With just 5 days to go until the start of the summer internationals, England have named a 14-player squad for the first two ODIs against South Africa.

Lauren Winfield has been recalled after missing out on the ODI and T20 series’ in India, while Alex Hartley and Fran Wilson have both been omitted. Katherine Brunt and Sarah Taylor both return to the squad after being rested for the India tour.

Interestingly, the ECB’s press release indicates that this squad is only for the first two ODIs of the summer, leaving Mark Robinson’s options open for the third ODI against South Africa and the ensuing T20 tri-series.

The full squad is as follows:

• Heather Knight (captain, Berkshire)
• Tammy Beaumont (Kent)
• Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
• Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire)
• Georgia Elwiss (Sussex)
• Jenny Gunn (Warwickshire)
• Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
• Amy Jones (wicketkeeper, Warwickshire)
• Laura Marsh (Kent)
• Anya Shrubsole (Somerset)
• Nat Sciver (Surrey)
• Sarah Taylor (wicketkeeper, Sussex)
• Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire)
• Danni Wyatt (Sussex)

A quick summary of today’s key events*:

Division 1

At Andover, Hampshire beat Middlesex by 63 runs to see them crowned winners of the 2018 Women’s County Championship.

Finishing in second place are Yorkshire, who beat Nottinghamshire by 77 runs at Harrogate but could not quite catch Hampshire on bonus points.

At the other end of the Division 1 table Warwickshire avoided relegation at Newton-le-Willows by winning big against Lancashire – by 84 runs.

It was a tight scrap for who would join Somerset in Division 2 next season between Middlesex (who lost to Hampshire) and Nottinghamshire (who lost to Yorkshire) but ultimately Middlesex lost out, relegated by just 0.17 points.

Division 2

Sussex topped Division 2 with a comprehensive 7-wicket win against Berkshire at North Maidenhead.

Surrey will join them in Division 1 next season, finishing second in Div 2 thanks to an unbeaten hundred and 5 wickets from Bryony Smith, as they beat Essex by 8 wickets at Reeds School.

With Derbyshire and Northamptonshire already relegated, the real question was which of Berkshire and Essex would land up in the play-off with one of the top Division 3 sides. Essex’s inability to see off the Surrey batsmen ultimately cost them big as they failed to secure enough bonus points, and will therefore face off against Suffolk in the play-off on Monday 27th August.

Full results and round-ups to follow.

*NB: This information is based on tweets from individual counties, rather than official scorecards, and may not be wholly accurate.

Surrey made it from 2 from 2 this weekend in a clinical win against Northants at the Northamptonshire County Ground, beating their Division 2 opponents by 87 runs.

Bryony Smith led the charge, making 52 from 42 balls in an innings that will surely help to make the case for her return to the top of the order for Surrey Stars in this year’s Kia Super League.

“Our aim was to win both these 2 games convincingly and get as many bonus points as possible to help our promotion chances,” Smith told CRICKETher after close of play.

“I’ve had a few rough games so it was good the last few days to spend some time in the middle and get some runs on the board.”

“I’m looking ahead to the Super League to dominate in that back at the top of the order. The aim for me [for Surrey Stars] is to open again.”

The two sides were fortunate to get in a game at all after torrential rain fell overnight, leaving the original pitch unplayable due to moisture in the bowler’s run-up. But, after some creative conferring with the groundsmen, the game was moved across to a neighbouring wicket and a 29-overs-a-side match ensued, commencing at 3.30pm.

After winning the toss and putting Surrey in, the Northants bowlers looked dangerous early on, with Kirstie White surviving a convincing appeal for caught behind off Meera Patel’s first ball of the day, and Smith dropped by Alicia Presland off her own bowling after skying it when on just 9*.

The pair eventually added 89 for the first wicket as Smith in particular punished some short bowling, racking up 8 fours, 3 of which were clubbed over midwicket.

The introduction of off-spinner Emily Starr to the attack in the 11th over helped stem the flow as she bowled a consecutive 6-over spell that yielded 3 wickets for 25 runs, including both White (37) caught behind and Smith, bowled by a looping yorker just after bringing up her half-century.

Starr was instrumental, too, in Surrey’s late-order collapse, finishing with a catch and a run out to her name, leaving Extras (29) their third highest scorer and Surrey 8 wickets down at the end of their 29 overs.

Nonetheless Surrey’s total of 181 was always going to be an imposing one for a side whose highest score with the bat this season has been 127.

And while Northants kick-started their effort with successive boundaries in the first over from Amelia Gardner (17) through the off-side, her dismissal at the hands of Beth Kerins 6 overs in set the tone, as 5 Northants batsmen came and went by the 14th over.

Bethan Solomon (32*) and Meera Patel (19) shared a 32-run partnership for the 6th wicket but quickly fell well behind the required rate as the game eventually petered out to a slow conclusion.

For Surrey, it follows on from their annihilation of Derbyshire yesterday at the hands of Nat Sciver (180*) to leave the London-based club in the running for promotion to Division 1 as the Championship wraps up next weekend.

It was a good night for English women’s cricket last night, with the England team and the ECB both triumphant at the Women’s Sport Trust’s #BeAGameChanger Awards.

England Women took home the Sporting Role Model Team Award, while the ECB won National Governing Body of the Year.

While the England squad were unable to be present, sending a video acceptance, Clare Connor took to the stage to thank all those who had voted.

Speaking about England’s World Cup triumph, she said: “The team did us proud, and it’s up to us now to capitalise on it. We have to make sure it is a game-changing moment.”

“If we can look back in 10 years time and see as many girls playing the game as boys, that will show the game is in really good health.”

The Awards ceremony also saw the launch of the #ShowUp campaign, led by Sky Sports and the Women’s Sport Trust, which encourages people to support women’s sport by turning up to watch.

Former England netballer Tamsin Greenway explained that the campaign had been inspired by the sell-out World Cup final at Lord’s last summer: “I’ve never heard anything like the crowd that day,” she said. “I’ve had bragging rights ever since – ‘I was there!'”

As part of the campaign, Sky are giving away 5,000 tickets to women’s sports events this year to encourage attendance.

On a sunny summer evening at Guildford CC, Middlesex once again stamped their dominance over neighbours Surrey, continuing their unblemished record in the London Cup with a 7-wicket win.

Naomi Dattani was the undoubted star, hitting a fast-powered 52 and taking 2-16.

Opening the innings and with Middlesex chasing Surrey’s 124, Dattani made her intent clear from the outset, blasting five boundaries in the first 2 overs, and punishing England’s Bryony Smith with a six over midwicket.

In no time at all she had reached 50, while partner Tash Miles, watching on from the other end, had only 4 runs to her name. It was an innings of sheer dominance, played with a level of aggression and confidence rarely seen at this level of the game.

Perhaps the only flaw was in its ending; Dattani was eventually dismissed in the 7th over just after passing 50, chipping the ball straight into the hands of the cover fielder, leaving Middlesex on 60-1.

When Dattani departed, the run rate dropped significantly – Middlesex did not reach 100 until the 15th over – but the damage was already done; and captain Tash Miles (28*) eventually saw her side safely over the line with an over to spare.

Earlier, Surrey had won the toss and chosen to bat first; a decision that was rather unfortunate for Middlesex, who with 2 players stuck in traffic on the M25 had to “borrow” Surrey’s 12th man to help field to ensure the game started on time.

Helped by some erratic Middlesex bowling, Surrey got going quickly with 20 runs coming off the first 2 overs.

But the introduction of Dattani to the attack halted the pace as she removed Aylish Cranstone and Hannah Jones in successive overs, leaving Surrey 71-3 at the halfway stage.

For a while it looked as though Bryony Smith would hold things together for Surrey, as she picked off the Middlesex spinners with some stylish cover drives; but young Emma Albery – fresh from taking 4-19 in Sunday’s Championship match against Somerset – eventually slipped through Smith’s defences, bowling her round her legs as she departed 6 short of her half-century.

Led by Eva Gray (15) Surrey attempted to push on with some quick running between the wickets, but Middlesex took advantage of the ensuing pressure to enact two sharp run-outs, ensuring that Surrey finished on a below-par 124-7.

Ahead of this summer’s busy international programme, England are amidst a weekend of warm-up matches against boys teams: yesterday, a T20 against Bedes School 1st XI, and today, a 50-over fixture against the Sussex Academy.

For coach Mark Robinson, who spoke to CRICKETher after yesterday’s match at Bedes, this is vital match practice in the build-up to the international summer.

“We’re desperate to play some Twenty20 games ahead of the World Cup,” he says, “and with the 50-over series coming up against South Africa we’re trying to combine the two.”

The advantage of playing against these boys teams is that: “You get a bit of pace on the ball.” More importantly, he says it is crucial for England to play together against a different and unknown opposition:

“We play against each other and use the England Academy girls, which isn’t quite the same because you know each other.

“So to come and play an opposition where you don’t know who they are, what they’re going to do, how to problem solve, especially in a T20 game where you have to problem solve very very quickly, work out the wicket – that’s the learning that you want.”

He acknowledges that the clash with today’s round of County Championship fixtures is “not ideal” but stresses that a number of the squad have been released to play county today, including the star of yesterday’s match Amy Jones (for Warwickshire).

Robinson speaks positively about Jones’ start to the season – including a score of 68 for Warwickshire in the Women’s County Championship – and says that since the team returned from India she has “hit the ground running and played outstandingly well.”

He selected her to open the batting yesterday in the absence of Danni Wyatt, who is in India for the one-off IPL-style Women’s T20 Challenge. He hopes that for Wyatt, the opportunity to perform on the big stage will allow her to recover from a slow start to the county season: “It’s good for her ego!” he says with a smile. “She likes the big occasions – playing in front of a crowd on a good wicket.”

Jones, meanwhile, repaid the faith shown in her by Robinson handsomely. She was the key contributor to England’s clinical 51-run victory yesterday against the school side, hitting 76 of their 179-run total and keeping wicket in her usual tidy fashion, including a catch and a stumping.

It will be interesting to see whether Robinson finds a place for her in the forthcoming international fixtures – all of which will be challenging.

“On paper New Zealand are the bigger threat, but South Africa have got players who can win games by themselves,” acknowledges Robinson. “It’s a really good summer because anything can happen. None of the games you can take for granted.”

Ahead of the World Twenty20 in November, he is also hoping that the ECB can arrange some further warm-up T20s out in the UAE, against a different international side. “We’re trying to fill the gap,” he says. “Plan C is being in a tent at Loughborough!”

Sussex continued their unbeaten run in Division 2 of the Women’s County Championship today with a maximum bonus point win against Surrey at Reeds School.

3 wickets from Paige Scholfield saw Surrey restricted to 120 all out, before Sarah Taylor hit an unbeaten half-century to take Sussex to a 6-wicket win.

After Surrey had won the toss and chosen to bat, Tara “Chuck” Norris, opening the bowling for Sussex, broke through early to remove Bryony Smith (1) in the second over as her England teammate Danni Wyatt took the catch at point.

Kirstie White (20) and Aylish Cranstone (18) then steadied the ship with a 36-run partnership which was perhaps a bit too steady – Surrey reaching just 27 in the first 10 overs.

That partnership was broken in the 12th over by acting captain Georgia Elwiss; before Paige Scholfield ripped through Surrey’s middle-order in a consecutive 10-over spell, taking 3-17 including the crucial wicket of Nat Sciver (LBW).

England Academy’s Amy Gordon saved Surrey from capitulation with an exciting rearguard cameo (31*) that featured two sixes fired back over the heads of bowlers Norris and Freya Davies. But Sussex had the final say as Davies wrapped things up in the 49th over, removing Beth Kerins LBW.

Sussex were chasing only 120 but Wyatt gave them a scare up top, sending the first ball into the hands of Smith at point – a karmic role reversal from Smith’s own dismissal in the Surrey innings – to leave them 0-1.

That dismissal, though, brought Taylor to the crease, allowing her to continue her form of last weekend in an innings of 60* that exhibited her usual array of classical shots. She now has 3 half-centuries in as many innings, which should please Mark Robinson ahead of the England internationals which begin against South Africa next month.

For Sussex the important thing was to bat positively to ensure they reached the target within 30 overs, thus securing maximum batting bonus points. Taylor’s partnerships with Adams (25) – unscathed after earlier being hit in the forehead while fielding at slip – and Abi Freeborn (21), alongside the rather baffling decision not to bowl Sciver until 8 overs had already elapsed, allowed them to do so without much concern.

Speaking to CRICKETher after close of play, Sussex captain Georgia Adams said that she was really pleased with the way her team had started the season:

“We’ve trained really really hard this winter and we’ve set ourselves really high standards. The big thing for us is, we want to go in with a bang and not just win but win well. We’re definitely looking to win Division 2.”

Hampshire (187-6) beat Nottinghamshire (186-9) by 4 wickets

On a gloriously sunny day at Havant Cricket Club, Hampshire opened their account in Division 1 of the Women’s County Championship with a tense win, chasing down Nottinghamshire’s total of 186 with just 1 over to spare.

Star of last season Suzie Bates had reached her half-century as Hampshire got their chase off to a much-too-leisurely start, reaching 100-3 in 29 overs.

It meant that when Bates departed for 54, having misjudged Kirstie Gordon’s slower ball, Hampshire were already behind the required rate.

Ultimately it took a real team effort to get them across the line, with Emily Windsor (49) and Katie George (23) both playing a role, before veteran Charlotte Edwards entered the fray with 30 runs still required.

Edwards was skilfully able to force the pace, with traces of the old brilliance still very much apparent as she found the boundary rope with a drive for four.

She was eventually run out backing up for 14, but Ariana Dowse finished things off the very next ball, pulling Georgie Boyce for four runs through square leg – Hampshire ending with a 4 wicket win.

Earlier Notts had accumulated the highest Div 1 total of the day, putting 186 runs on the board despite losing their last 6 wickets for 40 runs.

Sonia Odedra (50) and Jodie Dibble (44) formed the backbone of the innings, with both batsmen riding their luck in a partnership of 80 as several catches went begging.

For Hampshire, who by taking 9 wickets secured maximum bowling bonus points, it was 17-year-old Charlie Dean (3-31) who took the bowling honours, removing top-scorer Odedra just after she had reached her half-century, and taking a fantastic diving catch to dismiss Lucy Higham caught and bowled.

Speaking to CRICKETher after close of play Suzie Bates acknowledged that Hampshire had improvements to make but said that the win was the most important thing:

“We didn’t field as well as we would have liked but we managed to come back and keep them to a score that we felt we could chase.”

“We got off to a good start with the bat but lacked intent at times – it was probably a bit closer than we would have liked, but it’s nice to get the first win under our belts.”

CRICKETher has learned that TalkSport’s new radio broadcasting rights, which cover England Men’s forthcoming winter tours to Sri Lanka and West Indies, do not include either the Women’s World T20 or England Women’s winter internationals.

While in the past the rights have generally been sold as a package, with the BBC covering both the men’s and women’s tours, this time around the women’s matches appear to have been offered up as a separate set of rights which were not purchased by TalkSport.

The WWT20 will take place in West Indies in November as a standalone women’s tournament. In addition, the Women’s International Championship dictates that England will play at least 3 ODIs over the winter, though the formal schedule has yet to be announced.

This potentially leaves the way open for the BBC to bid for the broadcasting rights for these matches, which could help to fill the hole in their schedules which the loss of these men’s overseas tours has created.

Today the ECB have announced that what we thought would be the new city T20 franchise league will actually be an 8-team domestic competition played according to the totally-not-tried-and-tested format of 100-ball cricket.

Today the ECB have not only thrown common sense to the winds but appear to have entirely ditched their commitment to developing women’s cricket.

We already knew that the end of the Kia Super League was probably nigh: the lure of a brand new T20 competition, to be played in an aligned way with the new men’s franchises according to the BBL / WBBL model that has been so successful in Australia, was too strong to resist.

In itself that hurt. We – and by that I mean not just CRICKETher but the administrators, the fans, the coaches and the players – had poured our hearts and souls into the KSL. We wanted to make it work, and it did: audiences in their thousands, including nearly 3500 spectators at last year’s Hove Finals Day, were finally paying attention to domestic cricket.

But we could deal with the hurt, because we thought that maybe something better, or at least equally good, was coming.

How wrong we were.

This new 100-ball format, the ECB says, will provide “clear differentiation from other competitions” and be “distinct from the popular Vitality Blast”. The fact that the new competition will blast a nuclear hole through the women’s domestic pathway in England is not so much glossed over as ignored completely.

KSL is the only top-level T20 cricket that our domestic players get. There is a county T20 tournament, but the two competitions are frankly incomparable. The Super League is a paid competition which features the best players from all over the world. The women’s county T20 competition is amateur, unpaid, and short-lived, with each side playing a maximum of 7 games a season. For that reason it tends not to attract overseas players.

And yet this, from 2020, is what we will be left with: all players below England level having 7 T20 games a season to learn the format that is at the fundamental heart of women’s international cricket. It is farcical.

Clare Connor states in the press release that for women players this competition represents “an exciting stage upon which to display their talent”. But will players like Sophie Devine and Meg Lanning really want to come to England to play “100-ball cricket”? Why would they? Do the ICC have plans to introduce a 100-ball World Cup?

3 years ago, when plans for the Super League were first announced, I was so excited. I wrote that there was “much to celebrate, and much to look forward to”. It felt like the development of the women’s game was being made a priority.

Today, as I read incredulously through the ECB’s press release, all I could see was the total lack of consideration that those high up making these decisions have given to the women’s game. Make no mistake: for women’s cricket, 100-ball cricket is a nuclear disaster waiting to happen.

See also: The 100 Is English Cricket’s Vietnam