ANALYSIS: Spin City & The Pace Problem In The Women’s Game

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A recent piece on Women’s Cricket Blog asked Do the Aussies have a seam problem? Basically concluding… yes they do – their pace options are limited and apparently ineffective!

In fact, looking at the stats for the Women’s International Championship, it might be argued that EVERYONE has a “pace problem”.

Just 4 of the top 10 wicket-takers in the Championship are pacers, with spinners occupying the first 3 spots:

Player Bowling Wickets
1. Jess Jonassen Spin 29
2. Heather Knight Spin 29
3. Anisa Mohammed Spin 25
4. Anya Shrubsole Pace 24
5. Shabnim Ismail Pace 22
6. Kristen Beams Spin 21
7. Marizanne Kapp Pace 21
8. Sune Luus Spin 20
9. Hayley Matthews Spin 20
10. Katherine Brunt Pace 20

And across the entire Championship, spin dominates – it takes more wickets than pace, more economically, and at a better Strike Rate:

Bowling Wickets Economy (Avg) Strike Rate (Avg)
Spin 58.02% 3.81 37.04
Pace 41.98% 4.19 40.22

Contrast this with the situation in the men’s game where, looking at ODIs over the past 2 years, spin has its place in keeping the runs down, but it is pace bowling which takes wickets and has the edge in Strike Rates:

Bowling Wickets Economy (Avg) Strike Rate (Avg)
Spin 32.36% 5.26 49.69
Pace 67.64% 5.90 46.02

The $64,000 question is why?

Here’s a theory:

At junior, club, and even at county level in the women’s game, pace can be intimidating, so it is an effective weapon by itself; but by the time you get to international level, the players are used to facing bowling machines which hurl it down, so international batsmen aren’t intimidated any more, leaving the pace bowler with two options.

One option, increasingly common in the men’s game, is to bowl it fast enough that actually seeing the ball becomes a problem, due to the limitations of the human eye; but to do this, you need to be touching close to 90mph, and no one in the women’s game is anywhere near close to this.

The other option is to add “something else” to the pace armoury – swing (e.g. Anya Shrubsole) or control of movement off the pitch (e.g. Katherine Brunt) – but that isn’t easy to do, especially if you are only suddenly confronted by this need when you reach the pinnacle of the system.

Add to this conditions around the world which often seem to favour the tweakers over the twerkers, and it is Spin City in the women’s game, as the spinners take the glory, whilst the pacers increasingly struggle to make an impact.

NEWS: Women’s Game “Endangered” In New Zealand, But Board Promises To Act

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New Zealand Cricket have accepted the findings of a damning independent report into the state of the women’s game in the country.

The report into the state of women’s cricket in New Zealand was commissioned by the board, and undertaken by Sarah Beaman, a former player and New Zealand age-group captain, who is now a management consultant specialising in sports and recreation.

Beaman’s report finds that beneath the veneer of the current team’s international success, domestic participation has dropped to near-disastrous levels, with over 50% of clubs offering no cricket at all for women or girls. Just 10% of players are female, almost all of whom are young girls who go on to drop out of the game as teenagers. At a management level, women hold only a small fraction of positions on New Zealand’s regional and national boards.

In the report’s executive summary, released today, Beaman writes of having discovered “women having virtually no voice in the governance or leadership of cricket, few women coaching or umpiring, and female players a species on the verge of extinction.”

A statement from New Zealand Cricket acknowledged the issues highlighted in the report and promised to put them right, saying:

“We have neglected the women’s game… We were wrong, and we now need to address the areas we’ve allowed to slip.”

NEWS: Emma Lamb Called Up To England Squad

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Lancashire’s Emma Lamb has been added to the England squad which will tour Sri Lanka this month, following a successful training camp in Abu Dhabi.

Coach Mark Robinson said that Lamb had impressed in the two internal warm-up games played in Abu Dhabi, as well as during the Kia Super League, when she was the only non-international player to feature among the top ten group-stage run scorers.

Though she opens for Lancashire and Lancashire Thunder, it is likely that if she makes her debut during this series – which begins with the first ODI tomorrow – Lamb will come in down the order, having batted at number 6 in the Abu Dhabi matches.

Her international call-up follows a successful Academy tour earlier this year to Sri Lanka, when she made 85 off 80 balls in a one-day game versus Sri Lanka A and 45 off 29 balls in a T20 against Australia’s Shooting Stars.

NEWS: Alex Hartley Wins Cricket Society’s Most Promising Young Cricketer Award

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Four months after making her international debut, 23-year-old left-arm spinner Alex Hartley has won the Cricket Society’s Most Promising Young Female Cricketer Award.

2016 has been an exciting year for Hartley, after she fought her way back into England contention having been dropped from the Academy 7 years ago. Having impressed new coach Mark Robinson, she was called into the squad for the summer series’ against Pakistan, and took her first international wicket in the final T20 at Chelmsford, finishing with figures of 2-19.

She performed brilliantly in the inaugural Super League for Surrey Stars, ending the competition with 8 wickets, including 3-11 against Lancashire Thunder.

Most recently in England’s ODI series in the Caribbean she took 13 wickets at an economy rate of 3.4 – a record total for England in a bilateral series.

Hartley said: “I’m so excited to have won this award – thank you to everyone at the Cricket Society.”

“Looking through the names of previous recipients, it is incredible to think that my name has now been added to that list.”

“The past 12 months have flown by in a bit of a blur, but I have loved every second of it. I’m still learning so much with every match I play, and I now can’t wait to see what 2017 and the possibility of playing in a home World Cup has to bring.”

The award has run since 2002, with previous winners including Nat Sciver (2013), Heather Knight (2010) and Katherine Brunt (2004). It will be formally presented at the Cricket Society’s annual autumn dinner this evening.

NEWS: England Announce Academy Pathway Revamp

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The ECB have announced a restructuring of the England Women’s “Pathway” – splitting the Academy and age-group squads up into two new sections – a “Senior Academy” under ex Lancashire glove-butler John Stanworth and an “Academy” headed up by Loughborough Lightning Coach Salliann Briggs; with six “Regional Development Centers” beneath that, based on the six Super League franchises.

The squads for the 2016/17 winter training program are:

Senior Academy

Georgia Adams (Sussex)
Hollie Armitage (Yorkshire)
Georgia Boyce (Nottinghamshire)
Thea Brookes (Worcestershire)
Ellen Burt (Sussex)
Alice Davidson-Richards (Kent)
Freya Davies (Sussex)
Sophia Dunkley (Middlesex)
Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire)
Kate George (Hampshire)
Georgia Hennessy (Warwickshire)
Evelyn Jones (Staffordshire)
Hannah Jones (Surrey)
Emma Lamb (Lancashire)
Sophie Luff (Somerset)
Paige Scholfield (Sussex)
Bryony Smith (Surrey)
Linsey Smith (Berkshire)
Ellie Threlkeld (Lancashire)

As predicted, Alex MacDonald and Steph Butler are out of the picture, with Alice Davidson-Richards and Georgia Hennessy coming back in from the wilderness.

Academy

Lauren Bell (Berkshire)
Maria Bouchier (Middlesex)
Izzy Cloke (Kent)
Charlie Dean (Hampshire)
Alice Dyson (Derbyshire)
Emily Edgcombe (Cornwall)
Danielle Gibson (Gloucestershire)
Sarah Glenn (Derbyshire)
Amy Gordon (Surrey)
Eva Gray (Surrey)
Lucy Higham (Leicestershire)
Anna Nicholls (Middlesex)
Tara Norris (Sussex)
Millie Pope (Middlesex)
Rihanna Southby (Surrey)
Alex Travers (Surrey)
Katie Wolfe (Middlesex)

This squad is always going to be more fluid as players mature at different rates, but two notable absences from last year – Megan Belt, despite a very good county season, topping the bowling rankings; and Cordelia Griffith, who we understand was selected but has chosen to concentrate on her studies.

This article was updated on 4/11/2016 re. Cordelia Griffith’s situation.

NEWS: This Week In Brief

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WNCL

  • The New South Wales Breakers hit the top of the table this weekend, after an Ellyse Perry century (101 off 120 balls) saw them thrash the bottom-placed Western Fury by 107 runs.
  • Tasmania Roar keeper-batsman Georgia Redmayne became the first Tasmanian ever to hit a WNCL century as the Roar pulled off a thrilling last-ball run chase of 246 to beat the ACT Meteors.
  • The following day was somewhat less fun for the Roar however, as they got Lanninged. The Megastar hit 190 off 153 balls – breaking her own WNCL record high score of 175 – whilst Jess Cameron played second-fiddle at the other end with a “mere” 108 off 120, as the Vic Spirit posted 320-3 in Hobart – the Roar were bowled out for 163 in reply.
  • Fast bowler Julie Hunter has announced her retirement from the WNCL after a 13-year career which included 23 ODIs for Australia. She will continue to play in the WBBL.

WBBL

  • Anya Shrubsole will join Katherine Brunt at the Perth Scorchers for this year’s WBBL – this is the first time Shrubsole has ever been persuaded to play domestic cricket other than for her “home” sides – Somerset and Western Storm.
  • Shrubsole effectively replaces Charlotte Edwards at the Scorchers – Edwards confirmed earlier this month that she will play for the Adelaide Strikers, as expected given that she is currently playing WNCL there for the South Australia Scorpions.
  • It’s been announced that Channel Ten will broadcast a standalone women’s cricket weekend in December as part of the WBBL season, with four (F.O.U.R!!!) WBBL games being shown across one weekend.

India

  • India have announced their squad for their Women’s International Championship ODI and T20 series versus West Indies, with Harmanpreet Kaur promoted to the T20 captaincy, but Mithali Raj retaining the role for the ODIs.
  • Meanwhile, there is still no official word on what happens to the points from India’s “missed” series against Pakistan, which the BCCI essentially refused to play. Bizarrely the Indians seem to think they may be entitled to some of the points, and it is apparently going to an ICC committee to decide. (The two teams are also supposed to be competing later this year in the Asia Cup in Thailand, but there are now clouds over that too.)

And Finally…

  • In case you missed it, this is awesome – Eileen Ash (née Whelan) played the last of her 7 Tests in 1949. On the pitch Whelan was a bowler, taking 10 wickets in a career which was curtailed by the war. More than half a century later though, she is still at the crease of life – currently (as of today, Sunday) batting 105 not out and reckoned to be the oldest living Test cricketer of either gender.

OPINION: Camp Selections Point To England Ins And Outs

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The announcement yesterday of an almost completely uncontroversial England squad to tour Sri Lanka next month was accompanied by some rather more intriguing selections for the pre-tour camp in Abu Dhabi.

The 14-man squad to tour Sri Lanka will be accompanied to Abu Dhabi by 9 others – one of whom will also be the 15th player selected for Sri Lanka.

Coach Mark Robinson has hinted in the past at trying to almost ‘blur the line’ between the Academy and Performance (Contracted) squads, perhaps by subsuming the Academy into a larger “combined” squad. So, taking the 14… plus the 9… plus Anya Shrubsole, who is injured… do we have a hint of what a 25-man England squad might look like next summer? And if so… who is in, and who is out?

In addition to Charlotte Edwards and Lydia Greenway, both of whom have retired, 4 members of last summer’s performance squad are not included for the Abu Dhabi camp.

Tash Farrant is playing WNCL in Australia, and (to be frank) probably getting a higher standard of cricket there than she would even if she played in Sri Lanka – she will undoubtedly be back.

Sarah Taylor is still working on her mental health, but given that there are no other wicket keepers in the squad, you have to imagine that England are still hoping she will be back too at some stage.

Jodie Dibble and Becky Grundy however, both look to be heading for the door.

Dibble was one of those in the unfortunate position of being expected to be part of the “contracted” performance squad, whilst not actually being “contracted” – i.e. paid – and unsurprisingly has not found it easy recently, and her exit was expected.

Grundy on the other hand, just seems to have slipped quietly out of form and favour – she’s 26, and has been overtaken by younger, “spinnie”r options in the tweak department – it will be a surprise if her central contract is renewed in January.

Also perhaps on the way out are several “older” batsmen the Academy squad – Eve Jones (24), Alex MacDonald (25), Steph Butler (22) and Sophie Luff (22). Of these perhaps Eve Jones can consider herself unlucky having had quite a good season in 2016, and all 4 might still make it; but the hint (based not just on these selections, but also on other conversations we’ve had) is that Robinson feels that this cohort overall just aren’t ever going to good enough, and he plans to almost ‘skip a generation’ over them.

In their place, a new gang of teenagers are knocking at the door, and the opportunity for them to come in and seize their chances has been presented to the likes of Surrey pair Bryony Smith (18) and Hannah Jones (17), Lancashire’s Emma Lamb (18) and Middlesex’s Sophia Dunkley (18). Alongside them, one “older” Academy batsman has retained her place – Sussex’s Georgia Adams, after a very good summer for Sussex and the Southern Vipers.

Finally, two big surprise selections – all-rounders Georgia Hennessy and Alice Davidson-Richards have both previously been part of the Academy, had subsequently dropped-off the program, but are now back! What have they done right?

Both had solid domestic seasons – the combative Hennessy was a key part of Warwickshire’s successful (albeit ultimately trophyless) season; whilst “ADR” (as she is known) is a new player recently – one look at her confirms that she has transformed herself fitness-wise over the past year. Both will have to continue to work hard if they are to progress; but Robinson has thrown them the big ball to run with – now it is up to them!

Professional sport is a tough old business – for every winner, there is a loser; and for every player selected, there is one who is dropped, not to mention countless others who never quite make the grade. There are always tough calls to be made, and it will be especially hard on those who go from contracted status to essentially “unemployed” at the stroke of a selector’s pen.

But like the Circle of Life, the game goes on, and Robinson’s determination to forge a long-term dynasty, by investing in new talent not just for next summer but for summers well beyond, is exciting and promising for the future of the women’s game in England.

NEWS: England Squad For Sri Lanka – Shrubsole Out; Wilson In

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England have named 14 of the 15-strong squad who will travel to Sri Lanka next month for 4 ODIs. 

Fran Wilson has recovered from a broken finger and is back in to bolster the batting; but Anya Shrubsole is ruled out. With Sophie Ecclestone unavailable due to school, England have left one spot free in what is otherwise an unchanged squad from the recent West Indies tour. 

  • Heather Knight
  • Tammy Beaumont
  • Katherine Brunt
  • Georgi Elwiss
  • Jenny Gunn
  • Alex Harley
  • Dani Hazell
  • Amy Jones
  • Beth Langston 
  • Laura Marah
  • Nat Sciver
  • Lauren Winfield
  • Fran Wilson
  • Danni Wyatt

The 15th spot is likely to be taken by one of the players additionally selected for a pre-tour camp in Abu Dhabi:

  • Georgia Adams
  • Kate Cross
  • Alice Davidson-Richards
  • Sophia Dunkley
  • Sophie Ecclestone 
  • Georgia Hennessy
  • Hannah Jones
  • Emma Lamb
  • Bryony Smith

STATS: New Zealand v South Africa Player Rankings – The Amy Satterthwaite Show!

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New Zealand’s 7-match ODI series in South Africa ended this week with the visitors sealing a 5-2 victory, with Amy Satterthwaite scoring her 3rd 50 of the series in the final match, as the White Ferns posted 273 – South Africa slumping to 147 all out in reply.

The numbers below show this was very-much Satterthwaite’s series – she topped the batting rankings with 344 runs at an average of 69 and the bowling rankings with 11 wickets going at under 3 an over.

For New Zealand, Katey Martin and Rachel Priest (with the bat) and Erin Bermingham and Morna Nielsen (with the ball) also put in their shifts, as Suzie Bates was eclipsed for once – coming in at 6th in the batting rankings, and at 13th in the bowling, having not bowled a huge amount of overs. The selectors will probably not be worried by Bates’ personal form – there is a positive to be taken out of it in terms of their strengths elsewhere; but they will want to be sure that Bates does get an opportunity to rest properly at some stage before the World Cup, after basically playing non-stop for the past year or so.

For South Africa, Mignon du Preez emphasised her continued importance to the team after relinquishing the captaincy with 232 runs; whist Ayabonga Khaka had a bit of a breakthrough with 11 wickets – she’d taken just 6 wickets in 14 ODIs prior to this series.

Batting Rankings

Player Runs Strike Rate
1. Amy Satterthwaite (NZ) 344 85.57
2. Mignon du Preez (SA) 232 66.09
3. Katey Martin (NZ) 170 83.33
4. Dane van Niekerk (SA) 222 60.98
5. Rachel Priest (NZ) 152 88.88
6. Suzie Bates (NZ) 182 68.93
7. Lizelle Lee (SA) 136 80.47
8. Sam Curtis (NZ) 107 66.04
9. Sune Luus (SA) 89 60.13
10. Maddie Green (NZ) 48 84.21

Bowling Rankings

Player Wickets Economy
1. Amy Satterthwaite (NZ) 11 2.94
2. Erin Bermingham (NZ) 9 2.73
3. Morna Nielsen (NZ) 8 2.86
4. Ayabonga Khaka (SA) 11 4.2
5. Holly Huddleston (NZ) 10 4
6. Marizanne Kapp (SA) 7 3.29
7. Lea Tahuhu (NZ) 8 4.34
8. Masabata Klaas (SA) 6 4.61
9. Moseline Daniels (SA) 6 4.64
10. Hannah Rowe (NZ) 3 3.47

Batting Ranking = Runs * Strike Rate
Bowling Ranking = Wickets / Economy

OPINION: The Winner Takes It All?

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The winner takes it all, so they say, and there is no doubt that England were the winners in the Caribbean this month, taking the series 3-2 and moving up to 2nd place in the Women’s International Championship, with a 4-2 points victory.

Meanwhile, Head Coach Mark Robinson was reportedly spotted at a flea-market in Kingston, selling his entire wardrobe to make space in his suitcase for all the “massive positives” he will be bringing home – two half-centuries apiece for Nat Sciver and Lauren Winfield, and one for Tammy Beaumont, in conditions that could hardly have been more unfriendly to the batsmen.

Then of course there were those 13 wickets at an Strike Economy Rate of 3.4 for Alex Hartley – a record for England in a bilateral series; plus also not to mention, 10 wickets for 31-year-old Katherine Brunt, proving that if age is a barrier, it is one she is determined to meet with a short pitched delivery and a long, lacerating stare!

Nevertheless, any impression that England “triumphed” has to be counterbalanced by a reading of the facts. They lost two matches, and lost them badly – collapsing to 110 all out in the 2nd ODI, having lost 7 wickets for 17 runs; and to 181 all out in the 4th ODI, having lost 6 wickets for 20 runs.

Even in the final ODI, with the West Indies visibly slumping in the field, they managed to make it look like hard work as they lost the late wickets of Wyatt and Elwiss – watch the reactions of Amy Jones and Nat Sciver in this clip as they win the series:

There are cheers from the boundary, sure; but out in the middle there are no arms aloft in celebration, nor bats raised in triumph – just a fist-bump and a sense of exhausted relief – Sciver and Jones were only too well aware of just how narrowly it felt like they’d squeaked it!

ABBA were right – in sport, the winner really does take it all, as they will in next year’s World Cup; but England will know that if that winner is going to be them, they are going to need to be more consistent than they have been here, because lose two games there, and you’re not going to win the World Cup.