Author: Syd Egan

OPINION: Super League Sees ECB Embrace Risk At Last

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As a sport, cricket is all about risk – the bowler who pitches it on a tempting length, inviting the drive; the batsman who looks to go over the top, even while knowing that in this game there are no second chances.

So it is perhaps surprising that cricket’s governing body in this country, the ECB, has been so conservative over the years. In particular they have never got to grips with their most fundamental problem – that in a country where cricket is very-much a second-level sport, there are simply too many teams; tied to an organisational structure that, being based around the ancient counties, is quite literally Medieval.

The women’s game has arguably suffered more from this than the men’s. Forced to adopt the county structure wholesale after the merger with men’s cricket in the late 90s, there were never really enough elite players to support such a broad base, and even now several of the Division 1 counties frequently “carry” players who neither bat nor bowl.

And yet, when change has been suggested in the past, the answer has always been: “We can’t upset the apple cart”; and “Better the devil you know” so “Cling to nurse, for fear of something worse”!

That’s why the new Women’s Cricket Super League is so important – for women’s cricket and maybe yet for the men’s game too. At a stroke, it cuts the Gordian Knot that has bound the game for so long and takes a big leap into the unknown.

For let us be clear, this is a risk. It could fall flat on it’s face before it even gets started. There are certainly parties interested in hosting teams (not all of them current First Class counties) but at least 5 of them are based within a 60 mile radius of London, which might make commercial sense, but would make a mockery of attempts to rebuild a reinvigorated organisational pyramid around the franchises as local centres of excellence.

And even once the system is established, its success is far-from guaranteed. The ECB are putting a lot of money in themselves, and will require their franchisees to support a robust business plan. But four years is a long time in business. People and sponsors come and go; and with the hosts themselves being expected to put in some money to match the ECB’s contribution, it would be remarkable if all six franchises made it through financially unscathed. If you want to know what the results could look like… just ask anyone who follows women’s soccer in America!

But almost because this is a risk, CRICKETher has never felt so excited about the future of our sport. The contracts were great; the Kia’s were great… but both were for the tiny elite. This is for the wider game and for the future. It isn’t just for those who are playing now, but also for those who will contest the Women’s Super League in 2025, the Women’s Ashes in 2027, and the World Cup in 2029.

And if at that time we are looking back on our careers as journalists, covering a robust, healthy game, then we’ll know that THIS was where that journey really started.

Women’s Cricket Super League Q & A

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What is the Women’s Cricket Super League?

It’s a new elite-level competition for women’s cricket in England.

How many teams / players will take part?

There will be six teams in the competition.

Are these franchises?

In a word… YES! (The ECB are calling them “hosts” but they are franchises in all-but-name.)

Where will the teams be based?

We don’t know yet – the ECB are currently soliciting host tenders, and are prepared to entertain bids from anyone – Arsenal Football club was mentioned, albeit we imagine mainly in jest! However, requirements for teams to support a certain level of facilities for players, spectators and the media, will mean that in practice all bids seem likely to come from existing men’s First Class counties, or amalgamations thereof. Additionally, the ECB have promised to try to maintain a broad geographical base for WCSL, so teams will be spread throughout the country.

How many overseas stars will we see?

Up to 12 “overseas” superstars will play in WCSL; and it is hoped that the very biggest names in women’s cricket will be involved, such as Australia’s Meg Lanning and West Indies’ Deandra Dottin.

How much are the players getting paid?

That’s up to the individual teams, and in practice the answer (at least initially) is likely to be “not much” but the players have been promised (small) match fees and expenses, which is actually a major step forward. (Most county players today have to pay their own way.)

Is this a T20 league like WBBL?

Initially, yes – 2016 will see WCSL run as a T20 competition, alongside the existing Women’s County Championship and Women’s T20 Cup. But in 2017, the league will extend to embrace the 50-over One Day format.

Will it be on TV?

The ECB are certainly very hopeful in this regard – even raising the possibility that it could be on Free-To-Air TV. However, CRICKETher understands that this would require SKY’s agreement, as they currently own the rights to all cricket played under the auspices of the ICC in England and Wales; so at this stage the answer would have to be that it is “up in the air SKY”!

What happens to the Women’s County Championship?

Officially, nothing – it continues as before, and the ECB are committed to maintaining its funding; but they admit that once the “One Day” WCSL begins in 2017, we are unlikely to see the very top players playing county cricket again.

What happens to Scotland and Ireland?

In the words of Clare Connor… “Good question!” After 2018, they will not be permitted to take part in the Women’s County Championship; and their players will be considered “overseas” from the perspective of WCSL. (Though whether this is compatible with EU law is an open question, and may yet be one for the lawyers.)

ECB Announce Women’s Cricket Super League

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As first broken by CRICKETher back in March, the ECB have now officially announced the 6-team Women’s Super League will commence next summer, 2016.

For the first year, the Super League will run as a purely Twenty20 format competition, ALONGSIDE the existing 50-Over County Championship and T20 County Cup. Thereafter the WCSL will evolve to embrace both formats from 2017.

The WCSL is supported by a 4-year, £3 million pound investment from the ECB; who are hoping to attract international stars to the competition alongside home-grown players.

Read Our Women’s Cricket Super League Q & A

Kent Scalp Ireland & Berkshire in T20 Triple-Header

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Kent emerged on top with wins over both Ireland and Berkshire yesterday at Finchampstead CC, in the opening round of this season’s Women’s Twenty20 Cup.

Kent‘s first victory, against Ireland, was a convincing one, as half-centuries from Charlotte Edwards (53) and Tammy Beaumont (61) provided the platform for a 46-run win.

They followed this up with a 4-run victory against Berkshire.

Speaking to CRICKETher after the three matches were complete, Kent captain Charlotte Edwards admitted that the day – which saw Kent play back-to-back T20 games, the last of which went on until gone 7.30pm – had been tiring, but said that she felt the format was a good one.

“It’s been pretty tough, but this level of cricket should be tough. We’re really pleased with how we’ve played today against a good Ireland team and Berkshire team.”

Berkshire v Ireland

Berkshire beat Ireland with 10 balls to spare, thanks to an unbeaten partnership of 89 between their international superstars Heather Knight (54*) and Alex Blackwell (42*).

Ireland, batting first having won the toss on a cold, drizzly morning in Berkshire, looked to play positively from the get-go; but lost crucial wickets early – Issy Joyce in the first over, edging Immy Brown to Heather Knight at slip; Clare Shillington in the second, bowled by Knight.

Cecilia Joyce then took Brown for 15 off the third, including 3 consecutive 4s, to take the visitors to 27/2 after 3 overs; but generally boundaries looked hard to find on a slow, damp outfield. Nevertheless, Ireland continued to play pugnacious Twenty20 cricket, and ultimately progressed to 104/5 from their overs, Laura Delany top-scoring with 32*.

Berkshire’s reply started slowly, as they lost opener Alex Rogers to a 7-ball duck and Lissy McLeod for 2; but this brought Blackwell and Knight together and although they eschewed the big shots that the Irish had been looking to play, they nonetheless did the job they needed to do, seeing things through in the 18th over, without ever looking in any trouble.

Kent v Ireland

Half centuries from Charlotte Edwards (53) and Tammy Beaumont (61) in a century opening stand provided the platform for Kent to convincingly beat Ireland.

For the first 10 overs, Edwards and Beaumont dealt largely in scampering singles, harrying the field at every ball. Beaumont in particular played very straight and looked solid and in command with her punchy drives. Then Kent began to open up – a more expansive approach which led to Edwards being dropped 3 times in the space of 7 balls in the 11th and 12th overs.

Reaching their 50s in the same over, both perished soon after – Edwards run out and Beaumont bowled attempting an uncharacteristic slog off O’Reilly. But the damage had been done by then, and Kent’s final total of 144 was always going to be a mountain for the Irish.

And so it proved. Although the Irish maintained a respectable run rate of around 5 throughout their innings, with good contributions from Laura Delany (25*) and Issy Joyce (22), they fell well short in the end, finishing on 98/5.

Berkshire v Kent

In the day’s final game, Berkshire narrowly failed to beat Kent, with the action going down to the wire as Berkshire were left needing 4 runs off the final ball. But Laura Marsh held her nerve and bowled Daisy Gardner, who was attempting to slog the required boundary.

With Kent having won the toss and elected to bat, it was again Edwards (39) and Beaumont (22) who laid down the platform in an opening stand of 44. Eventually Beaumont was out to Gardener, playing across herself for the second time in the day… and getting bowled for the second time in the day!

Edwards was then joined by Lydia Greenway, and the pair took the score to 65/1 after 10 overs. Berkshire, though, did well to pull back the run-rate in the second half of Kent’s innings, as they finished on 117/4.

As Ireland had earlier in the day, Berkshire maintained a fairly consistent rate of 5-an-over in the first two-thirds of their innings, thanks to Knight (27), Lissy Macleod (24) and Alex Blackwell (20). But with none of the top batsmen able to quite push-on far enough, it was left Berkshire’s late-order to get them back into it, smashing and crashing the ball around in the latening gloom to take them close – though not quite close enough.

#ThisGirlCan Play Cricket: England Stars Inspire at Hampstead CC

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England Women capped off an inspiring day in North London by holding their nerve to beat a Hampstead Cricket Club Men’s XI by 10 runs.

Although the girls looked dead and buried as Hampstead’s openers put on 132 for the first wicket, Heather Knight (2/20) and Becky Grundy (2/32) brought England back into the game, holding back the run rate just enough to ensure victory in the final furlong.

England Women at Hampstead

Batting first, England had put 175 on the board, thanks mainly to Nat Sciver’s late-rallying 46 not out from 38 balls, with Charlotte Edwards (30) and Sarah Taylor (23) also contributing.

But it was earlier in the day that the really important stuff had taken place.

Launching the ECB’s #ThisGirlCan Play Cricket campaign a whole galaxy of England stars hosted a series of coaching master-classes for women and girls from local clubs and schools, including Hampstead CC’s own Women’s team.

Speaking to CRICKETher, England glove-butler Sarah Taylor was passionate about just how important this was, not only to England cricket, but to her personally:

“I don’t think we should ever back away from things like this. We’ve had people in our past that have made the effort to come and help us, and I don’t think we’d be here today without those people, so I’d like to think we have to give back to the game and give out.”

A crowd of well over 300 later joined the likes of non-playing England stars Katherine Brunt and Danni Wyatt in a BBQ picnic, as the match played out under a warm North London sky. An unforeseen highlight was the running commentary over the PA from Downton Abbey’s (Not-Glove) Butler, Mr Carson (Jim Carter).

#ThisGirlCan Play Cricket now moves on to four other locations around the country over the next couple of weeks. (Full details here.) If today was anything to go by, they are not to be missed!

OPINION: England’s Ashes Lineup Takes Shape

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The ongoing England A v England B 4-day warm-up match in Loughborough provides significant clues as to how England plan to line up in this summer’s Women’s Ashes.

Openers It looks like England’s preferred opening partnership might be Heather Knight and Lauren Winfield, with Charlotte Edwards dropping down to 4. Personally, I’m not convinced about this – Edwards’ “play every ball on its merits” approach is perfectly suited to the opening role; while Winfield’s attacking shot-making can really only be justified opening in T20, and even there it is debatable, because while Edwards doesn’t tend to do the spectacular, she does the unspectacular so well that even when she is accumulating, she accumulates more quickly than most.

Middle Order With Taylor coming in at 3 and Edwards at 4, this leaves just one space in the middle order, which you’d expect to be occupied by Kent’s Lydia Greenway. If she fails in the ODIs, then perhaps Amy Jones (who is reported to have batted beautifully making a century at Loughborough) is an option for the Test, but only “if”.

All Rounders Despite making another duck in the warm-up match, to go with the two GOLDEN quackers she has bagged in this year’s Women’s County Championship, Nat Sciver’s place is bolted-down for the foreseeable future. Joining her, I’d expect to see Laura Marsh, who offers good, solid batting cover in the late-middle-order, and the ever-dependable Jenny Gunn; although Georgia Elwiss, who is one of just two players to come out of the last winter with her reputation genuinely enhanced (the other being Alex Hartley) is another option here.

Fast Bowlers It’s pretty clear that England still see Kate Cross as the back-up to Shrubsole and Brunt. I think Cross’ batting has something to do with this, because although she has made 50s in the Women’s County Championship, at international level she is seen very much as a “Genuine No. 11”; so barring injuries, it seems unlikely that Cross will play in the ODIs. But the real question is whether England can risk injury-prone Katherine Brunt in a four-day Test match, however well she is bowling? If not, that is where opportunity is likely to come knocking for Cross.

Spinners With Heather Knight offering a classy enough turning ball to open the bowling recently in T20s, and Laura Marsh filling an all-rounder slot, you have to ask if England even NEED a full-time spinner, and whether playing Cross in the remaining slot might not be a better option? Nevertheless, I’d be surprised if England take the field without one of Dani Hazell or Becky Grundy. Grundy was the one in the driving seat more recently, but Hazell has been working hard on a more attacking, wicket-taking approach so I wonder if it is her we’ll be seeing more of this summer?

The XI? The Women’s Ashes is still two months away, so a lot of water is going to flow under a lot of bridges between now and then. Nevertheless here’s the XI I think England are looking to go with:

Knight, Winfield, Taylor, Edwards, Greenway, Sciver, Marsh, Gunn, Hazell, Brunt, Shrubsole.

MATCH REPORT: Berkshire v Yorkshire – Aggressive Hazell Nuts Toothless Beavers

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After yesterday’s big win against Nottinghamshire, Berkshire’s Beavers were brought crashing back down to earth as Yorkshire chased down 104 in less than 15 overs.

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Needing 105 to win, Yorkshire skipper Lauren Winfield hit 42* and her England colleague Katherine Brunt 41*, including 3 sixes, two of them consecutively off Fi Morris, as the Vikings romped home for the loss of only 1 wicket – Beth Mooney, caught behind by Berkshire glove-butler Carla Rudd off Heather Knight for 8.

But it was earlier in the day that the damage had really been done. Berkshire captain Heather Knight won the toss, but might soon have been regretting electing to bat, as she was first back to the pavilion – caught by Mooney off Katie Levick for 16. Wickets fell steadily thereafter, with only Alex Rogers (24) offering any real resistance as England’s Dani Hazell ripped through the Beavers’ middle order, taking 6/28.

Only Alex Blackwell was perhaps somewhat unlucky – caught behind, as Lauren Winfield (at slip short leg) turned to evade a powerful sweep shot and the ball ballooned back up off her leg for Mooney to take the dolliest of dollies. Winfield later took a terrific low one-handed catch at slip to dismiss Sherissa Gumbs.

Speaking exclusively to CRICKETher after the match, Lauren Winfield credited Hazell’s remarkable bowling performance to England’s recent “Spin Camp” in Sri Lanka:

“She has been fantastic for us the last couple of games – she’s been learning her art a little bit more in Sri Lanka, in terms of trying to be attacking and take wickets. We know that she can bowl with good economy, but I think we’re seeing a different side to her game now.”

With the Women’s Ashes now coming into view over the horizon, it was certainly a performance to gladden the hearts of England fans everywhere; and with Katherine Brunt also looking as sharp as a new bag of nails, it’s setting up nicely to be an exciting summer ahead.

WBBL “Star-Cap” Levels Playing Field

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Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League, which will take place next December-through-January, will cap teams to a maximum of 5 “star” players.

Domestic cricket in Australia has suffered slightly as a spectacle over the years, because so many top players have gravitated towards the New South Wales Breakers, who have won the WNCL 10 seasons in a row and 16 times overall.

Although WNCL is set to continue as a 50-over competition, the key focus will now be on the T20 WBBL, which will feature a much more level playing field.

Teams will be limited to a maximum of 5 “stars” – i.e. current or recent internationals – of which 3 may be overseas players.

This means up to 24 overseas internationals will get to join the party, with England glove-butler Sarah Taylor, West Indies’ big hitting batsman Deandra Dottin, and South African leg-spinning all-rounder Dane van Niekerk, likely to be at the top of many of those wish-lists.

West Indies Move 3rd In Women’s International Championship

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A 2-1 series* victory over Sri Lanka has moved the West Indies up to 3rd in the Women’s International Championship, pushing England down to 5th, though England have 3 games in hand, to be played against Australia as part of this summer’s Women’s Ashes.

Australia remain top of the WIC, despite having played 3 matches fewer than 2nd-placed South Africa.

The top 4 sides qualify automatically for the World Cup in England in 2017.

Team Played Points
Australia 6 12
South Africa 9 11
West Indies 9 10
Pakistan 9 8
England 6 7
Sri Lanka 9 5
New Zealand 6 4
India 6 3

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* Although the full WI/SL “series” is 5 games, of which 4 are complete at time of writing, only games 2-4 count for the WIC.