This week we’re at sunny Hove! We discuss:

• Ellyse Perry’s absence from The Hundred – does it matter?
• Should Emma Lamb be playing for England?
• The 2nd T20 v India at Hove – what could & should England do differently?

A DLS result always feels like a bit of an anti-climax – the margin of victory for ever qualified as:

England win by 18 runs… (brackets) DLS.

But England should be pretty happy with their night’s work in Northampton.

The night took us back to England’s previous visit to this ground, for two matches versus the West Indies in June 2019 – in one of those games, England struck 180-6; the other was rained off without a ball being bowled.

Tonight was England’s highest T20 score batting first at home since that match against the Windies in 2019. Then, it was Danni Wyatt in the runs; tonight it was Nat Sciver’s turn to dominate, hitting 55 off 27 balls – the fourth time she has completed an international T20 innings of 20 or more with a Strike Rate over 200. Everyone will have their own highlights, but a back-foot pull off Poonam in the 9th over was the shot of the day for me – she’d only just come in, but it was a shot of effortless confidence, as if she’d been at the crease all day.

Later on she went full metal jacket on Arundhati Reddy, nearly taking her head off with the first of three consecutive 4s back past the luckless bowler, whose main crime seemed to be turning up to a gun-fight armed with only a cricket ball.

Her rampage was only ended by a brilliant catch from Harmanpreet, who may be averaging just 8 runs in the cross-format series so far, but still has a flare for the champagne moment… or would have done if Harleen Deol hadn’t then taken one of the greatest catches off all time to do for Amy Jones.

There were some doubts on social media as to the legality of Harleen’s catch, but this ruling is essentially as official as it gets:

(For those who don’t know Jonny, his official title is “Laws of Cricket Advisor” at the MCC, but we prefer to think of him as basically Judge Dredd – when it comes to cricket… HE IS THE LAW!)

Returning briefly to Amy Jones, this was the best we’ve seen her play for England for a while – she is such a confidence player, and there were a few nervous moments early on today, but once she got in she made it count with some glorious stroke-play, including two sixes over long on that were little more than lofted drives off the bat, but timed so self-assuredly that they sailed over the rope… albeit one with a little help from Sneh Rana, who couldn’t hang on as it slipped through her upstretched hand.

England now have an unassailable lead in the multi-format series – India can’t win it now, though they could still earn a draw if they win the two remaining T20s in Hove and Chelmsford. They still have the players to do that – Smriti Mandhana always looks like a player and a half, and although Shafali had a bit of a “moment” today, she’s ever a danger too. Ironically, although they have won just one game in the series so far – the final ODI – in Shafali and Smriti, India have probably both the first two players you’d pick in a “Combined” XI; but they can’t carry 9 others alone. What we are seeing again and again at the moment is that England are a real “team” – whether it is Beaumont or Dunkley or Ecclestone or Jones… or Sciver today – someone will stand up more often than not, and ultimately that’s what gets you results in this game.

Coaches Peter Ross and Daniel Sutton look ahead to Cricket Scotland’s new Super Series, which gets underway on Sunday.

After Carlton were confirmed as winners of the Women’s Premier League last weekend, the next phase of Scotland’s domestic programme begins on Sunday as the Cricket Scotland Super Series gets underway at Lochlands. The T20 competition, which replaces the Regional Series, sees teams coached by Peter Ross and Daniel Sutton go head-to-head over five of the next six weekends.

Removing the geographical basis by which the Eagles and Stormers were selected, the new tournament is designed to provide a more balanced spread of players. With international cricket looking unlikely for Scotland in the short term, that improved competitiveness will be all the more important as the European Qualifier for the Women’s T20 World Cup gets closer.

“The main thinking behind the change is that we want to provide the highest quality of cricket we can for our current and aspiring national team players, and in the discussions between the high-performance group and senior management it was felt that taking the best players in the country and splitting them into two teams would provide the best contest,” said Peter. “It also removes the situation that we saw last year when we had one team with three wicket-keepers and one team with none, for example.” 

“Ultimately, it’s about recognising the need for higher-quality cricket, creating more competition for places, and just trying to make sure that the players are challenged as much as possible to prepare them for international cricket.” 

“I think it’s a great move by Cricket Scotland,” agreed Daniel. “It gives the players that are currently Wildcats the opportunity to prove that they’re at that level and it gives a great opportunity to those who aren’t there yet to knock on the door and give Mark Coles a bit of a headache when it comes to selection.”

Flexibility in the make-up of the squads will also ensure that the Series’ competitive edge is kept keen.

“We want the best cricketers playing against each other,” said Daniel, “and if that means swapping every now and then to make sure the games are even and competitive, we’re happy to do that.”

Each squad features a mixture of established and up-and-coming players, with rising stars such as Catherine Holland, Emma Walsingham, Niamh Robertson-Jack and Nayma Shaikh rubbing shoulders with experienced Scotland internationals.

“The way the teams are matched means it’s going to be a good contest,” said Peter. “On my side we have Abbi Aitken-Drummond, who is coming off the back of a really productive WPL campaign where she batted up top for Carlton and was quite destructive in a couple of games. Becky Glen, too, is someone who’s always done the job with the national team, and it’ll be good for her to lead the squad.“

“Abtaha Maqsood is available this weekend before she goes off to The Hundred to play for Birmingham Phoenix, and as ever she’ll be a real handful on the pitch. Hannah Rainey is in a really good spell at the minute, she bowled with good pace for Carlton and played well for the Performance Academy on Monday [taking 3 for 29 against the Northern Diamonds Academy at Alnwick]. Katherine Fraser is always excellent, and Megan McColl had a really productive series with the national squad in Ireland as well.“

“So in terms of our senior players there’s a lot to be excited about, and then you’ve also got people like Catherine Holland, who had a good WPL campaign for Stewart’s Melville, Molly Paton too, and then a couple of others who are also trying to push their way into the team.” 

“Katie McGill is going to captain the first weekend for us,” said Daniel. “She obviously brings a lot of experience with her and did really well in Ireland, and we’re hoping to benefit from that. Priyanaz Chatterji is going to be vice-captain, and again she brings loads of experience with her – because we’ve got quite a few younger girls in our squad it’s going to be important to have those leadership figures there to help and support them.“

“I’m really looking forward to watching Orla Montgomery bowl,” he went on. “She’s probably the quickest bowler in Scotland, and is definitely one for the future. We’ll be encouraging her to bowl as quickly as she can – if she goes for a few runs, so be it, there’s not many girls who can bowl with pace in the female game at the moment, so she’s a great asset for our team.“

“Overall a win would be great, but a few girls putting their hands up to say that they’re ready to play at this level would be even better.”

“We’re also looking forward to the professional side of it,” Daniel concluded, “with the live-streaming, match officials, physios and so on. It feels like we’re arriving at the next stage of the women’s game in Scotland, towards it becoming more professional in this country.”

The Cricket Scotland Super Series will be live-scored and streamed via CS Live. 

Ross XI: Becky Glen, Abtaha Maqsood, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Ailsa Lister, Megan McColl, Emily Cavender, Katherine Fraser, Hannah Rainey, Catherine Holland, Molly Paton, Anne Sturgess, Zoe Rennie. 

Sutton XI: Katie McGill, Priyanaz Chatterji, Ellen Watson, Samantha Haggo, Ikra Farooq, Lorna Jack, Charis Scott, Emma Walsingham, Emily Tucker, Niamh Robertson-Jack, Orla Montgomery, Nayma Shaikh.

——

Jake Perry is the author of The Secret Game

Twitter: @jperry_cricket / Facebook: Jake Perry Cricket

The Cricket Scotland Podcast will include a round-up of the men’s and women’s league action from across the As part of our ongoing coverage of men’s and women’s domestic cricket, The Cricket Scotland Podcast will include a round-up of the Super Series every Tuesday, with analysis and player interviews along with those from other featured games. Follow @ScotlandPod on Twitter for all the latest information.

Danni Wyatt and Mady Villiers have been recalled to the England squad for the three T20s versus India, which begins on Friday evening at the The County Ground in Northampton.

Meanwhile Kate Cross and Lauren Winfield-Hill have been stood-down, and will be available to play for Thunder and Diamonds respectively in the Charlotte Edwards Cup this weekend.

The recalls of Wyatt and Villiers were both expected, after Heather Knight name-checked them in her press conference at the end of the ODI series when discussing possible changes for the T20s.

Wyatt will almost certainly open the batting in the 3-match series; while Villiers selection may depend on whether conditions look to favour a third spinner in the line-up, although her status as one of the world’s best outfielders may also help her case.

Full Squad

• Heather Knight (Western Storm, captain)
• Tammy Beaumont (Lightning)
• Katherine Brunt (Northern Diamonds)
• Freya Davies (South East Stars)
• Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars)
• Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder)
• Tash Farrant (South East Stars)
• Sarah Glenn (Central Sparks)
• Amy Jones (Central Sparks)
• Nat Sciver (Northern Diamonds)
• Anya Shrubsole (Western Storm)
• Mady Villiers (Sunrisers)
• Fran Wilson (Sunrisers)
• Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers)

On a beautifully sunny day at The Oval, Surrey easily beat London rivals Middlesex by 90 runs despite a run-a-ball 86 – her best score of the season – from Cordelia Griffith.

Surrey secured maximum batting bonus points by scoring 253 for 4 in their 50 overs, in a performance which was testament to the depth of their women’s squad – a rich return on the investment which the club have made in their players over the years.

By contrast Middlesex, who had two of their three Sunrisers professionals available, struggled to maintain momentum in their chase beyond the powerplay, and were eventually bowled out for 163 in the course of 41 overs.

The win puts Surrey in pole position to retain the London Championship title which they won in 2020. They need only to beat Essex in their final match (on 12 July), with 3 bonus points, to usurp Kent’s current position at the top of the table.

Surrey had been put in to bat by Middlesex and made hay after opener Chloe Brewer edged through the hands of Iqraa Hussain on 1*. Brewer added 17 more runs to her total before being trapped LBW by Naomi Dattani.

Opening partner Madeleine Blinkhorn-Jones, playing in only her seventh match for Surrey, took on the Middlesex seamers with aplomb as she repeatedly drove down the ground, taking Middlesex to 64 for 1 in the opening 10 overs and bringing up a maiden half-century for her county.

The introduction of spin helped dry up the runs once the powerplay concluded, but when stand-in Surrey captain Kirstie White (35) feather edged behind to Sonali Patel in the 24th over, Alice Capsey (26 from 24) added extra impetus to the Surrey innings, pulling Kate Coppack for a big six over the square leg boundary.

A mini-collapse of 3 wickets for 9 runs between overs 30 and 33 saw off both Blinkhorn-Jones and Capsey. But Surrey showed their depth as both Amy Gordon (39) and Rhianna Southby (30) repeatedly chipped the ball over the heads of the Middlesex infield, adding 73 runs for the sixth wicket and allowing Surrey to push on past 250, the highest total in the (admittedly short) history of the London Championship.

It was always going to be a big ask for Middlesex to chase down the required runs, but they started positively enough, with Cordelia Griffith pulling Beth Kerins twice over midwicket in the opening over. Some wayward bowling from Gordon handed easy runs to Middlesex, who finished the powerplay at 69 for 1.

Once again, it was pace off the ball which did the damage – leg-spinner Danielle Gregory bamboozling Tash Miles into playing onto her own stumps in the 15th, while Dattani swung and missed at a full toss from Claudie Cooper and was bowled in the 18th.

Griffith stroked a single to bring up a 47-ball half-century in the next over, but the run-out of Gayatri Gole shortly afterwards – firmly sent back by Griffith attempting a single that was never there – was the beginning of the end for Middlesex. Gregory and Capsey, bowling leg and off-spin in tandem, helped turn the screw, as did some astute field placement from the experienced White.

Griffith was ultimately left with too much to do, valiantly trying to farm the strike but running out of partners at the other end. Aware that the run rate was pushing up above 7, she was eventually caught by Capsey at extra cover in the 36th over trying to push the score along.

Eva Gray then finished the job, taking the final 3 wickets with full, straight balls which took out the stumps of Sonali Patel, Katie Wolfe and Emily Thorpe.

Though Middlesex’s London Championship hopes are now over, they will take some heart from the fact that Griffith batted with such fluency. The hope is that she will be able to go on and transform her form into the forthcoming matches for Sunrisers in the Lottie Cup and the RHF Trophy.

By Jake Perry

Carlton have been crowned Cricket Scotland Women’s Premier League champions after the final game of the season was concluded at Myreside on Sunday. West of Scotland’s 116-run defeat to Watsonians/Grange ensured that the Grange Loan team could not be overtaken at the top of the table they have led for all but a single week of the competition.

“We’re really delighted,” Carlton captain Annette Aitken-Drummond told The Cricket Scotland Podcast. “That was our main aim, to win the league this season. To win all but one of our games has been really impressive, and everyone’s worked really hard to achieve it.”

The evidence of that effort is clear to see. Carlton’s dominance with the bat saw them rack up over a thousand runs over the course of the campaign, with Charis Scott, who scored 209 runs at 52.25, and Annette herself, with 198 at 66.00, occupying the first two places in the batting averages. With 13 wickets at 12.31, Charis finished at the head of the bowling table, too, narrowly ahead of young prospect Maisie Maceira, who took 12 at an average of exactly 10.00.

“In our first game Charis was definitely the stand-out,” said Annette, “and she [continued to contribute] with the bat and the ball all season. In the last game she stood up when we were struggling, and that’s when you need players who are going to go in and do the job for you.”

“I’ve been really impressed with Maisie as well,” she continued. “She’s bowled really well and has taken a lot of wickets for us. And then Abbi [Aitken-Drummond] has hit quite a lot of runs, Sammy [Haggo] hit some runs [and] Hannah [Rainey] bowled really well without reaping the rewards, but having her open as a serious quick for us [has been] a great advantage. Young Ashley Robertson [with 5 wickets at 4.20] has impressed over the last couple of games with the ball, too.”

“But what’s impressed me most is how deep our squad can bat,” said Annette, “and I think where some of the WPL teams are perhaps reliant on one or two batters, the last game showed that we can bat pretty well into our squad and that we’ve got a lot of players willing to step up when we need them to.”

There have been several moments over the course of the season when just that has happened.

“Charis’s knock of 97 in the first game set us up for a really good start, and although I didn’t play in the second game against Stew-Mel, I know Sammy batted really well and we were quite unfortunate to lose,” Annette continued. “We had some good catches in the field against George Watson’s – Sarah Beith took a great double-mid-air catch which was quite incredible to watch – and Amelia [Beattie] has taken a few good ones as well. Maisie took a five-fer against Dumfries & Galloway, which was definitely an outstanding moment, and against West of Scotland Abbi’s batting was pretty awesome, too.”

“And then in the last game against Royal High Corstorphine we were definitely under the pump for a little bit at [34 for 4], so for Charis and Zaara [Dancu] to come in and steady the ship and then start scoring runs to give us something to defend, that was really good to watch.”

But perhaps most the pleasing aspect of Carlton’s victory is the ongoing story behind it. That the team has found a winning mix of internationals, up-and-coming young talent and truly dedicated club players is no accident: the structure of the club, and the focus it places upon the women’s game, has sown the seeds of its success.

“I remember when I first joined Carlton when I first moved to Edinburgh,” said Annette. “There were maybe five or six of us at the nets, I’d say. But the thing I remember is that after training somebody cooked, and we all sat and ate together, and that team and social atmosphere still continues to this day.”

“We’ve got a women’s committee at Carlton, and we’ve tried quite hard to make it fun, but [alongside that] we’ve got a really talented coach in Peter Ross who the girls and women are all learning from.”

“And the club have put the women’s section at the forefront of a lot of things. We’re the second team mentioned on social media, for example, and it’s tiny little things like that that make you feel important and a real part of the club.”

“We’re in the best place now that we’ve ever been – we’ve got about 25 women training regularly on a Friday night, and it’s going onwards and upwards.”

“It’s a brilliant club, but as a woman it’s a brilliant club to be a part of.”

—–

This week’s edition of The Cricket Scotland Podcast will include the full interview with Annette, as well as a report of the Watsonians/Grange v West of Scotland game. The podcast will also be providing full coverage of the upcoming Super Series, as well as the Beyond Boundaries Scottish Cup, which begins next month. Follow @ScotlandPod on Twitter for all the latest information.

And if you or your club has a story for us, please email jakeperrycricket@gmail.com and gary@gh-media.co.uk – we look forward to hearing from you!

This week:

• We look back at the England v India ODI series & ahead to the T20s
• Were we all wrong about Mithali Raj?
• High-profile Australian withdrawals from The Hundred in spite of ECB’s offer of £10,000 bonuses
• Equal pay in The Hundred

India got a win on the board at last, to keep this multi-format series alive, and it was all thanks to… no, not Mithali’s 75 off 86 balls; but Sneh Rana’s 22 off 24.

Of course Mithali will get the plaudits on so many levels – passing 50 for the 3rd time in the series, this time with a significantly improved Strike Rate – 87, compared with  67 and 64 in the 1st and 2nd ODIs – and in doing so, overtaking Charlotte Edwards as the leading international run-scorer of all time. Mithali was (rightly) named Player of the Match.

But let’s rewind to the dismissal of Deepti Sharma in the 40th over. India still needed 56 in 7 overs, at a run-rate of exactly 8, having gone at just over 4 across the innings. It didn’t look hopeful. Mithali herself was still on a Strike Rate of 69 at that point – not enough to win the game from there.

But Rana came to the crease and immediately injected a an extra yard of urgency into proceedings. Rana played fearless cricket, attacking the best England had to throw at her, and Mithali responded too, upping her Strike Rate to match Rana. By the time Rana was dismissed, for 22 off 24 balls, the edge had turned in India’s favour, with 6 required off the final over.

The decision to throw Katherine Brunt the ball for that final over was an “interesting” one – she can be expensive at the death – for example conceding 18 runs in her final over in the 2nd ODI at Taunton – and only Ecclestone was “bowled out”, so other options were available. But the truth is probably that it was over by that point anyway. With the experience of Mithali and Jhulan at the crease, India were firm favourites to make 6 off the last 6 balls, and in fact they only needed 3 balls to get over the line.

It was all a far cry from the equivalent fixture here 5 years ago, when England thrashed Pakistan by 212 runs, thanks to centuries from Lauren Winfield-Hill and Tammy Beaumont. England hit 50 boundaries that day, with the rope pulled in as tight as was permitted under the regulations. Today, on a larger outfield, they managed just 20, and at one point went 16 overs without finding the rope. But they ran hard between the wickets, as they always do, and denied the Indians a single maiden. It got them to 219 – almost enough… but not quite, thanks to La Princesa Rana.

Ahead of the final round of matches this weekend, Jake Perry looks back over what has been a fascinating Cricket Scotland Women’s Premier League.

The Cricket Scotland Women’s Premier League draws to a close this Sunday with the final round of matches in what has been an exhilarating season. After Carlton took a massive step towards the title last weekend, the remaining teams in the competition will all be looking for a strong finish before attention turns to the Beyond Boundaries Scottish Cup next month.

Royal High Corstorphine entertain a Stewart’s Melville side that stayed in contention to the very last. Defeat at Hamilton Crescent finally ended their hopes of three-in-a-row, but Catherine Holland’s team can still be proud of the challenge they mounted and the quality of the individual contributions within it. The young skipper, with four wickets to go with her 138 runs, has provided an excellent foil to opening partner Emma Walsingham, whose feats with the bat have left her with an opportunity to finish the campaign at the top of the averages. The consecutive ducks that followed her blistering century against George Watson’s College notwithstanding – the cricketing gods can be relied upon to keep the best of batters grounded – her 189 runs at an average of just under 38, often scored against international bowlers at the top of the innings, is a return to be proud of either way. Along with Katherine Fraser and the all-round powerhouse that is Katie McGill, Molly Paton has also shone with the ball, taking eight wickets at 5.25, while Jenny Ballantyne, Iona Lowry and Chloe Kiely are amongst those that have caught the eye too in what has been another balanced and well-coached Stew-Mel side.

For RHC, as well, it has been a case of so near, and yet so far. Table-toppers after Round Two, Megan Taylor’s team never quite got going again after losing to Dumfries & Galloway in Week Three, an agonisingly close loss to West of Scotland in Week Four compounding their dismay. They bowled themselves into a good position against Carlton last weekend, too, reducing them to 34 for 4, but wickets at crucial moments in the chase saw them fall 24 runs short at the end. With 55 in that game, opener Riti Patel joined Kitty Levenson and Ikra Farooq as one of the team’s three half-centurions, and with wickets shared amongst a good number of their bowlers – Taylor herself not least amongst them – RHC will be looking for a morale-boosting win to set up what is sure to be a determined cup campaign.

The most frustrating story of the last few weeks has been that of West of Scotland, forced to postpone their first two games by ongoing COVID restrictions in Glasgow. With the Super Series beginning next week, whether those missed matches can now be made up is unclear, but the Hamilton Crescent side has played some brilliant cricket nonetheless, not least in the win over RHC at New Williamfield. Nayma Shaikh starred in that particular encounter, while in Sophie Trickett, Neha Mahatma, Faatima Gardee and Anne Sturgess, the team has more exceptional young talent on which to draw. Scotland stars Ellen Watson and Abtaha Maqsood have shown their influence both on and off the field, while skipper Charlotte Dalton-Howells has led by example, exuding a calm authority. Whichever way the league season ends up, West is a first-rate outfit, and they will certainly be ones to watch in August. 

Their opponents at Myreside are Watsonians/Grange, who recovered from their opening-day mauling from Carlton to post wins against Stew-Mel and George Watson’s College. While the part played by Becky Glen, Megan McColl and Priyanaz Chatterji has been significant, Niamh Robertson-Jack and Catherine Edwards have both underlined their burgeoning talent, and the delight with which the whole team greeted its maiden win at Inverleith was a pleasure to see. It has been a good first season for this new collaboration – the hope for both clubs will be that they can field separate sides in the not-too-distant future. 

The final game of the round sees George Watson’s College take on Dumfries & Galloway, with the home side still looking for their first win of what has been a challenging campaign. The only team without any international players in its ranks, GWC has nevertheless produced some very good individual performances, underlining the production line of talent for which the school is rightly famous. It’s been a tough season for the division’s youngest side, but with Emily Tucker, Nina Whitaker, Cara Scott and others, they have plenty of cause for optimism for the future. 

Their final-day opponents will be looking for a top-half finish after a campaign which has brought them two wins and two losses so far. In Orla Montgomery and Niamh Muir, Dumfries & Galloway boast two of Scotland’s brightest young prospects, while Lorna Jack, Rosy Ryan and Sue Strachan have all stepped up when needed, too. There have been other highlights as well, Fiona Ramsay’s RHC-taming 4 for 10 and the down-to-the-wire nail-biter that went just the other way at Inverleith chief amongst them. But in the pace of the fit-again Montgomery, D&G has a definite ‘x’ factor – there won’t be many looking forward to facing her when club cricket resumes again. 

All told, it’s been a fascinating few weeks which have underlined both the talent and the spirit within the Scottish game. We’re now just a few weekends away from the start of the Beyond Boundaries Scottish Cup: if what we have seen in the Women’s Premier League is anything to go by, there will be plenty of teams that will fancy their chances. 

Women’s Premier League – 4 July 2021

George Watson’s College v Dumfries and Galloway (at Craiglockhart) 

Watsonians/Grange v West of Scotland (at Myreside) 

Royal High Corstorphine v Stewart’s Melville (at Barnton)

——

Jake Perry is the author of The Secret Game

Twitter: @jperry_cricket / Facebook: Jake Perry Cricket

The Cricket Scotland Podcast will include a round-up of the men’s and women’s league action from across the country every Tuesday, with player interviews from our featured games. Follow @ScotlandPod on Twitter for all the latest information.

Way back in July 2014, I was at Wokingham Cricket Club to watch my beloved Berkshire in the county T20 Cup. The game against Middlesex ought to have been a shoe-in – Heather Knight hit 72 off 60 balls, supported by Corrine Hall (who would go on to captain Hobart Hurricanes in the WBBL) who made 42 off 34, as Berkshire (chasing) made 142-3, which was a lot in them days!

But it wasn’t quite enough – Middlesex had earlier posted 145-6, thanks to a 16-year-old in her first full season of county cricket, who had hit 61 off 52 balls.

Her name: Sophia Dunkley.

Dunkley announced herself as a county cricketer that day; and over the following 6 seasons, she would go on to score over 1,600 runs for Middlesex; but some doubts persisted. She never really settled in the Kia Super League, spending a couple of seasons at Surrey Stars before moving to Lancashire Thunder; and although she made an England debut at the T20 World Cup in 2018, she didn’t get much opportunity to shine, and until this summer she remained on the periphery of England’s radar – one for the future perhaps, but not quite for now.

Until now.

In the space of a few weeks, Dunkley has officially been awarded a central contract (though in practice she’d effectively had one for several months), made her Test debut, scoring 74* in her only innings, and made her ODI debut, in which she did not bat.

Her performance in the Test was obviously impressive, but the moment she really became an “England player”… as opposed to a “player who’s played for England” occurred on the 4th ball of the 27th over of England’s innings in the 2nd ODI today.

England were actually in a wee bit of trouble – with Tammy Beaumont gone cheaply, they had collapsed slightly and were 125-4. Dunkley and Amy Jones – the last two recognised batters – had their work cut out, with almost 100 still required. Dunkley herself was on 10 off 11 balls, when Deepti Sharma gave her a bit of width outside off stump. Dunkley pounced, like a cat on a mouse, cutting confidently through extra cover for 4 runs.

This was the shot of a player who knew, at last, that she really belonged at this level.

A few overs later she splattered Shikha Pandey for 6 over long too… but that was just the confirmation.

Supported by Katherine Brunt, who more than made amends for what had looked like a potentially disastrous final over with the ball costing 18 runs, she closed out the game, finishing on 73* off 81 balls.

It created a real dilemma for Player of the Match too. Though Dunkley ultimately missed out to Kate Cross, who had earlier taken 5-34, for me Dunkley’s was the key performance – taking as much courage as skill, to stare down the barrel of an Indian attack who were looking in fearsome mood after their early breakthroughs. Jhulan in particular threw everything she had at her, but she battled through – proving herself against one of the greatest bowlers the game has ever known.

Dunks may have been handed her ODI cap last weekend, but she won it today – she’s an England player now… and will be for many years to come.