Kent’s Tash Farrant – who hasn’t played for England since the original central contracts were announced two years ago – is the surprise selection in England’s squad for the T20 World Cup in India next month.

A left-arm seamer, whose main weapons are line and length rather than pace, Farrant can be difficult to get away, and England will look to her to keep the run rate down rather than take wickets.

She has played 7 T20s and 1 ODI, the last during the 2013/ 14 Women’s Ashes in Australia, taking 5 wickets as a rookie 17-year-old. Now 19 with two years professional coaching behind her, she has her opportunity to make her mark on the world stage.

Not making the trip will be Yorkshire’s Lauren Winfield, after a string of low scores in 2015/ 16. Since making 70-odd against South Africa at the end of the 2014 summer, she has failed to pass 50 in 13 subsequent international innings across the formats, and it seems as though this poor form has finally come home to roost.

Katherine Brunt has been named in the squad, despite being sent home from South Africa with a recurrence of her ongoing back problems. If she is unable to recover, it is likely that Kate Cross will be on standby to take her place.

Full Squad:

• Charlotte Edwards
• Tammy Beaumont
• Katherine Brunt
• Georgia Elwiss
• Tash Farrant
• Lydia Greenway
• Becky Grundy
• Jenny Gunn
• Dani Hazell
• Amy Jones
• Heather Knight
• Nat Sciver
• Anya Shrubsole
• Sarah Taylor
• Danni Wyatt

At just-past the half-way point in the race for automatic qualification for the World Cup in England in 2017, Australia remain way out in front of the Women’s International Championship with 20 points, ahead of West Indies (16) and New Zealand (14) with England and South Africa tied on 13 points for joint-4th*.

Failure to secure automatic qualification would obviously be deeply embarrassing for England; but looking at the remaining fixtures finishing in the top 4 should really be a breeze.

England’s remaining matches are against the two lowest-ranked sides in the “Top 8” – Pakistan (at home this summer) and Sri Lanka (away) – and West Indies (away). Even if they lose all three matches against West Indies, as long as they win the Pakistan and Sri Lanka series 3-0, they will almost certainly guarantee themselves a top 4 finish.

England’s route is made easier partly because South Africa – their main rivals on paper – have a much more challenging year ahead, with series against all three sides above them in the table – New Zealand, West Indies and Australia.

Meanwhile New Zealand face Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, from which you’d expect them to take sufficient points to finish the job; whilst West Indies have South Africa, England and India – none of them doozies, but with 16 points already on the board, they have that little bit less to do.

Projecting, we think the likely automatic qualifiers will be Australia, England, West Indies and New Zealand; with India remaining a strong wildcard pick, even though they currently have only 7 points, because like England they also have yet to play both Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Finally, let’s not lose sight of the fact that even the sides finishing 5th/ 6th (i.e. two of England, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa and India) will almost certainly jump hoops through secondary qualifying against the likes of Bangladesh and Ireland** to still be there in England in 2017.

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* Although South Africa have a marginally superior Net Run Rate, according to the rules that technically doesn’t apply unless the teams are tied at the END of the competition, so for the moment “joint 4th” is strictly correct!

** Not to say one or both won’t qualify too… but perhaps at the expense of a Pakistan or a Sri Lanka… not a South Africa or an India!

The ECB has confirmed that Katherine Brunt, who left the field during the second ODI against South Africa on Friday after suffering from a back spasm, will be returning to the UK and will play no further part in England’s tour of South Africa.

She will be replaced by Tash Farrant, who will fly out with Nat Sciver to join the rest of the squad prior to the three-match T20 series, which begins on 18th February.

Brunt will undergo further investigation and a rehabilitation programme while in the UK. This is not the first time her back has caused her problems – she underwent surgery in March 2014, having missed the back half of the women’s Ashes tour after sustaining a potentially career-ending injury out in Australia – but nonetheless she is expected to be back in action for the start of the World Twenty20 in India next month.

England will certainly be hoping she is back to peak fitness by then, but for now, that elusive 100th ODI wicket will have to wait a while longer.

All-rounder Nat Sciver has been passed fit to return to England duty in time for the T20 series in South Africa later this month.

Sciver is missing the ongoing ODI series after picking up an ankle injury; but will now rejoin the squad ready for the T20s which begin next Thursday.

Sciver is set to fly out to South Africa on Valentine’s Day… and with the World T20s just around the corner, her return is perhaps the ultimate Valentine’s present for new coach Mark Robinson and the team.

The ECB has today announced the five venues where the 2017 World Cup will take place: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Lords.

The tournament will begin on June 26 and, as in 1993 – the last time the tournament was staged in England – the final will take place at Lords.

Of the five venues selected, all have previously hosted women’s internationals, with Grace Road the site of the first India-England Test in the 2006 series; they are also scheduled to host Pakistan this summer. Both Somerset and Gloucestershire staged successful televised one-day games last summer as part of the women’s Ashes series, each attracting several thousand spectators.

It is all in marked contrast to the 1993 tournament, when none of the matches bar the final were staged at county grounds, with players at times forced to roll the wickets themselves.

In a statement to CRICKETher, an ECB spokesperson has confirmed the situation regarding the board’s Anti-Corruption Code, which (among much else) prohibits top players from betting on cricket, akin to the regulations under which two Australian domestic players have been sanctioned this season for placing wagers on men’s matches.

Last week, CRICKETher examined the relevant clauses of the code and suggested that it appeared that:

1. Most county players were not subject to the code because women’s county cricket is not classified as First Class or List A.
2. Some individual players may be subject to the code if they have “day-jobs” working for First Class counties*.

The ECB has now confirmed the situation on both of these points, stating that the code “does not extend to all female county cricketers” but regarding those who work for First Class counties: “it would entirely depend on the role that the county is employing them to perform [and] each role would have to be considered against the rules contained within the ECB Anti-Corruption Code for participants.”

The ECB has also explicitly stated that the code will apply to all participants in this summer’s Super League, though this will apparently be by contract, rather than by extending the definition of “Domestic Matches”.

“The WCSL players will be registered with the ECB, will be bound by the code, and will receive the necessary anti-corruption education.”

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* The application of the code to non-playing employees of First Class counties makes a lot of sense. For example, coaches discussing tactics in the locker room, or ground staff preparing nets or pitches, may well have access to information which would allow them to make “insider” bets; so to avoid all suspicion of impropriety, the code should and does apply.

Perth Scorchers Piepa Cleary has become the second Australian domestic player in recent months to be sanctioned for betting on a men’s cricket match – the recent “day-night” Test between Australia and New Zealand.

Betting on any cricket match is prohibited by the code of conduct which all top-level players in Australia are required to adhere to.

Late last year, Sydney Sixers Angela Reakes was handed a 2-year ban for placing bets of less than $10 on the men’s World Cup final; but this ban was “suspended” – meaning that in practice she is able to continue training and playing as normal.

Cleary has also been banned for 2 years, but in her case only the last 18 months are “suspended”, so she is actually banned for 6 months – a considerably harsher punishment than Reakes, justified by the fact that Cleary had attended face-to-face “anti-corruption” training earlier in the season.

Although the term of the actual ban is off-season and is unlikely to effect her participation in next season’s WNCL/ WBBL, it does mean that Cleary won’t be able to train or play with the Australian development squad – the Shooting Stars – of which she has recently been a part, including playing against England Academy in last year’s tour to Dubai.

This news is further evidence of Cricket Australia’s determination to hold top-level women’s domestic players to the same standards as their male counterparts – something that is perhaps a little easier in Australia than it would be in England because of the clearer distinction between what is (and is not) “top level”.

Middlesex captain Izzy Westbury – who has previously openly discussed betting on men’s cricket – gave her response on Twitter:

It is obviously a nuanced question, but one that should still give any English domestic player pause for thought. Betting on The Other Game might not be technically illegal for non-centrally-contracted players in England right now; but to be on the safe side, perhaps it might just be better to err on the side of caution?

Cricket Scotland has announced that Kari Carswell is to step down from her coaching role with the national side after 5 years at the helm.

Carswell has recently combined the roles of head of women’s cricket, head coach and senior pro, making her basically Mark Robinson, Clare Connor and Jenny Gunn all rolled into one.

Scotland had a mixed year in 2015. They reached the semi-finals of the World T20 Qualifiers, coming within one game of qualification for the tournament-proper; but in the Women’s County Championship they were relegated from Division 2 with just one win in the 50-over competition.

Carswell will now focus on her administrative role, promoting and growing the women’s game north of the border; but has also said that she intends to continue as a player.

Following on from last night’s final, Meg Lanning has been named WBBL’s Player of the Tournament; with England’s Charlotte Edwards and Heather Knight close behind in second and third places.

The adjudication was made on the basis of points awarded by the umpires in each game.

Lanning scored 560 runs in WBBL, topping the runs list ahead of Charlotte Edwards who scored 462. Knight was a little further down the runs list with 363, but also took 17 wickets.

Also making the top 10 was Danni Wyatt, who must surely now be given a proper run in England’s starting 11 in South Africa next month.

Hampshire General Manager Bob Parks has told CRICKETher that building a regional hub around the “world class” facilities at Hampshire County Cricket Club, and at key-partner Southampton Solent University, were the keys to their successful Super League bid.

“Our bid, which emphasised the regional aspect of the Super League concept, fitted very well with the ECB’s aspirations… [and] the idea of hosting a team at a world class venue like the Ageas Bowl was also high on their list of criteria.”

“Southampton Solent University offers excellent sports science facilities… [and] will also attract players who wish to play Super League and study in Southampton.”

Parks emphasises that they see this as a “South Central” regional team rather than just a “Hampshire” county one, with the franchise sitting at the pinnacle of a development pathway, which includes (among others) Berkshire, Oxfordshire and of course Sussex.

“Sussex have a very well-established women’s development pathway and will provide a number of players for the new team.  Their expertise and experience will also be vital in helping less established counties grow their player base and improve the quality of cricket played throughout the region at grassroots level.”

Asked if they have been promised particular players, as Yorkshire and Lancashire appear to have been, Parks says no, but this is something they are hoping to have sorted sooner rather than later:

“No players have been allocated by the ECB or selected by ourselves yet, [but] we hope to hear more in the next couple of weeks.”

Finally, the most important question of all: what will the franchise be called? The answer, apparently, is that it could be up to you! They will be holding a public competition to choose a name, promoted through the local media and commercial partners, in the next few weeks – so look out for that if you’re from the area!