yet recovered fully from her recent broken thumb. She is however named in the ODI and T20 squads.
Katherine Brunt and Laura Marsh are named in all three squads, despite having played very little cricket this season due to injury and recovery from surgery respectively. Hopefully they have proved their fitness for what will be a gruelling series games over a short space of time.
Newcomer and all-rounder Nat Sciver is included in both the Test and the T20 squad, while fellow debutant this year, Lauren Winfield, gets the nod in the Test and ODI squads. Her recent innings of 76 against the Aussies for England A in their two day warm-up match will have re-emphasised her claims to a place in one or both teams. And young left-arm pace bowler Tash Farrant is named in the T20 squad after proving her abilities in her debut games this summer against Pakistan.
Danni Wyatt misses out on the ODI squad and is replaced by Georgia Elwiss.
Australia have started their tour with a win over England A racking up 340, with an ominous century for the gifted Meg Lanning. Ellyse Perry claimed three wickets and Holly Ferling two and spinner Jess Jonassen helped herself to 4/18 as England were bowled out for 224.
England Women - Ashes Test squad
Charlotte Edwards (Kent) (Captain)
Tammy Beaumont (Kent)
Arran Brindle (Sussex)
Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
Lydia Greenway (Kent)
Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire)
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
Heather Knight (Berkshire)
Laura Marsh (Kent)
Natalie Sciver (Surrey)
Anya Shrubsole (Somerset)
Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire)
Danielle Wyatt (Nottinghamshire)
England Women - Ashes ODI squad
Charlotte Edwards (Kent) (Captain)
Tammy Beaumont (Kent)
Arran Brindle (Sussex)
Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
Holly Colvin (Sussex)
Georgia Elwiss (Sussex)
Lydia Greenway (Kent)
Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire)
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
Heather Knight (Berkshire)
Laura Marsh (Kent)
Anya Shrubsole (Somerset)
Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire)
England Women - Ashes T20I squad
Charlotte Edwards (Kent) (Captain)
Tammy Beaumont (Kent)
Arran Brindle (Sussex)
Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
Holly Colvin (Sussex)
Natasha Farrant (Kent)
Lydia Greenway (Kent)
Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire)
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
Laura Marsh (Kent)
Natalie Sciver (Surrey)
Anya Shrubsole (Somerset)
Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
Danielle Wyatt (Nottinghamshire)
MD
07/VIII/13
Monday, 5 August 2013
Countdown to Women's Ashes Series
As England men manage to retain the Ashes at a rather soggy Old Trafford the women are warming up for their own Ashes series (one Test, three ODIs and three T20s), which starts with the Test Match at Wormsley CC on Sunday (11th August). I will be there and tweeting and blogging live from the ground if you cannot get there yourselves. Better still get yourself a ticket and come along (http://www.wormsleycricket.co.uk/events2013/womens-ashes-2013.html).
The Aussie girls have landed and are due to play a two day warm-up game against England A starting today (subject to the vagaries of the English summer weather). They have very recently added left-arm pace bowler Gemma Triscari to their squad - apparently this is "so that we have adequate cover for our pace bowlers". Ellyse Perry is coming back from remedial ankle surgery, and her recovery was prolonged by an infection. Will she be fit enough to play in a four day Test Match?
England too have fitness concerns, particularly with their fast bowlers - Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole. Both have been named in the 18 player squad for the Ashes series (due to be trimmed to 15 for each format sometime this week) and England would dearly love them to play and spearhead the England attack. They looked a potent combination in the World Cup in February, but Brunt has hardly played since, and Shrubsole has struggled to retain her fitness throughout the domestic season. It will be a brave call to throw them both into a four day game. Fortunately it seems that Sarah Taylor, Holly Colvin and Laura Marsh are all now fit and available for selection. If all 18 are fit then this would be my 11 :-
1. Edwards
2. Knight
3. Taylor
4. Brindle
5. Greenway
6. Elwiss
7. Marsh
8. Wyatt
9. Colvin
10. Brunt (if not fit Sciver)
11. Shrubsole
Heather Knight has had a great season at Berkshire. She is the leading run scorer in Division One with 604 runs in eight innings at an average of 100.67. Not only has she hit two centuries, but she has consistently scored runs in every innings - form which she has carried on into the shorter format of the game in the recent T20 qualifying competition. England need to find a long-term opener to bat with Charlotte Edwards and I think Knight deserves the chance to see if she can perform in this role at the highest level.
The other controversial pick is Georgia Elwiss in place of Jenny Gunn. Elwiss has been selected in the past as a medium/fast bowler, and she can certainly do a job in this role, but this year she has been opening the batting for Sussex and has proved her worth with the bat with a hundred and two fifties in five County Championship innings. I think she fits nicely as the new England all-rounder.
But all this is mere speculation. All will be revealed next Sunday morning as Charlotte Edwards and Jodie Fields shake hands at the toss, having handed the umpires their starting line-ups. It will be a great occasion. One can only hope that it is a both a cricketing and a commercial success, so that the next time the Aussies are here we get a three match Test Series, broadcast on television at grounds such as Hove, Taunton and Wormsley. That really would be an Ashes Series - a test of skill, endurance, fitness and cricketing nous.
MD
05/VIII/13
The Aussie girls have landed and are due to play a two day warm-up game against England A starting today (subject to the vagaries of the English summer weather). They have very recently added left-arm pace bowler Gemma Triscari to their squad - apparently this is "so that we have adequate cover for our pace bowlers". Ellyse Perry is coming back from remedial ankle surgery, and her recovery was prolonged by an infection. Will she be fit enough to play in a four day Test Match?
England too have fitness concerns, particularly with their fast bowlers - Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole. Both have been named in the 18 player squad for the Ashes series (due to be trimmed to 15 for each format sometime this week) and England would dearly love them to play and spearhead the England attack. They looked a potent combination in the World Cup in February, but Brunt has hardly played since, and Shrubsole has struggled to retain her fitness throughout the domestic season. It will be a brave call to throw them both into a four day game. Fortunately it seems that Sarah Taylor, Holly Colvin and Laura Marsh are all now fit and available for selection. If all 18 are fit then this would be my 11 :-
1. Edwards
2. Knight
3. Taylor
4. Brindle
5. Greenway
6. Elwiss
7. Marsh
8. Wyatt
9. Colvin
10. Brunt (if not fit Sciver)
11. Shrubsole
Heather Knight has had a great season at Berkshire. She is the leading run scorer in Division One with 604 runs in eight innings at an average of 100.67. Not only has she hit two centuries, but she has consistently scored runs in every innings - form which she has carried on into the shorter format of the game in the recent T20 qualifying competition. England need to find a long-term opener to bat with Charlotte Edwards and I think Knight deserves the chance to see if she can perform in this role at the highest level.
The other controversial pick is Georgia Elwiss in place of Jenny Gunn. Elwiss has been selected in the past as a medium/fast bowler, and she can certainly do a job in this role, but this year she has been opening the batting for Sussex and has proved her worth with the bat with a hundred and two fifties in five County Championship innings. I think she fits nicely as the new England all-rounder.
But all this is mere speculation. All will be revealed next Sunday morning as Charlotte Edwards and Jodie Fields shake hands at the toss, having handed the umpires their starting line-ups. It will be a great occasion. One can only hope that it is a both a cricketing and a commercial success, so that the next time the Aussies are here we get a three match Test Series, broadcast on television at grounds such as Hove, Taunton and Wormsley. That really would be an Ashes Series - a test of skill, endurance, fitness and cricketing nous.
MD
05/VIII/13
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Women's Cricket Diary
Women's Cricket coming up in August and September, as far I can ascertain at the moment.
If you know of any more games/details, or if these are incorrect please let me know. Email martin@lawdox.co.uk
11-14 August - England v Australia - Test Match - Wormsley CC
19-23 August - U19 England Women Development Programme Week (Junior Super 4s as was) - Wellington College
19 August - U15 T20 semi-finals at Leamington CC
20 August - England v Australia ODI - Lords
20 August - U15 T20 Final at Leamington CC
22 August - U15 County Championship semi-final at Wokingham CC
23 August - England v Australia ODI - Hove
23 August - U15 County Championship Final at Wokingham CC
25 August - England v Australia ODI Hove
27 August - England v Australia - T20 - Chelmsford
29 August - England v Austrlia - T20 - Southampton
29 August - U17 T20 semi-finals - Leamington CC
30 August - U17 T20 final - Leamington CC
31 August - England v Australia - T20 - Chester-le-Street
1 September - Women's County Championship Div 1 relegation and Div 2 promotion/relegation play-off games - Essex v Surrey; Lancashire v Somerset; Devon v Durham (?)
7 September - Senior T20 Finals - Sussex, Notts, Berkshire and Kent (I think)
15 September - Women's County Championship Division 1 Play-Off - Sussex v Yorkshire at Campbell Park Milton Keynes - 11am start
21September - U17 County Championship semi-final at Leamington CC
21 September - U13 County Championship semi-finals at tbc
22 September - U17 County Championship Final at Leamington CC
22 September - U13 County Championship Final at tbc
MD
01/VII/13
If you know of any more games/details, or if these are incorrect please let me know. Email martin@lawdox.co.uk
11-14 August - England v Australia - Test Match - Wormsley CC
19-23 August - U19 England Women Development Programme Week (Junior Super 4s as was) - Wellington College
19 August - U15 T20 semi-finals at Leamington CC
20 August - England v Australia ODI - Lords
20 August - U15 T20 Final at Leamington CC
22 August - U15 County Championship semi-final at Wokingham CC
23 August - England v Australia ODI - Hove
23 August - U15 County Championship Final at Wokingham CC
25 August - England v Australia ODI Hove
27 August - England v Australia - T20 - Chelmsford
29 August - England v Austrlia - T20 - Southampton
29 August - U17 T20 semi-finals - Leamington CC
30 August - U17 T20 final - Leamington CC
31 August - England v Australia - T20 - Chester-le-Street
1 September - Women's County Championship Div 1 relegation and Div 2 promotion/relegation play-off games - Essex v Surrey; Lancashire v Somerset; Devon v Durham (?)
7 September - Senior T20 Finals - Sussex, Notts, Berkshire and Kent (I think)
15 September - Women's County Championship Division 1 Play-Off - Sussex v Yorkshire at Campbell Park Milton Keynes - 11am start
21September - U17 County Championship semi-final at Leamington CC
21 September - U13 County Championship semi-finals at tbc
22 September - U17 County Championship Final at Leamington CC
22 September - U13 County Championship Final at tbc
MD
01/VII/13
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