England Women's squad announced

A positive start but I hope for a truely competitive match on Saturday to showcase the best of women's cricket.

Will be watching on Sky at least its being shown live.

 

A good match against the Aussies it seems from the commentary on Cricinfo and on Sky (I think) and with a good crowd one would hope.
Both sides seem to lose it after a solid start although Australia clearly lost it big time compared to England.
Must be a good chance these two will meet again on Monday in the Final.

England Positives
The stats & commentary suggest the fielding was good, maybe excellent.
Lottie/Marsh opening stand (59 in 8.5 overs)
Brindle scoring 15 in only 10 balls (needed higher in the order perhaps?)
England won.

England negatives
Converting 67/2 off 10 overs into ‘only’ 136-6 after 20. Should have been 150+. Had a period in the middle of the innings when only 34 was scored off 35 balls.
Put another way, converting 55-0 off 8 overs into 136-6
One or two bowlers went for a few.

Finally I’d like to congratulate the BBC for their excellent commentary on Radio 5 Live Sports Extra …… however as we all know they couldn’t be bothered to cover the match. No despite having all their equipment there for the men’s match later in the day the good old BBC considered that the 3rd practice session (that’s not even qualifying) of the European Grand Prix was more worthy. Gender discrimination working well in the BBC as usual. No wonder minority sports haven’t got a hope.

 

Bit of a wake up call today after the high of yesterday.
At the risk of being negative this Indian team is not brilliant at T20 and probably hasn't had much preparation for this series. One would thus expect England to have batted a bit better (given this is probably the best T20 batting line up we've ever had - I mean Hazell coming in at No11 !) although one can't fault the bowling performance.
134 and 136 has been good enough to win the last two games but this batting line up should be getting over 150 ..... which I suspect we'll need to do tomorrow against the Australians. 150 equates to 25 from 6 batsmen at 20 balls for those 25 runs.
Anyway, we won, which isn't a bad habit.
Hope Shrubsole's injury isn't serious - she's been dogged by injury for most of her career.

 

Where was this game won …… in overs 17, 18 and 19, simple as that.
England were 85/5 after 16 overs whilst Australia were 86/4 off 16 overs.
England then scored 13, 13 and 14 (Greenway going from 22 off 22 to 47 off 35 and Brindle going from 4 off 6 to 17 off 11).
Australia then scored 9 (Brindle), 6 (Hazell) and 9 (Brindle).

Greenway will get MotM but Brindle would be only just behind her.

Fantastic effort in the field. Well done England.

 

One Quad Series over (and won) and one more about to start.
Guha comes into squad for injured (oh no not again) Shrubsole.
Knight will presumably come into the starting 11 as an opener but its a tought selection to select only 11.

 

Fantastic effort still not their best as Lottie says but getting a higher profile on Sky etc not a bad thing for game as a whole.

Well down Lydia yesterday...

 

So we start all over again today with the ODIs.

Guha & Elwiss the injury replacements for Shrubsole & Gunn.

 

Both England & Australia have had testing matches. India got amongst the Australian batting but the platform for the win had already been set.

England have done enough and someone has always dug them out of a rough patch.

The next two games will help assess who still holds the upper hand. England do need to put in a complete ODI performance to show the team has moved on.

 

The batting was frustrating in that England lost wickets just at the wrong time. Probably should have got 270 based on their 30 over score.
NZ just never stood a chance once they fell to 11-4. Certainly a better bowling display than on Thursday by England.
Aimee Watkins damaged her ankle by stepping on the ball and had to bat with a runner. Hope that is not her last match (she retires at the end of the Quad Series).
So a double-header against Australia now with only the Quad Final having signficant meaning - will be a strange match on Tuesday but being Lord's it will be special for the players even if it isn't for the tournement.

 

I would have felt happier with another 20 runs on the board at the break, especially since I wasn't sure how Arran would fit in as an opening bowler. However once McGlashen's middle stump was demolished first ball, there wasn't any tension left in the game for me. India have fronted up better than anticipated & its disappointing that I'll not get to see them this time round.

We're now in for a mirror image repeat of 2009 fixtures against the Southern Stars with games at Lords & Wormsley a day apart. Unfortunately the weather forecast for tomorrow suggests that we could experience a similar wash out as well.

Interesting to see that Beth Morgan is putting in a case for a recall following her return from injury -104* for Gunnersbury, but only bowled a couple of overs.

 

Judging by the latest BBC weather forecast I think there is a good chance they'll just get through before the rain arrives. 'Evening' for London seemed to be what the BBC say. Still I'd bat second and keep an eye on D-L.

As well as Morgan's 100 Tammy Beaumont hit 94. The latter seems to have reached a whole new level of batting this season.

The challenge for these players and others is trying to find a way into the first XI. Ebony Rainford-Brent clobbered a 150+ for Surrey earlier this season but can't get in.

There are a heck of a lot of players knocking at the door. Apart from the current squad (Lottie, Tails, Squirt, Lydia, Heather K, Danni H, Danni W, Laura M, Holly C, Katherine B, Isa Guha, Arran B, Fran W, Georgina Elwiss) there is also the injured Anya Shrubsole &
Jenny Gunn. There is almost a whole team of players who are not in the current squad, have played for England & are still playing to at least County Champtionship level (Caroline Atkins, Ebony Rainford-Brent, Beth Morgan, Susie Rowe, Lauren Griffiths, Charlie Russell, Tammy Beaumont, Beth Macgregor, Stephanie Davies and Jo Watts). There is also Katie Cross who flew out as cover last winter. Chuck in some promising Academy players and the challenge of breaking into the England squad is there for all to see. Put together an England second XI and it'll be about 5th or 6th in the world.
[I'm assuming that Jane Smit, Laura Spragg and Rosalie Birch, all whom still play at CC level are internationally retired. No idea what's happened to Lynsey Askew].

 

Shame the development squad (or England Lionesses) can't play more games or even be part of a tournament expansion.

The County T20 in August should be a corker.

Hoping you're right about the weather but I expect to see most of a game, if not all. Better than being at work.

 

Yet again the England team bat erratically after early wickets we had a chance to rebuild but some poor shot selection mean't we failed to reach a par score. The team bats down to number 10 and Brunt hold an end up if a top order batsman takes the lead.

But most worrying is the bowling we have variety but only one strike bowler, Brindle appears to be a first or second change seamer rather than an opening bowler. The weather conditions today did also seem condusive to seam & swing but the spinners had to do the lions share of the work. Not selecting Isa would seem to be a mistake.

All is not lost though a strong batting performance would allow the spinners to build pressure backed-up by the usual high standard of fielding. So a win isn't out of the question.

But the Australian top order were at their destructive best today with a T20 total to chase.

 

Australia seem to be the current best ODI team in the world and England the current best T20 team. Its perplexing as to why one is better at one form of the game than the other.

In T20 we seem to have worked out our batting order and be comfortable with it - unlike in ODIs. At the start of the ODI series (I think) I suggested opening with Lottie/Marsh, as they do in T20, because I couldn't see any reason to break that partnership up and nothing that's happened in the ODI series makes me change my mind.

It seems to be an issue of shot selection rather than talent on many occasions. This was true at Derby and sounds like it has some resonance at Lords.

The result, in one sense, doesn't really affect the tournament and if one is going to play a real howler its best to do it in such circumstances. What does matter is the missed opportunity - certain batsmen had a golden chance, with overs to play with, to build an innings but they didn't take that opportunity. What a shame.

As far as high speed bowling goes we have a known issue. There isn't two Brunts or anyone near her speed except perhaps Shrubsole and she is incredibly unlucky with injuries. Gunn's back has gone (I think) again and she hardly bowled in the T20 anyway. Guha & Brindle are more military-medium than fast. I see a lot of talent outside of the England team but I've not seem anyone that is pure speed (ie someone who Squirt would not stand up to). Of course, in the round, we've managed the lack of another Brunt quite well.

I suspect Mark Lane will stick with the same XI on Thursday but the batting order is anyone's guess !

 

Credit where it is due Squirts keeping was at times breathtaking today, doubt she would have much trouble in the upper levels of the mens game.

The Australians showed how to hit hard and straight clearing the front leg and hitting over the top of the ring a technique that when successful counters the spin-centric strategy of England.

Both England teams should have a flexible approach with personnel on offer, today Lydia moved from 5 to 6 despite her recent successes?

 

I concur with several of the points in the last few posts. For my money (& £12.50 yesterday was excessive to watch a poor performance amid the cacophony of over 500 school children), Squirt should go back to the opening slot & Boggy bat much later in the order. The most pressing problem as I see it, is over-dependance on slow bowling - with a green wicket we needed to have had more front line medium pace available, either Isa or Georgia.

Lynsey was abroad travelling last year. I'll try & get an update on that score tomorrow.

 

LurgMhor at least the school parties were encouraged by a free entry scheme and even if it helps to inspire one new England international of the future it is a price worth paying. You could ask the same of the ticket price today as SL capitulate I guess. Sitting in the grandstand and after the school children headed home the batting of the Australians was worth the entrance fee. With the growth in the girls game I have seen some promising 14/15 year olds at county & club level the question is whether the system will promote them or lose them.

Lynsey is a Hayes girl and there has been no word of a possible return from Oz to the international fold or the country.

 

Contrary to my earlier blog it seems that England are the No1 ODI side in the world so apologies to England for suggesting otherwise.
Today's batting mirrored some earlier games and still give me some cause for concern. Lottie bats very well as a T20 opener but has seemed to go into a shell in the ODI series. Its a 10 over powerplay but she hasn't really played it as a powerplay. I can see Sarah Taylor being restored to opener but I've no idea who might open with her.
Shot selection was issue today with too many shots going to fielders instead of gaps and players leaving balls that are off the stumps and then swinging and missing straight ones (Brindle's innings was an object lesson in how to place the ball into the gaps). 230 was 20 to 30 runs short of what was par but a good effort given the early fall of wickets.
The bowling was ... well Brunt really. She had a tail wind today and was really steaming in. Her first over took two wickets and she had another before her first spell was out (as well as a dropped catch that would have reduced Oz to 7-3). She then came back and took Cameron's wicket in her first over of her second spell - vital at that stage of the match. Probably the best 10 overs I've seen bowled for ages.
Colvin and Guha bowled well. Wyatt bowled only 4 overs and I've no idea why only 4 given her figures were 1-13 in those 4 overs and that wicket was Haynes at a crucial time. I'd repeat and agree with earlier points that we need more speed options (granted two candidates are crocked).
Overall a really good effort in the field with some good innings (eg 2 x Taylor, Greenway, Brindle) earlier.
Finally, a word of tribute to Shelly Nitschke. She retired today and retired at the top. A superb all rounder who will be missed by Australia and has been a magnificant servant to the game. Well done Shelly and thanks.

 

Great performance by the middle order after Wyatt & Marsh perished in what were bowler friendly conditions. Lydia continues to go from strength to strength as an attacking bat who deserves to bat at 5 or 4 depending upon the state of the game.

Take Brunts bowling performance out of the equation and England would've been in dire straits, so a well deserved player of the match award. Isa took her 100th wicket and a key one it was too. At 158-6 with 6 an over required an Aussie revival was still possible, so well done the team.


England need to establish a regular opening partner for Lottie and a new bowling attack for green & grassy conditions for when spin is not the order of the day.


As the international season finishes on a high I'm sure you will have some telling stats for us Lahdarbheinn that might give some clues as to the winter tour.

 

A stunning day, not least because both matches started on time & didn't suffer interuption from any of the rain that had been forecast, tinged with regret that it was the final international appearances for 3 (so far) of the best performers currently in the game. [There's a nice video tribute to Nitschke on cricket.com.au]

Barry - I think "dire straits" might be a bit strong, but would agree that the remainder of the attack looked unlikely to have achieved sufficient containment.
lahdarbheinn - We sing from the same hymnsheet with regards to Lottie's puzzling inability to get going early in 50-over powerplay, especially in the Lords game after she'd elected to bat first. Also puzzled by using Marsh at no.3 again when batting conditions were difficult - swapping position with Knight would have been my recommendation.