Author: Syd Egan

STATS: Women’s Ashes Batting Rankings

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On reading the table below, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that our rankings system doesn’t really work in a mulit-format series. Difficult… but not impossible! The other way of looking at it is that Danni Wyatt and Beth Mooney “hacked the system” with their remarkable innings in that unprecedented final T20, and that is what has landed them at the top of the list. Wyatt and Mooney’s huge Strike Rates in those innings propelled them ahead of both Ellyse Perry – 200 in the Test – and Heather Knight – four 50s in the series – both of whom scored far more runs over the 7 games.

In the battle of the ‘keepers, Alyssa Healy just pips Sarah Taylor – interestingly they ended the series with exactly the same Strike Rate, but the Aussie scored 43 more runs, despite actually batting one less innings.

Another player whose ranking is boosted by maintaining a good Strike Rate is Katherine Brunt. Brunt’s Strike Rate of 97 is by far the highest of any player on either side who played in all 7 games (the next highest is Rachel Haynes’ 84) and means she edges ahead of Nat Sciver in the rankings, as she continues to push her claim for all-rounder status at international as well as domestic level.

Player Matches Runs Strike Rate
1. Danni Wyatt 3 169 155
2. Beth Mooney 4 247 101
3. Ellyse Perry 7 351 63
4. Heather Knight 7 335 62
5. Alyssa Healy 7 238 81
6. Sarah Taylor 7 195 81
7. Rachel Haynes 7 187 84
8. Tammy Beaumont 7 227 53
9. Katherine Brunt 7 113 97
10. Nat Sciver 7 139 72

Batting Ranking = Runs * Strike Rate

Random Thoughts – Women’s Ashes 3rd T20

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Live Wyatt

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote that Danni Wyatt was Mark Robinson’s Biggest Challenge Yet – she had just come off the back of a poor series against Sri Lanka, making scores of 4, 4 and 0 against the weakest of the “top” sides in the women’s international game, and was surely heading (again) for the last-chance saloon.

But just as he did with Tammy Beaumont, Mark Robinson kept believing in her, and today he got his reward. It wasn’t “just” 100 off 57 balls – a Strike Rate of 175 – it was the pressure she did it under: England were 30-3 at the end of the PowerPlay – their own mums wouldn’t have given them a prayer, staring down the barrel of a Required Rate of over 10-an-over at that stage in the game; but what followed was quite literally history, as England recorded the highest ever successful run-chase in a women’s T20 international.

What’s Next To The Mooney

[I think that’s enough AC/DC song title puns now – Ed.]

Spare a thought though for Beth Mooney – she played the innings of her career – the highest women’s international T20 score ever against a “top” side – and in some ways a better “cricket” innings than Wyatt, who took her usual share of risks; but then saw it eclipsed by Wyatt, as (if we are honest) her team mates threw it away with a hat-full of awful-looking dropped catches – yes, the lights were clearly a factor; but at a professional level, that shouldn’t really be an excuse these days.

Powerage?

[Ok… that’s it – you’re grounded – Ed.]

It will be interesting to see if this game, and indeed this T20 series, marks the start of a new dawn for women’s international T20 cricket, where the “power game” comes to the fore? We are going to be watching a lot of T20 cricket in the next year or so, leading up to the World T20 in the West Indies next autumn, with England playing not one but two T20 Tri-Series – v South Africa & New Zealand and v Australia & India; and you can bet some other sides will be playing even more as they ramp-up to WWT20.

Before today, we only had four centuries scored in nearly 400 women’s T20Is – we’ve just added another two to make it six – how many will it be this time next year? My guess is as good as yours; but if it is still six this time next year, I’ll be very surprised!

Random Thoughts: Women’s Ashes 1st T20

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Knightmare

England have lost the Women’s Ashes, and there can’t be any excuses; but the gods were not on their side today. Heather Knight’s wicket was a nightmare for all concerned, not least the umpires who gave her out, then not out, and then out again. Yes it is complicated but they are paid to know the laws, and Law 27.3 is pretty clear:

“The wicket-keeper shall remain wholly behind the wicket at the striker’s end from the moment the ball comes into play until a ball delivered by the bowler touches the bat or person of the striker or passes the wicket at the striker’s end or the striker attempts a run.”

“In the event of the wicket-keeper contravening this Law, the striker’s end umpire shall call and signal No ball as soon as applicable after the delivery of the ball.”

Zooming-in on the moment the ball hit the bat, it is pretty clear that Healy’s gloves are marginally ahead of the wicket.

Yes, it is “marginal” but the 3rd umpire has a high-definition camera perfectly positioned to make these kinds of decisions, so you can only assume he didn’t know the law, which is… not great, to be honest.

Wyatt Earp

Wyatt Earp – the romanticised hero of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral – was in real-life a reckless gambler who was always looking to make a fast buck. Danni Wyatt on the other hand… Well, joking aside, she can actually play big, sensible innings – we’ve seen it at county. But for England in the T20 format her role has always been to chase fast runs; and a career strike rate of over 100 attests that she has actually been quite successful in that regard – never more so than today when her 50 off 36 balls got England to a position where the game was defendable.

Bark At The Mooney

It was a defendable target, but ultimately not even the Prince of Darkness himself could have stopped Beth Mooney today – she pushed on well past 50, maintaining a Strike Rate of 150 which saw Australia win the game by a country mile. Of course, Meg Lanning will be straight back into the team as soon as she is fit again, but with so many different Aussie batsmen standing up at different times in this series, it might be a close call if she wasn’t the captain!

Heather Is Human

Heather Knight’s “game-face” never slips in front of the media, but it did today in the post-match interviews – for once you could see how much it really mattered to her, and I don’t think it will do too much harm for people to know that there really is a human under that implacable mask. It hasn’t been the Women’s Ashes result she (or we) wanted, but she’ll be back… and so will England!

OPINION: Women’s Ashes Test – England Beaten By Perry, Not The Pitch

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Following the drawn Women’s Ashes Test in Sydney, England coach Mark Robinson talked a lot about the pitch in his post-match interviews:

“We want to play on better wickets,” he said. “It wasn’t a fresh wicket [and] fresh wickets make such a difference.” He then went on to draw a contrast between Coffs Harbour, where England won the 3rd ODI – “a great wicket [with] bounce and carry” – and North Sydney Oval where “the bowlers ran in hard [but] in the end, the wicket beat us.”

His comments have been echoed by many in the media, with for example Charlotte Edwards tweeting “pitches need to be looked at moving forward”.

But was the pitch that bad? Or was it just that one batsman was that good?

Ellyse Perry’s monumental innings – which Robinson rightly praised as “something special” – was 213 off 374 balls. If Perry had “only” scored a hundred, rather than a double, this would still have been by some way the biggest innings in the game. But Australia would have posted a lead of only around 50 and there would also have been an additional 70-odd overs in the match, if you include the overs “lost” in the final session when they called it quits.

Under those circumstances, England could (and likely would) have taken a few more risks to bat themselves into a position where they could have declared, with either result then still a genuine possibility.

It’s all “ifs and buts” of course – it is true that there have been better pitches, and maybe we need to also look at having more “new balls” in pink-ball Tests; but in all honestly England were not beaten by the pitch – they were of course not beaten at all – but if they were beaten by anything, they were beaten by Ellyse Perry, not the pitch.

Random Thoughts: Women’s Ashes Test – Day 4

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Knight In Shining Armour

This is the second time in her career that Heather Knight has saved a Test for England, albeit in quite different circumstances. In 2013 at Wormsley, England were staring down the barrel of the follow-on at 113-6, after Australia had posted 330 in the 1st innings; this time the circumstances were perhaps a little less dramatic, but no less perilous – with the Ashes at stake, Knight had to dig in, and her and Georgia Elwiss did what they had to do. It was a “proper cricket” innings from Knight, demanding all her mental and physical steel – the only disappointment being that she didn’t get the chance to put the seal on it by going on to 100. (We’d have liked to see her bat on at the end; but apparently we were alone in that regard!)

The Winner On Points

You’d have to say in one way that this was a clear “points victory” for Australia, having forced England into batting for the draw; but this is also a bit odd, because two of the four days clearly went to England – Day 2, when they had Australia 5-down and still 100 behind; and today, when the Aussies huffed and puffed but couldn’t get anywhere near blowing England’s house down. In fact, ultimately it would perhaps have been Australia who were slightly disappointed – they definitely felt they had the glimmer of victory in their sights with both the openers gone and England still a long way from safety – but in the end they didn’t have the bowling to force the win.

Pitch (Im)Perfect?

Was the pitch to blame for a “boring” end to the game? We don’t think so – it was the same pitch that gave us Ellyse Perry’s double-hundred yesterday, and we don’t remember hearing too many complaints about it then!! Obviously both sides played quite low-risk cricket, with the 10-over run rate averaging around 2.5, and only once climbing above 4 – but if you want to blame anything for that, blame the points system which, even at 4 points for a win, with only a single Test massively punishes defeat. Anyways… it was only boring if you didn’t really care about the outcome – speak for yourselves, we were glued to it!

Another Win For Robinson

Although England were once again outplayed by Australia… or outplayed by Ellyse Perry, at least… there was a difference from Canterbury in 2015 – England didn’t look like amateurs, out of their depth at this level. And lest we forget, this isn’t because they have played a pile of Tests in the meantime – having in fact played no Tests in the intervening two years. It is because they were well-prepared this time, by a coach with 20 years of experience playing and coaching tough, declaration cricket in the (Men’s) County Championship. And you have to chalk this up as another win for Mark Robinson, who has taken basically the same team, with 70% of the same players, and turned them up a notch – they aren’t up at 11 yet, but they are no longer at 2 or 3!

Random Thoughts – Women’s Ashes Test – Day 2

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Two-Hundred-And-Eighhhhhhhhhty?

Word from inside the England camp is that they were pretty happy with their 1st innings total of 280 – in the entire history of women’s Tests, only one side has ever lost after posting a higher 1st innings total – New Zealand, back in 1969. [That’s so long ago it’s before you were born… just sayin’ – Ed.]

However, England have to have been a bit disappointed that it wasn’t a few more – no blame on the tail this morning, more on the batsmen who didn’t push on yesterday.

But having now seen the Aussies bat, it is clear that maybe this pitch isn’t the road everyone thought it was, as it has actually been England who have set the pace, as the worm shows:

🎵 Walking In A Perry Wonderland 🎵

(Yes… it is stuck in my head – and if it wasn’t stuck in yours before… it is now!!)

As the chart also shows, Ellyse Perry is the key player for Australia – they only started to catch up with the run rate when she got motoring in the period leading up to the new ball. England need to get her out not once, but twice, to win this Test match – that’s the key challenge – if they can do that, they will be in with a shout.

Aussies Under Marshal Law

Laura Marsh was exceptional today – bowling at the left-handers at the top of the innings, she got into a trance-like rhythm, and then just kept it there – tick-tocking through 23 overs for just 28 runs.

Bowling props also to Sophie Ecclestone (2-51) and Georgia Elwiss. (In fact, given her figures – 5 overs, 2 maidens, 0-7 – I’m surprised Heather Knight didn’t find a few more overs for Elwiss, with Nat Sciver not really looking like she was troubling the Australians too much.)

A Tail To Tell Tomorrow?

England need just one more wicket tomorrow morning and they are into the tail, with the Aussies still currently over 100 behind. Admittedly it is a tail that includes Jess Jonassen (99 in the last Test) and Amanda Wellington (116 just the other week for South Australia in the WNCL) but if England can grab almost any first-innings lead they will rightly be pretty chuffed with that, and they will certainly be the ones sleeping easier tonight after having a winning day today.

Random Thoughts: Women’s Ashes Test – Day 1

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Gunn Fired

[That’s enough Jenny Gunn puns now Syd – Ed.]

We debated whether Fran Wilson would have to make way for Georgia Elwiss; but in the end it was Jenny Gunn who was left on the sidelines, with Mark Robinson clearly deciding that England needed Elwiss’s batting more than they needed Gunn’s bowling. Was this a good decision? Well… Elwiss didn’t exactly “fail” with the bat but it remains to be seen how we’ll feel if (when?) Australia are 300-3 this time tomorrow and all our front-line bowlers are exhausted!

Winfield Not Winning

Unlike Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Winfield has struggled to build on her 2016 purple patch – her numbers have reverted back to where they were pre-2016; and today she faced over 50 balls for just 4 runs, before getting out to a shot that she shouldn’t have gone near with a barge-pole, let alone her bat!

But… but.. but… who or what is the alternative? Heather Knight doesn’t want to open; Sarah Taylor shouldn’t open; and we’ve just got rid of all the “senior” batsmen in our Academy! If there was an easy answer, believe us, we’d be all over it – we are The Media™ – we love easy answers; but in this case there isn’t one – we just have to trust that Winfield will come good again in time.

A Way Back For England?

England just about edged the first session-and-a-half – Beaumont and Knight both played well for their 50s, but they couldn’t push on and Australia smashed the final session, as England melted in the darkness. 237-7 is not a good place to be, and you have to feel this is Australia’s game to lose now.

If there is a way back for England, it is to bat long enough tomorrow to prevent the Aussies piling on the runs during the day, and then hope that they too struggle under the lights in the evening session. In the last Test at Canterbury in 2015, Anya Shrubsole occupied the crease for over an hour for a 47-ball duck – it was widely derided at the time, but it would actually be quite a useful contribution here – the duck is intact, and she is 15 balls in already – maybe she can push on towards 50 (balls) tomorrow?

NEWS: Taylor Hits 85 & Wilson Makes Her Case As Test Warm-Up Drawn

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An unbeaten innings of 85 from Sarah Taylor put England in a position to claim a “points victory” in their day-night Test warm-up against a young Australia XI in Sydney.

Having come in with England in slightly dicey water at 91-4, Taylor built partnerships with Nat Sciver (42), Fran Wilson (45) and Katherine Brunt (43*) allowing the tourists to declare on 305-7 – an unassailable lead of 265, with 40-odd overs remaining in the day.

With Katherine Brunt rested from the attack, Kate Cross opened the bowling with Anya Shrubsole; but the target – in excess of 6-an-over – was just too big to tempt the Australians into a real chase, and they played instead for the draw – eventually closing on 182-7, after a late 3-fer for Heather Knight had made things a little bit interesting in the last couple of overs.

In terms of positives from the match as a whole, England avoided defeat (which looked a possibility at one stage) and there were runs for Winfield, who has struggled of late, and Taylor of course.

Whether anyone’s performances will have changed anything in terms of selection is an open question – Winfield was never likely to be dropped even if she hadn’t made a score here; but perhaps Fran Wilson, with her 45, has pushed the case that her runs might be worth more than Georgia Elwiss’s handful of medium-pace overs? (Elwiss didn’t take a wicket, and made 13 and 8 with the bat.)

Given that Sophie Ecclestone did not bowl at all in the 2nd innings (after bowling a lot of overs in the 1st), we’d guess that she was being rested and therefore will play in the Test, probably alongside Laura Marsh.

Probable England Test Team:

  1. Winfield
  2. Beaumont
  3. Knight
  4. Sciver
  5. Taylor
  6. Wilson
  7. Brunt
  8. Gunn
  9. Marsh
  10. Shrubsole
  11. Ecclestone

 

NEWS: Stalenburg Frustrates England In Warm-Up As Aussies Post 1st Innings Lead

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Sydney Thunder’s Naomi Stalenberg frustrated England on day 2 of their day-night Test warm-up against a young Australia XI in Sydney.

Stalenburg, looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2016/17 season which saw her average just 10 in WBBL, made 114 off 165 balls before finally being caught by Nat Sciver off Anya Shrubsole, as the Aussies battled their way past England’s 1st innings score of 231, to a final total of 271 all out.

Although none of the other Australians were able to surpass the 36 Georgia Redmayne made yesterday, they nonetheless hung around, with Molly Strano making the most significant contribution, lasting 66 balls for her 14, partnering Stalenburg through her 80s and 90s at the other end.

England used 8 bowlers, with Katherine Brunt adding 2 more wickets to the 2 she took last night, to finish with 4-37; and Sophie Ecclestone taking 2-58 off a marathon 22 overs. Kate Cross also got in on the action late-on with the tail-end wickets of Piepa Cleary (LBW) and Lauren Smith (bowled) as she finished with 2-36 off 9 overs.

Embarking on their second innings in the evening session, England lost Lauren Winfield early for 7; reaching 87-3 at stumps, having also lost Tammy Beaumont and Georgia Elwiss. Going into the final day England lead by 47 runs, with Heather Knight 34* and Nat Sciver 9* – a draw looking probably the most likely “positive” outcome for the tourists.

NEWS: Winfield In The Runs But England Bowled Out Cheaply In Warm-Up

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Lauren Winfield found some much-needed form ahead of the Women’s Ashes Test, as she made 82 off 161 balls on the first day of England’s 3-day Day-Night warm-up in Sydney.

However, wider questions about England’s batting fragility raised themselves once again, as they were bowled out for 231 by a young Australia XI – the next highest score after Winfield was Tammy Beaumont’s 28 off 74 balls, with Sophie Molineux and Lauren Smith taking 3 wickets apiece, as the Aussies took advantage of the “flexible” warm-up playing conditions to use 11 bowlers in the 71 overs England faced!

Katherine Brunt soon got stuck into the Australia XI’s reply – taking two wickets in two balls in her second over. By the close, the Aussies had recovered to 82-4, with Sophie Ecclestone and Laura Marsh taking the other wickets to fall.

England made one change to their batting order – bringing in Georgia Elwiss for Fran Wilson; and one change to the bowling – Laura Marsh replacing Alex Hartley. In terms of final Test selection, both are potentially “safety-first” all-rounder choices – with Elwiss bolstering the bowling with a few overs of medium pace, and Marsh offering a bit more batting at the tail of the innings.

However, it is quite possible that Hartley in particular could still play in the Test, in place of Ecclestone – it would be a big ask of either left-armer to play 7 days of cricket in 10 (this 3-day warm-up and the 4-day Test) so maybe England are just resting Hartley and the two will swap-out for the Test?

Kate Cross, meanwhile, was also named on England’s team-sheet, but did not bat or bowl on Day 1, reinforcing the impression that she is likely to play only if injuries intervene in England’s plans.