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WORLD CUP: England v Pakistan – A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

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To be fair to the ICC, no one really “decided” to co-host a World Cup in Sri Lanka in October. Given the political situation between India and Pakistan, they needed somewhere in the vicinity of India, and there weren’t too many other options. (The UAE was one I guess, but the heat was almost too much for 20-over cricket during the T20 World Cup last year, so it would not have been a good one for 50-over games.)

Nonetheless, if you were going to pick a month not to host these matches in Colombo, this would have been it: Colombo gets an average of 19 rainy days during a typical October – more than any other month of the year. For comparison, Manchester typically gets 17 rainy days in October – we’d literally have had less chance of rain if we’d scheduled these games at Old Trafford!

After England’s match against Pakistan was rained off, we’ve now had 3 “No Results” from 7 games so far in Colombo in this World Cup. The “winners” on this occasion were England, who you’d imagine would almost certainly have gone on to lose a 50-over game, having been reduced to 79-7 – totally unable to cope with Pakistan’s military-medium-paced seamers keeping the stumps in play.

With England’s openers dismissed cheaply again (Tammy Beaumont didn’t play a shot, while Amy Jones might as well not have done, to balls that nipped back in) social media was alive with calls for one or both of them to be dropped / dropped down the order. But given what subsequently transpired, with all 7 of England’s top order batters dismissed bowled or LBW, I’m not sure shooting Jones and / or Beaumont really solves the problem.

From a Pakistan perspective, they were robbed blind. Their tactics were simple but effective – keep the seam and the stumps in play, and let the ball do the rest – and the high-fives the coaches were giving each other in the dugout as each wicket fell, were well deserved. I predicted… admittedly slightly mischievously… that Pakistan could actually be the “4th” side in the semi-finals at this World Cup – partly due to not having the punishing travel schedule everyone else has; but also because they can be an effective side in the right circumstances – they are well-drilled in the basics, and sometimes that’s all you need. They didn’t deserve to come out of today with just a single point.

Women's World Cup – Qualification Analysis 🏏

— CRICKETher (@crickether.com) 2025-10-15T16:40:32.129Z

As it stands now, England  remain unbeaten and atop the table. The “Magic Number” for qualification is now 9 points (India and New Zealand are yet to play each other, so they can’t both get 9) meaning England need to win just one of their 3 remaining matches to guarantee a semi-final spot. They barely deserve it, but baby… that’s show-business cricket for you.

WORLD CUP: England v Sri Lanka – 7½ Out Of Ten

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A run-a-ball century – 117 off 117 balls – from Nat Sciver-Brunt was the difference between England and Sri Lanka in Colombo, putting England top of the table as we approach the halfway mark in the group stages of this World Cup.

Women's World Cup – Qualification Analysis 🏏

— CRICKETher (@crickether.com) 2025-10-11T16:48:24.533Z

Requiring 254, Sri Lanka lost the wicket of bright young hope Vishmi Gunaratne after Chamari Athapaththu had retired hurt; but Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama made decent progress and at the 20-over mark, Sri Lanka had the edge on the WinHer Win Predictor, with a 61% chance of victory.

England 253-9 v Sri Lanka 164 #CWC25 🏏

— CRICKETher (@crickether.com) 2025-10-11T16:45:44.827Z

But the introduction of Sophie Ecclestone turned that equation on its head, with the spinner taking wickets in the 20th, 22nd and 24th overs, to put England in charge – turning a 61% chance of victory for Sri Lanka into an 83% chance for England, from which they never looked back.

Sophie added the cherry on top of the Eccles Cake with one more key wicket – that of the returning Athapaththu, as she bowled 10 overs straight through the middle phases.

The ball of the day however was reserved for Charlie Dean, with that early wicket of Gunaratne, who had no answer to one that pitched outside off before turning in between bat and pad to take the top of the leg bail.

With Linsey Smith finishing the day with an Economy Rate of 2.5 from 8 overs, plus the last wicket, it was a fantastic day for England’s specialist spinners, which is good news for everyone except possibly Em Arlott, who looks set to be the 2025 version of Beth Langston – one of only two members of England’s winning squad in 2017 to not get a single outing in the tournament. (Pop Quiz: Who was the other? Answer at the bottom!)

The one caveat with England’s bowling remains filling in those extra overs that Nat Sciver-Brunt can’t bowl. NSB bowled 5 overs today, briefly leaving the field after her first spell – we were officially told this was for a “bathroom break”, but the timing was “interesting” and if she accidentally bumped into the physio whilst she was back in the dressing room, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Alice Capsey again filled-in those additional overs, and did so competently, but if England really want her to be a proper, front-line spinning all-rounder, there is still work to do with the bowling coaches.

Earlier in the day, England had posted a decent total, but once again it was almost wholly reliant on a huge slice of luck, and one player – NSB on this occasion – taking advantage and going on to score almost half their runs. Sciver-Brunt was horribly dropped by Udeshika Prabodhani at midwicket when she was still in single-figures; and if that catch had been taken, the game could have turned out very differently, with no other England batter making more than Tammy Beaumont’s 32.

Beaumont and Amy Jones both looked unconvincing again. Jones was doubly-guilty for her own run out – ball watching as Beaumont called her through for a quick single, and then failing to dive in as she was run out by 6 inches; whilst Beaumont danced down the wicket and was far too early on a ball which she ended up toe-ending to extra cover.

With Heather Knight inexplicably pulling out a reverse sweep and oh-so-predictably being caught at short third, there was a lesson to be learned, and NSB learned it – keep it simple, and run hard.

NSB Boundary % in International Cricket #CWC25 🏏

— CRICKETher (@crickether.com) 2025-10-11T13:59:40.519Z

NSB’s boundary percentage in international cricket has been falling for the past couple of years, and it was even lower than normal at just over 9% today; but it was what the situation demanded – efficiency was the watchword, and she watched it like a hawk. The 6 that brought up her century was typical – it wasn’t a Big Shot™ but it went far enough, safely enough, to get the job done.

England 253-9 v Sri Lanka 164 #CWC25 🏏

— CRICKETher (@crickether.com) 2025-10-11T16:45:27.126Z

As we’ve seen a few teams do in this tournament, England waited and waited before going big at the end, sacrificing wickets in the last 5 overs to put on 49 in that final push. They finished 9 down, but wickets at that point are worth very little compared to runs on the board. With Athapaththu having already said in her pre-game interview that she felt Sri Lanka could chase 230, the implication was that much more would be tough to get. And so it proved.

This was far from the perfect England performance – I’d give it 7½ out of 10. The bowling was solid; but England really need their batting line-up as a whole to find some form, and with just one “easier” game remaining – their next outing against Pakistan – there isn’t much time to do it.

The other member of the 2017 squad not to play a game? Georgia Elwiss.

EXCLUSIVE: Middlesex To Go Pro By 2029

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Middlesex Director of Cricket Alan Coleman has told CRICKETher that the club intend to self-fund professional contracts by 2029, in order to ensure they are best-placed to progress into Tier One.

Last year, Middlesex failed in their bid to host a Tier One side, meaning they will be locked out of the top tier of women’s domestic cricket for at least the next 4 years.

But the club have embarrassed the ECB with their results this season, winning 18 of their 21 matches, beating Yorkshire twice, and finishing as inaugural champions in the Tier Two Women’s Vitality Blast.

“The game at Northants where we won the T20 was an astounding effort – I’ve never seen a team go through a whole Finals Day without losing a wicket,” Coleman said.

“It’s a challenge that the team have embraced, being amateurs, against professional teams – not only Yorkshire but Glamorgan, who are going to be Tier One in 2027.”

Middlesex’s challenge now is how best to keep together and develop a team of amateurs, many of whom are doing demanding full-time jobs – as typified by all-rounder Gaya Gole, who works long hours as a Management Consultant in the City.

For Coleman – who was present at Middlesex’s semi-final against Yorkshire on Sunday – the answer is for the club to directly invest in their women’s squad.

“Middlesex are incredibly ambitious and desperately want to invest in our women’s team,” he said. “There’s no greater deserving team for that investment.”

“Our challenge is to keep improving and keep developing across this period to ensure that we are as ready as possible for Tier 1 cricket as and when hopefully the ECB decide to open it up.”

“This is year 1 of a 4-year plan to be professional at the end of that period. And we almost want to, without sounding arrogant, take it out of the ECB’s hands and say, ‘You have to make us professional because of the performances that our players have put in, in Tier 2’.”

“So that’s the plan, and a part of that will be ensuring that our players are rewarded for the cricket that they play.”

The club are still working out exactly what that looks like, but we shouldn’t be surprised if we see the first tranche of part-time contracts awarded ahead of next season.

“We need to continue to invest in this very, very talented group of players to ensure they get the opportunity they deserve,” Coleman added.

THE HUNDRED: Brave v Fire – Fire’s Batters Burn Out At The Bowl

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Southern Brave will go into Sunday’s Hundred final with an unbeaten record of 8 wins from 8 matches, after pulling a rabbit out of a hat to defend 106 at the Utilita Bowl.

It makes them the first team in the history of the competition to finish the group stages undefeated. When Brave won the tournament previously, back in 2023, their one loss in 8 games came against Fire at home in Southampton – but Fire couldn’t spoil their party again today.

Meerkat Match Hero Lauren Bell added to her chart-topping wicket-tally (19 at 7.47) with extraordinary figures of 4 for 6, including a third set during which Tammy Beaumont and Jess Jonassen both holed out to fielders in the deep.

But Bell was the beneficiary of a team bowling effort in which Brave’s four spinners – Chloe Tryon, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Georgia Adams and Mady Villiers – put a stranglehold on Fire’s chase. Even before the wickets started to fall, Fire’s lack of runs had swung the Win-Her dial in Brave’s favour:

Brave 106-8 v Fire 77-9 #The100 🏏

— CRICKETher (@crickether.com) 2025-08-28T16:40:26.724Z

“It was a tricky pitch,” Bell said afterwards. “We chatted about it before we went out, that dots were going to be massive, almost as important as wickets, and as soon as the run rate got above a run a ball on that pitch we knew it would be a tricky chase. Mads [Villiers] and Coco [Corteen-Coleman] and Gads [Adams] bowled some really important sets.”

Bell gave the credit to her teammates but the fact that Fire scored just 47 runs in their first 50 balls, despite only being 1 wicket down, is symptomatic of just how miserable their efforts with the bat have been this season. Between them, Fire’s top five batters have managed two half-centuries this season – both scored by one Sophia Dunkley. Hayley Matthews – who was talismanic for Fire in their 2024 campaign – has barely scraped a run together, averaging 19.

Today, she was scratchiness personified, managing just a single boundary before failing to get the necessary elevation to clear Villiers at deep midwicket. With Matthews in a slump-spiral as deep as this, it’s perhaps a good thing that West Indies won’t be featuring in October’s World Cup.

Brave had themselves struggled with the bat, sinking to 14 for 2 early on after Fire put them in to bat on a pitch made sticky with rain. With Sunday’s final looming, Brave chose to fiddle around with their middle order to offer chances to Freya Kemp, Chloe Tryon, Villiers and Georgia Adams, who have had very little to do with the bat this season. Adams, for example, had faced just 11 balls prior to today’s match; but her elevation to number 6 against the Fire gave Brave’s skipper (who finished 30 not out from 26 balls) to bat herself into a modicum of form.

Not only did that ensure Brave got to a total which was (just about) defendable, it could end up mattering a lot on Sunday if the final proves to be a tight match.

EXCLUSIVE: New Zealand Cricket Defend No Women’s Tests In The New Future Tours Programme

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New Zealand Cricket have confirmed to CRICKETher that they have no immediate plans to reintroduce women’s Test cricket, after the ICC issued a new FTP which appeared to rule out any Tests for the White Ferns until at least 2029.

The new FTP – available here – shows a significant increase in scheduled Tests, with Australia, England, India, South Africa and the West Indies all agreeing to play multi-format series. West Indies will be participating in the format for the first time since 2004.

The new FTP leaves New Zealand out in the cold, as the only top-six nation who refuse to support women’s Test cricket.

A spokesperson for New Zealand Cricket told CRICKETher: “We haven’t got any plans to re-introduce Test cricket for the White Ferns at this stage.”

New Zealand’s recent victory in the T20 World Cup had sparked hopes that New Zealand Cricket might be persuaded to change their stance, but it seems not.

The spokesperson added: “Our thoughts are that we’re better to concentrate our current resources and investment on T20I and ODI cricket in order to grow the women’s game in New Zealand.”

“The limited overs formats have proven to be very effective in terms of attracting and retaining young players, which is a significant factor in the health of the women’s game here. In time, this will provide a bigger base from which talented players will emerge to ultimately play for the White Ferns.”

“Focussing on formats which include ICC global events (such as World Cups) is our preference for now.”

The spokesperson did offer a small glimmer of hope – concluding: “Never say never.”

Sadly, that might not be soon enough for Suzie Bates & co.

NEWS: Twenty20 Community Cricket Launch New Girls’ “Transitioning To Hardball” Programme

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“My daughter Lola has thrived under Darren’s coaching, had fantastic opportunities and made fantastic friends. We are so glad she found Darren and Twenty20 Community Cricket.” Louise, mum of Lola

Twenty20 Community Cricket are launching a brand-new coaching programme for girls, specifically designed to plug the gap in the development pathway for those curious about transitioning from soft to hardball cricket. The programme comes hot on the heels of MD and Founder Darren Talbot winning the Outstanding Contribution to Coaching award at the recent Surrey Cricket Foundation Cricket Collective event at the Kia Oval.

It is a course Darren dreamt up after much time spent in and around the girls’ cricket coaching environment, during which he noticed how female players are underserved in comparison with their male counterparts.

“Boys typically play cricket from a young age,” explains Talbot, “and come into a club environment where there is a long-standing progression pathway through which they can travel. In many cases for girls, those pathways are still being constructed, and though it is fantastic that the quantity of females coming in through the likes of the All Stars programme is so high, many drop off when faced with the proposition of hardball training.”

The Twenty20 Community Cricket “Transitioning to Hardball” programme is designed to entice these very players to stay in cricket, allowing them to make an informed choice in an environment tailored towards their needs. It takes place each Friday evening at RGS school in Guildford, running until December 13 and followed up with matches across the summer over and above club games, which take priority.

It is a logical extension of the girls’ development programmes that Twenty20 Community Cricket have delivered so successfully over recent years, as acknowledged at the aforementioned Surrey Cricket Foundation awards event. The Outstanding Contribution to Coaching award recognises those who have gone above and beyond in the county of Surrey, in the name of expanding reach and opportunity for people to play this great game of ours. 

“I am very proud of the work we’ve undertaken to drive girls’ participation,” explains Darren. “Whilst the award is recognition for all of the hard work put in by the team, it is important that we recognise that there is more to do to truly level the playing field.” 

The premise of Twenty20 Community Cricket is to bring quality cricket coaching to state school educated children, at a time when such provision has dwindled beyond recognition. The programme has now expanded to include the participation of over 50 girls across the 11-18 age range. Success has come not just in strength of numbers though; whilst several have gone on to play at county age group level and in adult cricket, Darren and his team also manage the MCC Foundation Guildford Hub, for which the girls won the national tournament at Lords in both 2023 and 2024. 

More can be heard from Darren in a forthcoming exclusive interview on the Community Cricket Podcast from Tuesday 1 October: https://pod.link/CommunityCricketPodcast

Find out more here: https://www.twenty20cricketcompany.com