In the third annual London Cup fixture between Middlesex and Surrey, this year held at Radlett CC, Middlesex made it 3 from 3 after Natasha Miles hit a skilful half-century in her captaincy debut.

Having put 150 on the board Middlesex must have been reasonably confident of the win; but the game came right down to the wire, with Middlesex overseas star Holly Huddleston ultimately holding her nerve bowling the final over to see her side home by a mere 3 runs.

Surrey had won the toss and put Middlesex in but, after Naomi Dattani went early (caught behind for 0 in the third over), they let things slide in the field with some rather erratic bowling – including a total of 18 wides.

Beth Morgan (40 off 34 balls) and her captain took full advantage, sharing an 89-run partnership before Morgan was finally caught at cover in the 12th over. Cath Dalton then joined the party with a quickfire 21 off 13 balls. Miles herself was a mere two balls away from carrying her bat, but was stumped off the penultimate ball of the innings, finishing with 54 runs to her name (49 balls).

Surrey needed to bat at almost 8 an over to emerge victorious, which seemed unlikely until two particularly wayward overs from Dalton and Gayatri Gole, which went for 19 and 18 runs respectively, leaving Surrey 57-1 after 7 overs. From there on in they kept up there or thereabouts with the required rate, as Sophie Pout (29), Bryony Smith (16), Hannah Jones (27) and Aylish Cranstone (31) chipped in with vital runs – Smith, Jones and Cranstone all finishing with strike rates well above 100. Cranstone’s innings was particularly impressive as she deftly steered the ball into the gaps on both sides of the wicket.

Jones was the last of the four to fall, as Milly Pope took a good low catch at fine third man to send her off in the 17th over. By then Surrey required 28 runs off the last 20 balls – but the reintroduction of the fiery Huddleston to bowl out her remaining 2 overs just about prevented them from scrambling over the line.

Miles, who was named Player of the Match, told CRICKETher after the game that she had enjoyed both the match itself and the experience of captaining her side:

“It did get quite nerve racking but this is the cricket we train and play for. I loved every minute of it!

The captaincy is a challenge. I haven’t done it in a long time so I’m just trying to get my bearings again. The girls are just so great to work with, though – Beth batted brilliantly. Cath came in and threw her hands through the ball and really connected well.

It was really fun to see us be so positive after our start to the season [they lost both of their opening fixtures in the County Championship], and hopefully we’re going to take this success forward.”

Captain Heather Knight has sustained a small metatarsal stress fracture to her left foot, and is expected to be out of action for up to 6 weeks.

She will need to wear a specially designed boot for the first 2-3 weeks of her recovery and will then spend 2-3 weeks building back up to full fitness.

While the injury will certainly be a concern for England as they prepare for their home World Cup campaign, Knight is at this stage expected to be fit in time for England’s World Cup warm-up matches, which begin against Sri Lanka on June 19.

In a rain-reduced 40-over game at Edgbaston, Warwickshire made it two from two across the first weekend of the Championship, racking up a 6-wicket win against Sussex thanks to some skilful tandem bowling from Liz Russell (4-12) and Kathryn Bryce (2-22).

Play did not begin until 2.20pm, at which point – the covers having moved in and out like a fiddlers elbow – an 80 over game looked a big ask, but the weather eventually held long enough for the reduced game to reach its conclusion, with the Bears the beneficiaries.

Put in to bat by Warwickshire captain Marie Kelly, Sussex started solidly, reaching 28 without loss after 8 overs, but the dual introduction of Russell and Bryce to the attack in the 8th over changed the course of the game. Russell began with a double-wicket maiden – both Ariana Dowse and Beth Tagg falling LBW, at either end of the over.

Sussex continued to exemplify the idea that “one brings two” as Bryce, too, managed two wickets in an over (and narrowly missed out on a hat trick), having Abbey Freeborn caught at point and Ellen Burt bowled in successive deliveries. Russell meanwhile claimed her 3rd and 4th wickets of the day in the 17th and 19th overs, as both Paige Scholfield (17) and Tara Norris (0) misjudged her line and were bowled. By the end of the Russell-Bryce middle-overs onslaught Sussex were 60-6.

Kelly subsequently proved her own tactical astuteness, deliberately tempting Linsey Smith (joint top-scorer for Sussex, making 17) into trying to hit Nish Patel over the top – straight into Kelly’s waiting hands at long on. Sussex were eventually all out for 85 in the 38th over.

In reply, Warwickshire rode their luck early on, with Mina Zahoor surviving some close LBW appeals and Georgia Hennessy (who went on to make 16) dropped by Scholfield at cover while still on 0. Wickets did eventually come Sussex’s way – 17-year-old Nancy Harman did well to remove both Hennessy (bowled) and Kelly (lbw for 19) – but by the time Kelly fell in the 24th over she had already stabilised proceedings and it was a case of too little, too late for the visitors. Ultimately it was a wayward wide ball making its way across the boundary which sealed the 6-wicket victory.

Afterwards, Liz Russell told CRICKETher:

“Waiting around for the rain is never good, I don’t really suit that, so I was actually shocked to do so well today! The pitch did a lot, and I also bowled some good variation – a couple of slower balls.”

“We were expecting two tough games this weekend so we’re very happy with how they’ve gone – there was a massive team performance on both days. To beat Sussex is something we’ve never done, so to be a part of that was really good.”

A battling batting performance, led by captain Marie Kelly and new recruit Jo Gardner, dragged Warwickshire over the line to beat Kent by 2 wickets at the Edgbaston Foundation Ground in the opening round of the Women’s County Championship.

Marie Kelly might have begun the day with a wild toss of the coin, forcing one of the umpires to leap out of the way, but she won the call nonetheless. The luck stayed with her until the end, when a direct hit went for 4 overthrows, and Warwickshire celebrated a victory which hadn’t all been plain sailing.

Sent into bat, Kent put on 44 for the first wicket before Molly Davies prodded a loose delivery from Georgia Hennessy into the vacant area behind midwicket. The single looked easy, and it would have been were it not for a brilliant bit of fielding from Nish Patel – a direct hit sending Davies back to the dressing room for 20.

The luck continued to flow Warwickshire’s way as Lottie Bryan played back to an unthreatening delivery from Liz Russell, pushing the ball safely out to cover, but in the process somehow managing to take out her own stumps.

The wickets came pretty easily after that, and Kent were on the ropes at 133-8 when Megan Belt came out to join Jenni Jackson in the 38th over. Belt may only be 19, but in a County Championship shorn of its international stars that makes her a senior player these days, and she looked it as she put on 66 with Jackson – making 29, including five 4s, before she was finally dismissed at the death. Jackson finished on 44*, as Kent made exactly the 200 they needed for full batting bonus points; whilst Warwickshire achieved the same with their 9 wickets.

In reply, Warwickshire lost Minahil Zahoor early, but Georgia Hennessy and Kathryn Bryce calmly took them to 47 without any real alarms. Bryce was caught mistiming a drive off Izzy Cloke for 13, bringing in Kelly who looked happy initially to let the ever-dangerous Hennessy play the leading role. But when Hennessy was out – Emily Thompson taking a low catch at backward square – Kelly began to take the initiative herself, running single after single on her way to 57 in partnership with Jo Gardner (who was on debut for Warwickshire, having signed from Northants).

As is so often the case, though, it only takes one wicket to bring two and then three, as Warwickshire collapsed from 163-3 to 167-6 and Kent were back into the game once more. Gardner rode her luck – including being dropped twice and caught off a no-ball – but she continued to play her shots as Kent began to pick off the stragglers in the tail at the other end. A drama ensued worthy of a David Attenborough voice-over – Kent chasing the final wickets, and Warwickshire just a handful of runs, with overs not an issue by this stage.

It was then – in the 47th over – that luck had its final say: a direct hit off a tight run could easily have been the final nail in Warwickshire’s coffin, but the ball ricocheted off the stumps and raced over the carpet of the outfield to the rope for 4 overthrows and the final victory to Warwickshire.

Speaking to CRICKETher after the game, Marie Kelly told us:

“I’m used to batting with Jo [Gardner] at Loughborough University and I think we work well together – we had a good partnership and I thought we were going to see it home, so it was frustrating for me to get out, but Jo saw us home.”

But for Kelly there were also lessons to be learned:

“We had them 130-8 but we just didn’t put sweepers out and they got away a bit – we need to learn from that and get the sweepers out early on – we’ll take that into tomorrow’s game [against Sussex]. Then towards the end… it has become the Warwickshire way, but rather than leaving it until the end like we did today, we need to make our wins a bit more clinical.”

Nonetheless, it was the start Warwickshire needed in the County Championship – a win against the champions, with full bonus points – and they will go into that match against Sussex full of confidence, and deservedly so.

Hamadullah Sohu writes:

The PCB have announced Pakistan’s 15-woman squad for the forthcoming World Cup, which will be played in England from 24 June to 23 July.

They have also confirmed that Pakistan will feature in two warm-up matches before the main event, against West Indies and Australia on 20 and 22 June respectively.

Sana Mir, Pakistan’s captain, said: “The warm-up matches provide us with just the kind of chance we need to fine-tune our game ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup. We get to play last year’s finalists Australia and the West Indies in these matches and look forward to using the opportunity to prepare well for the tournament ahead.”

Pakistan qualified for the tournament at the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2017, played in Colombo in February this year, along with India, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. They play their first game of the campaign against South Africa on 25 June at Grace Road, Leicester.

Full Squad:

Ayesha Zafar

Bibi Nahida

Marina Iqbal

Bismah Maroof

Javeria Khan

Syeda Nain Fatima Aabidi

Sidra Nawaz (WK)

Sana Mir (Captain)

Kainat Imtiaz

Asmaviiya Iqbal Khokhar

Diana Baig

Waheeda Akhtar

Nashra Sandhu

Ghulam Fatima

Sadiya Yousuf

Sabih Azhar (Coach)

England have announced that Sarah Taylor will after all join England’s pre-season training camp in the UAE, during which an England XI will play 3 non-international matches against Ireland.

Although Taylor has stayed out of the limelight for the past year, and hasn’t played any competitive cricket since the World T2o semi-final in India last March, she has remained a part of the England squad throughout that period, and has been training over the winter.

Nevertheless if she is, as England clearly hope, to make her return in time for the World Cup, she needs something more than nets at Loughborough to prepare, and hopefully this fairly low-key training camp offers that opportunity.

Additionally joining England on the camp in a coaching capacity will be recently retired Lancashire men’s captain Tom Smith, who is also going to be involved with Lancashire Thunder during KSL2.

England Head Coach Mark Robinson said:

“Bringing people [like Tom Smith] in helps further their own careers and brings continuity and quality within the coaching setup… He is fresh out of the game and is hungry to learn and develop as a coach. It’s great to get him in.”

The ECB have revealed the England and Overseas player rosters for KSL2, with moves for a number of players, including for England’s two Danielle’s: Hazell heading across the Pennines to captain the Thunder, and Wyatt moving down south to the Vipers.

It has also been announced that both Charlotte Edwards and Arran Brindle will be returning for the Vipers; but not Lydia Greenway, who effectively therefore confirms her retirement from the “spotlight” level of the game, though she may yet appear for Kent this season in a “player-coach” capacity.

Two overseas players (at the Stars and the Storm) are still “To Be Confirmed”.

Lancashire Thunder

• Kate Cross
• Danielle Hazell
• Sarah Taylor
• Jess Jonassen (AUS)
• Amy Satterthwaite (NZ)
• Lea Tahuhu (NZ)

Loughborough Lightning

• Georgia Elwiss
• Amy Jones
• Beth Langston
• Kristen Beams (AUS)
• Ellyse Perry (AUS)
• Elyse Villani (AUS)

Southern Vipers

• Tash Farrant
• Danielle Wyatt
• Suzie Bates (NZ)
• Hayley Matthews (WI)
• Dane van Niekerk (SA)
• Charlotte Edwards
• Arran Brindle

Surrey Stars

• Tammy Beaumont
• Alex Hartley
• Laura Marsh
• Natalie Sciver
• Rene Farrell (AUS)
• Marizanne Kapp (SA)
• TBC (OS)

Western Storm

• Heather Knight
• Anya Shrubsole
• Fran Wilson
• Rachel Priest (NZ)
• Stafanie Taylor (WI)
• TBC (OS)

Yorkshire Diamonds

• Katherine Brunt
• Jenny Gunn
• Lauren Winfield
• Sophie Devine (NZ)
• Sune Luus (SA)
• Beth Mooney (AUS)

England have named a huge squad of 24 players for their up-coming training camp in the UAE, which will include 3 one-day matches (NB – not “official” ODIs) against Ireland on 24th, 26th and 28th of April, as well as a number of inter-squad games.

The squad includes all the contracted players except Sarah Taylor; plus 7 faces from the Senior Academy squad, including Berkshire’s Linsey Smith and Kent’s Alice Davidson-Richards. Although neither Smith nor Davidson-Richards have quite “come from nowhere”, neither was really in the England picture a year ago, but as with Alex Hartley, it shows that Mark Robinson’s England are prepared to cast their net a little wider than might have been the case in the past.

As for Taylor, England are clearly still hoping she might make the World Cup – she is back in training, but not at full fitness, and England have stressed that there are no timescales in place – she will be back when she is ready, be that in time for the World Cup, or not.

UPDATE

The ECB have confirmed that the contracted players will not be available for the first two rounds of the County Championship on April 30th/ May 1st; whilst the Academy players will be released on a case-by-case basis.

Full Squad:

• Heather Knight
• Anya Shrubsole
• Tammy Beaumont
• Katherine Brunt
• Kate Cross
• Georgia Elwiss
• Tash Farrant
• Jenny Gunn
• Alexandra Hartley
• Danielle Hazell
• Amy Jones
• Beth Langston
• Laura Marsh
• Nat Sciver
• Fran Wilson
• Lauren Winfield
• Danielle Wyatt
• Georgia Adams
• Hollie Armitage
• Alice Davidson-Richards
• Sophie Ecclestone
• Eve Jones
• Emma Lamb
• Linsey Smith

– Are you passionate about getting more women playing sport?
– Do you have an interest in Cricket?
– Do you have the skills to engage women to go give Cricket a go?
– Can you make a difference?
– If yes, this may be for you!

Oxfordshire Cricket are looking for an enthusiastic Women’s Cricket Maker for the upcoming summer.

The job will run for 5 months, with the aim to give as many women as possible the opportunity to get a bat and ball experience this summer in a fun and social environment.

More details – including how to apply – are available on the Oxfordshire Cricket website, here: http://www.oxfordshire.cricket/news/womens-cricket-maker-wanted-18215/

An England XI will meet Ireland in three 50-over games in the UAE in April, two months prior to the launch of England’s World Cup campaign.

The matches will take place on 24, 26 and 28 April and, while they will not count as “official” ODIs, they will serve as a useful warm-up for England’s players in the build-up to the world tournament, which launches on June 24.

Ireland, meanwhile, are clearly treating the series as an opportunity to blood new talent, with 7 uncapped players included in their squad: Aoife Beggs, Rachel Delany, Louise Little, Lara Maritz, Sophie MacMahon, Leah Paul and Rebecca Stokell.

Ireland squad: Laura Delany (capt), Aoife Beggs, Laura Boylan, Rachel Delaney, Jennifer Gray, Shauna Kavanagh, Amy Kenealy, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Lara Maritz, Sophie MacMahon, Lucy O’Reilly, Leah Paul, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron.

England squad: TBC.