In 2017 I have seen some extraordinary events on the cricket field, and by way of a personal retrospective of the year, here through some of my own smartphone * photography is a recap of some of my highlights: Continue reading “2017 A personal year in cricket in pictures”
The grim trial of strength that went mainstream: women’s Test cricket
Before the Australian women’s cricket team played their touring England counterparts in Brisbane in December 1934, the following directive appeared in the Courier Mail:
No one in the press or elsewhere paid any attention to this instruction, and the first women’s Test match concluded at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground on New Year’s Eve 1934, the visiting English winning by nine wickets.
It’s taken 83 years for Australia and England to come together for their 49th women’s Test (plus one washed out), and their four-day meeting at North Sydney Oval beginning on Thursday 9 November 2017 was a special occasion as the first to be played as a day-night fixture. Continue reading “The grim trial of strength that went mainstream: women’s Test cricket”
A bit of light reading about the 1999-2000 England womens tour
England’s women’s cricket team headed to the Antipodes in January 2000 to play one-day internationals in Australia and New Zealand. By the time they were ready to head east across the Tasman, England had lost the ODI series to Australia 0-4 and Karen Smithies had resigned as captain.
Working for Cricinfo at the time I covered every ODI of the Australian leg of the tour, and I believe I have the only comprehensive documentation of these games. Continue reading “A bit of light reading about the 1999-2000 England womens tour”
It’s back to the 80s day for Australian cricket
December 24, 1984: Australia loses a women’s Test to England.
September 19, 1988: Australia follows on in a men’s Test match against Pakistan.
August 27, 2005: The next occasion that Australia follows on in a men’s Test.
August 27, 2005: The next occasion Australia loses a women’s Test match.
Happy 97th, Sir Don.
A great English victory beckons
Something I thought I would never see, well not in this decade anyway, appears to be unfolding at New Road, Worcester, today.
It’s lunch on Day Three of the Second Women’s Test between England and Australia. The visitors made 131 in their first innings. England, after being 227 for 9 at the close of the second day, advanced to 289 all out. Australia faced sixteen overs before lunch. They are currently 13 for 3. Continue reading “A great English victory beckons”
Worcester Test Day One
Nothing will stop me from cursing the England and Wales Cricket Board for their counterproductive policy of scheduling women’s tours simultaneously with the men. There’s an important, indeed, sudden-death women’s Test match going on at New Road, Worcester which is being totally eclipsed for media attention by the most riveting men’s Ashes series in almost a quarter of a century. Continue reading “Worcester Test Day One”
England defeat Australia by two runs
Deja vu all over again? Maybe. But England’s two-run victory over Australia in the women’s one-day international at Stratford-upon-Avon on Sunday was a quite historic occasion. Continue reading “England defeat Australia by two runs”
Old enough to bowl, too young to talk
Cathryn Fitzpatrick had already held her 21st birthday party when Holly Colvin was born. Not turning sixteen till September 7, Colvin became the youngest Test cricketer for the English women on Tuesday. She paid dividends for England by taking three wickets on the opening day of the Hove Test against Australia – Kate Blackwell, Julia Price and Fitzpatrick – but at day’s end was not allowed to talk to the media. Continue reading “Old enough to bowl, too young to talk”
It’s Peden-Archdale time again!
The women’s Ashes Test series began at Hove on Tuesday. I don’t know why the ECB insists on scheduling women’s tours in parallel with their male compatriots. Australia had to do it in 2001 and England toured Australia as the men’s tour was winding up in early 2003. Continue reading “It’s Peden-Archdale time again!”