Improve our fielding, replace Jones the keeper and wrap Ecclestone in cotton wool and we could be the dominant force in Women's cricket for the next decade ! If the Aussies didn't have Ashleigh Gardner I reckon we'd have one every single match. She is the World's best bowler , closely followed by Ecclestone !
I think we missed our captain Meg Lanning more than we anticipated. Fantastic player and excellent captain. England girls have been excellent and deserved the 2 series wins.
Exactly right Ozzie. Congrats to the England girls. Maybe next Ashes series the organisers could set up one more T20, ODI or Test to try to minimise the possibility of a drawn series. T20 or ODI would probably work best.
It was only a drawn series because the Test was worth 4 pointscand the other games were worth 2 each. If the Test was worth the same as the others we'd have won. I understand that because there's only 1 Test it's worth double, but when you have the 2 best sides in the women's game taking on each other for the Ashes and with the rise in popularity in the women's game, you'd think they could play more than 1 Test these days surely !
A three test series at the very least would be ideal as a stand alone ashes series, imho. Then play the ODIs and T20s as separate series. That's how the Men's are decided and they work well. There must be enough grounds available and surely the girls are resilient enough to take on more games. Only issue left would be scheduling/time constraints. 'Make it so Number 1!'
Re: the Women's Ashes series, 'until 2013, was similarly decided exclusively on the outcomes of Test matches.' - Wikipedia. Not sure why this was changed, but why include ODIs and T20s to determine an Ashes series? 'Heralded in 1931,[2] the first women's Test series between England and Australia—the first women's Test series anywhere—was played in 1934–35.[3] At that time, according to the English captain, Betty Archdale, women played only "for love of the game" and did not wish to be associated with the male concepts of Tests and Ashes.[4] A total of 24 series have taken place, with 51 Test matches played (and one scheduled Test abandoned). The length of series has varied between one and five Tests. Series have been played biennially since 2001, with only one or two tests played in a series. Since the 2013 series, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 International matches have counted, as well as Tests, toward the trophy result. As of 2015, a Test victory is worth four points (two to each side for a draw), and two points are awarded for victory in a limited-overs match.[1]' - Wikipedia (again). If they call the series the Ashes, then why don't they go back to playing test matches in order to determine the result. The new arrangement has just given rise to angst amongst some spectators, at least on this board, about the result of the series with respect to points allocation, and hence the final outcome. There, two cents worth paid in full.
It also would be better to maybe play the test halfway through the series. Those 4 points first up nearly killed the series straight away. Well done to England for keeping it alive for so long. Not much between the sides, but I think the Aussies did just have the edge.
I agree, although without Gardner I dont think they'd have won a game. She's a magnificent bowler and almost single handedly won them the Test.
Just looked at the latest weather forecast for Old Trafford for the next 5 days and it has Saturday and Sunday as total washouts ffs. Looks like we have to go super Bazball and try and win it in 3 days, almost impossible. Have to bowl them out for 150 or less 1st innings and score 450-500 in a day. Then bowl them out again in 3 days ! Some ask. ****ing weather, only us could get 2 days solid rain while the rest of Europe melts !
We really need to win the toss and have a day from heaven ! If the weather reports are correct then today could decide if we can take it to the Oval all square
CEO of Lancashire talking on radio is off the opinion that it's ldeal bowling conditions today..... Need to win toss first then take it from there.....
England win the toss again and are gonna bowl. Come on lads, this is the day we have to hold our catches and do the biz !
Aussies going in with no spinner ! Green and Marsh both playing which makes their batting look seriously deep. Hazlewood playing so no Boland either.
Apparently no team who won toss and bowled first at OT has ever won...... Time for a bit of history to be made...... Aussies would have bowled first as well according to Cummins..... With the forecast this is probably the only way a positive result can be achieved..... C'mon England.....
