The Hundred: 30 to 21

30: Anya Shrubsole

As a child, I was aware of Rachel Hayhoe-Flint and her fellow posh girls in skirts but it was only about ten years ago when women’s cricket broke through and turned pro. One of the biggest names to emerge from England’s youthful set-up was Anya Shrubsole, I suppose I was especially interested because she’s from Somerset but her medium-pace bowling was famed for its economy, especially in limited-overs, and she took 4-11 in the Ashes T20 finale  I watched in Cardiff five years ago. Her 6-46 effectively won England the World Cup in 2017.

29: Hashim Amla

There’s something almost supernatural watching a batsman oozing elegance, compiling runs by means of technical excellence, timing, finding the gaps, knowing when to play and when to leave. For several years, Hashim Amla seemed to epitomise such cricketing wizardry. He was close to international retirement when I saw him struggle for fluency against Afghanistan in last year’s World Cup at Cardiff but several years earlier he was probably the finest ODI and Test batsman in the world. I also found it immensely satisfying watching a devout Muslim succeeding in South Africa, a nation which for so long treated such people as 2nd-class citizens. 

28: John Snow

In the early 1970s, genuinely quick bowlers with attitude were usually associated with Australia or the West Indies. However, England had its own fiery fast man in John Snow. He was constantly in trouble with umpires and authorities and I remember in 1971 disliking him intensely for deliberately barging Gavaskar to the ground and slinging his bat towards him. However, in time I came to appreciate his bowling and in the back garden I would copy his bowling action more than anyone’s.

27: Craig Overton

Pace bowlers have traditionally struggled on the flat Taunton pitches but in the early Noughties along came not one but two extremely promising teenagers from North Devon: Craig and Jamie Overton. As twins they were pretty much indistinguishable and, based on the names printed on their shirts, I dubbed them ‘Coverton’ and ‘Joverton’. The former has proved himself the most consistent, in form and fitness, and so gets the nod over his twin, although both have been superb so far this year. Unlike Jamie, Craig has thankfully signed a new contract with Somerset. 

26: Malcolm Marshall

However, when it comes to high-class quicks, surely none can measure up to Malcolm Marshall. Like Snow, he was sub-six feet tall but could generate fearsome pace off even a short curving run-up, delivering perfect bouncers, yorkers, seam or swing apparently at will. His first-class career bowling average was an extraordinary 19.10 and barely 20 in Tests where he often bowled first-change for the West Indies. He also took over a thousand wickets for Hampshire and, 21 years after his tragic death from cancer, he is remembered as one of the greatest fast bowlers - ever. 

25: Zaheer Abbas

In the ‘70s and early ‘80s, the bespectacled Pakistani was probably the most prolific batsman in county cricket, and that includes the likes of Boycott, Richards and Lloyd. Glancing at the weekly averages in the newspaper, Zaheer Abbas would inevitably appear near the top, with few others able to beat his aggregate of runs and centuries. I saw him play for Gloucestershire only once, making just 8 in a 1981 Sunday League clash, but I’d love to have witnessed him in his Championship or Test pomp. With the red ball, I’d rate him above Miandad and Inzamam any day. 

24: Mike Procter

Coincidentally, Mike Procter also played in that 40-over game at Bath, top-scoring with 91, but he was a different kind of Gloucestershire legend. Robbed of international cricket throughout the ‘70s, the South African bestrode the county game like a colossus, definitely one of the best all-rounders of his generation. He struck 48 first-class hundreds and claimed well over 1,000 wickets, with a mix of off-spin and whirlwind pace delivered with a distinctive ‘wrong-foot’ chest-on action. I also loved his easy-going attitude at a time when the game was going through major changes. 

23: Geoff Boycott

When it comes to love-hate characters in cricket, Boycott was possibly the most Marmite of them all – and still is. He played up to the forthright, bloody-minded Yorkshire stereotype as player and commentator but on the pitch his prolific run-scoring simply had to be admired. His career aggregate of 48,426 first-class runs, most of them for his county, will surely never again be surpassed. I remember vividly when at Leeds in ’77 for England he struck that boundary through mid-on to register his 100^th ton, an emotional moment, and not just for Boycott himself. 

22: Saeed Anwar

One of the finest innings I remember witnessing live was the 102 completed by Saeed Anwar for the Pakistan tourists against Essex one warm August afternoon in 1996. The left-handed opener reeled off a series of crisp drives, cuts and pulls  to delight purists like me, and his strokeplay proved easy on the eye in countless Tests and ODIs during the Nineties, notably in his 146-ball 194 against India in ’97. He was also unusual in that his Test record is better outside Pakistan than at home. 

21: Aravinda de Silva

When Sri Lanka announced themselves as a major force on cricket’s global stage by winning the 1996 World Cup, Aravinda De Silva was the undisputed Man of the Match in the final, taking 3-42 and steering his side to victory with an unbeaten 107. I saw him score an unremarkable 42 at Lord’s in a one-off Test in 1991 but I always enjoyed watching him bat. I hadn’t realised he was shorter than me - after all, most of the Sri Lankan side back then were vertically-challenged – but it was Aravinda’s carefree approach to batting and ready smile which were his most endearing traits.

Women's Cricket goes from strength to strength

It was pleasing to read about the success of the Women’s T20 World Cup in the last few weeks. It culminated in a final played at the MCG in front of 86,000 spectators, and they hadn’t turned up just to see Katy Perry perform. The tournament had  already served up plenty of ‘Fireworks’ across Australia.

In some ways it was a shame that the conclusion was such a damp squib, with the home side and reigning champions Australia destroying India by 85 runs. However, Meg Lanning’s side had opened the competition in Sydney with defeat to Kaur, Mandhana, Sharma et al, so such a one-sided finale was unexpected.

It could have been England in their place, of course, had their semi-final not been washed out, sending India through courtesy of a faultless group stage and England’s loss to South Africa, and the latter were only narrowly beaten by Australia on D/L in their own semi last week.. It bodes well that, barring that joyous West Indies success a few years ago, the Australia-England duopoly has been broken. As in the men’s game, most top nations must feel they are in with a shout, especially in the shortest, more unpredictable formats. OK, so Thailand were the inevitable fall-guys but they earned their right to be on the main stage and did rack up 150-3 in the abandoned fixture against Pakistan. 

Gender equality in sport is also becoming reality, not merely fanciful words made by ICC politicians. Credit to the Aussie men for insisting on the women taking equal pay, and this summer’s Hundred tournament will also see parity in the men’s and women’s prize money. I’m no fan of such ludicrous innovations but I applaud the headlines accorded the signing of women stars like Beth Mooney as much as those for Steve Smith.

One problem remains UK media. Women’s tennis has enjoyed extensive coverage all my life, with champions from King to Graf, Navratilova to the Williams sisters on the same pedestal as Borg Becker and Nadal. It has never really mattered whether Britain had any chance of winning Wimbledon. However, like football, rugby and golf, this country’s editors and broadcasters have yet to demonstrate a genuine appetite for women’s cricket unless England are doing well. Mind you, the same could be said for men’s cricket, which only makes the TV sports news if England win the Ashes or are in World Cup contention.

After England unluckily slipped out of the T20 in Australia, you’d have thought the tournament had turned out the lights and gone into self-isolation in the company of two million toilet rolls. The final received not a mention. I suspect India was less insular, and they featured some of the tournament’s biggest stars, especially the sensationally fearless 16 year-old opening batter, Shafali Verma. Unfortunately, like most of her team-mates, she froze on the big occasion, while Mooney, Alyssa Healy and Megan Schutt used their experience to the max. Healy’s innings of 75 included one six of 83 metres, which would have pleased the biggest hitters of the men’s game. Perhaps it won’t be long before her partner Mitchell Starc will be labelled Healy’s other half, rather than the other way around. 

To summarise, cricket has the means to propel women’s sport further into the global mainstream, and not as some mere adjunct to an arbitrary construct like International Women’s Day. The more nations take part, the wider the coverage will be. In Britain, Knight, Shrubsole, Ecclestone and co need to narrow the gap with the Aussies but elsewhere everything’s heading in the right direction. When Australia finds young blood to step into the shoes of Lanning, Perry, Jonassen and their immensely successful colleagues, England may shudder, it won't be just Katy Perry but the women’s game generally giving a 'Roar' of approval.

Moeen rockets Rapids to Finals Day

After the exciting climax to the Third Ashes Test match, it is perhaps a little ironic that the format designed to serve up thrilling games inside three hours should produce mostly one-sided quarter-finals in the Blast.

North group winners Lancashire were denied their home advantage by the primacy of the Ashes. Instead of Old Trafford or the floodlight-less Liverpool, they were forced to play Essex the other side of the Pennines at Chester-le-Street. Mind you, I think that T20 is such a lottery that it removes much advantage of batting on a familiar track, and two of the other three fixtures were won by the visiting county.

Lancashire’s innings was anchored by Alex Davies, who was still there at the end of their innings on 80. Essex’s target of 160 was far from straightforward and it required Ten Doeschate and Bopara to raise their strike rate considerably in the last five overs. The experienced duo succeeded, as Vilas  switched his seven bowlers in desperation. The ex-England man rounded off an excellent all-round performance with 2-28 and an 18-ball 39.

On Wednesday evening, another rapid fifty by Eoin Morgan proved in vain. The Trent Bridge faithful were treated to a fine display of hitting as Middlesex failed to capture a single wicket, dropping three catches along the way. Chris Nash made his first Blast outing of the season, showing Joe Clarke how ‘tis done, striking twos and fours with pleasing regularity. At the other end Alex Hales heaved seven balls into the crowd, the last of them bringing up the ten-wicket victory in the seventeenth over.

The third quarter-final was hosted by Hove but, facing Worcestershire, South table-toppers Sussex were undone first by the crucial bowling of Ed Barnard then the brilliant batting of Moeen Ali. He thumped an awe-inspiring career-best 121 not out to follow a mean 1-21 bowling spell.

In contrast, runs were in short supply at Bristol where Derbyshire restricted Gloucestershire to only 135-7. Four bowlers conceded fewer than seven an over with off-spinner Matt Critchley perhaps the pick of the pack. The county duly booked their first Finals Day trip thanks largely to Wayne Madsen keeping the scoreboard ticking merrily for 47 until he became Tye’s second victim. Too little, too late, and captain Godleman and coach Dominic Cork could celebrate the achievement. They may not have the dosh or the big names of their opponents but underestimate Derbyshire in T20 at your peril.

Last weekend, the women had their own Finals Day in Sussex. The last KSL action before it’s ditched for the horrible Hundred saw the Southern Vipers overpower Loughborough Lightning with an over to spare in the semi. Western Storm have bossed the group stages with nine wins out of ten, and they duly made it a double-figure tally in a six-wicket triumph. Competition top scorer Dani Wyatt had given the Vipers an excellent start but England skipper Heather Knight (78 not out) and Deepti Sharma (39 off 22 deliveries) saw the hot favourites home. After the England women suffered such a drubbing in their own Ashes, Knight could final lift a trophy. We’ll know shortly whether Joe Root could do the same.

Team of the Week: Davies (Lan), Moeen Ali (Wor), Hales (Not), Wyatt (Vip), Knight (WS), Bopara (Ess), Cox (Wor +), Barnard (Wor), Critchley (Der), Hudson-Prentice (Der), Carter (Not)

Northants off the mark, Glamorgan on the charge

The greatest surprise of the week was not Ollie Pope’s selection for England’s Test team but Northamptonshire’s seven-wicket defeat of Derbyshire, their first T20 victory of the season. Josh Cobb’s 73 not out was the key contribution, following his maiden T20 century three days earlier against Birmingham Bears.

Callum Ferguson also struck his first hundred in this format, 102 not out in 56 balls, in Worcestershire’s straightforward despatch of Nottinghamshire. He was in the runs again at Grace Road but, when he was run out on 69, the chase fizzled out and Leicestershire claimed their first home win so far. It also prevented Worcester going top. That accolade goes to Durham, who beat Lancashire at Old Trafford. A brisk Alex Davies start had the home side cruising towards the target but an inexplicable batting implosion against spinner Trevaskis cost them the game. They met again next week.

A few days later, they didn’t repeat the errors at Headingley, and the subsequent 37-run success over the Bears promoted them to third place in the North division.

In the South, Somerset recorded another 100% week, beating Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex. Johann Myburgh announced his impending retirement this week and Somerset will miss his T20 runs. Jamie Overton’s 4-24 at Taunton yesterday afternoon was the latest in a series of fine white-ball performances.

Glamorgan’s season has suddenly caught fire. They defeated the three weakest sides, Hampshire, Essex and Middlesex, Colin Ingram marking his return from illness with more than 200 runs. The Welsh were also given a helping hand by a Scotsman Ruaidhri Smith. He ripped out the Middlesex top four, three of them bowled, and took 4-6 in total. Not bad!

Top innings of the week was Gloucestershire’s 242-4, the hapless Middlesex their victims. Ian Cockbain scored 123 of them, consisting of 12 fours and 8 sixes. They now sit two behind leaders Somerset with a game in hand. The western counties are currently sitting pretty, thanks in part to Kent and Sussex experiencing more abandonments. Last month’s clash between the neighbours was ruined by rain and yesterday’s return match at Hove was a complete washout.

If Canterbury has further downpours next Thursday, Somerset won’t complain, as this would hand them the single point needed to qualify for the knockout stage. Glamorgan’s final fixture against Surrey at Cardiff could be a tasty one and a large Friday night crowd is anticipated. Lancashire travel to Edgbaston hoping to confirm a place in the quarters while Durham will also probably make sure by beating Derbyshire at Chester-le-Street.

Meanwhile, the Western Storm have been continuing to light up the area in and around Bristol, winning two more fixtures to lead the Kia Super League. Their top three batters have been in superb form, and Mandhana and skipper Knight in particular. Lancashire Thunder were also defeated by Surrey Stars, for whom South African opener Lizelle Lee starred with the bat. Three games to go but it’s looking good for the Storm to make another final.

Team of the Week: 

Lee (Stars), Ferguson (Wor), Cockbain (Glo), Cobb (Nor), Ingram (Gla), Moores (Not +), Clarke (Sur), Trevaskis (Lan), Parnell (Wor), J Overton (Som), Smith (Gla)

Somerset Surge and Western Storm

It’s been a busy week of Vitality Blast fixtures. In the North division, Yorkshire and Derbyshire each played four matches, two of them against each other, with the latter winning both. The Falcons also beat the Birmingham Bears but a clean sweep was prevented by a nine-run defeat at Trent Bridge.

I’d picked the Worcestershire-Lancashire clash as the big one, so maybe it was inevitable it was one of three games to be completely washed out. In the end, it was the Rapids’ Friday night home tie against Durham which was to decide who topped the table. Durham had already made it five wins in a row with an easy victory over struggling Northamptonshire, and seemed to be homing in on a sixth when Ross Whiteley’s powerful innings of 60 was ended in the final over. Ten were still needed off five balls, but Wayne Parnell required only three to hit the 195 target and take Worcestershire to the summit.

Elsewhere, Derbyshire's Wahab Riaz and Yorkshire's David Willey were both in fine fettle with bat and ball but Mohammad Nabi provide the most explosive innings of the division. The veteran Leicestershire spinner didn't have a vintage week with the ball but he plundered eight sixes in a 32-ball 86 to carry his side to success against Lancashire. 

In the South, Somerset won all three of their matches, the most impressive being a ten-wicket slaughter of Essex at Taunton. Johannes Myburgh thrashed 103 not out from 44 balls to end Essex’s misery. Captain Lewis Gregory had earlier beaten Middlesex almost on his own, striking 60 from 26 deliveries then taking 4-28. Jerome Taylor's 5-15 against Hampshire was the bowling achievement of the week.

Gloucestershire had retained their lead after defeating Sussex by four wickets in a low-scoring encounter at Hove on Wednesday but failed to consolidate n Friday night in Cardiff. Helped by Craig Meschede’s career-best 77, Glamorgan had passed 200 and seemed to be cruising until Jack Taylor began peppering the boundary and the crowd beyond. Van Gugten bowled him at the start of the final over, but AJ Tye duly heaved two sixes. He needed three runs from the last ball but missed. That left Kent to occupy pole position. Despite, or because of, three ‘No Results’, they have thirteen points whilst Somerset’s superior number of wins gives them only twelve.

However, the greatest runfest of the week came at The Oval last night in front of a sellout 24,000 crowd. It wasn’t as close as the Cardiff game but for huge hitting it was unsurpassed. Paul Stirling’s 109 in 58 balls had propelled Middlesex to 221-5. But, in Jason Roy and Aaron Finch, Surrey boast two of the most electrifying T20 openers in the world. They don’t always click at the same time but on this occasion they did. Roy plundered 84 from 37 before holing out to deep mid-wicket. Meanwhile, the Aussie kept going. Having already broken the county record for a fastest T20 fifty, he raced to three figures and was still there on 117 when Nic Maddinson launched the ball over mid-wicket to clinch the victory. There were still four overs remaining so God knows how many more runs Finch might have accumulated had they been batting first!

Next week’s potential highlights include Surrey’s trip to Somerset, the Roses battle at Headingley, Derbyshire’s visit to Worcester and Kent hosting Gloucestershire.

Finally, before I go, a quick mention for the T20 Women’s Super League. Thankfully it has been expanded this year, and there have been some fine performances in the past few weeks. The Somerset-based Western Storm have looked a formidable outfit, and with Indian Smriti Mandhana in sparkling form, may well retain their title. She garnered almost 200 runs in her three fixtures, including a 61-ball century and then 52 not out from a mere 19, taking her six tally for the tournament so far to sixteen. Watch out, Mr Finch, you have competition!

Team of the Week: 

Finch (Sur), Myburgh (Som), Williamson (Yor), Willey (Yor), Mandhana (Wes), Billings (Ken +), Gregory (Som), Wahab Riaz (Der), J Taylor (Som), Imran Tahir (Dur), Milne (Ken)

Ellyse Perry Keeps Aussies in Charge

The single women’s Test match at Sydney may have ended as a draw but there were positives for both sides. After the first day, when England laboured to 235-7, home skipper Rachael Haynes must have fancied Australia’s chances of repeating their 2015 Ashes triumph in the four-day format.

Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight put on a century stand for the second wicket but thereafter nobody else could amass more than 29 runs. Once the floodlights came on, Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry made life more difficult, and when Perry induced a caught-and-bowled from Sarah Taylor, they must have scented blood. The following morning, Shrubsole and Marsh did their best to advance the score past the psychologically important mark of 300 but their side could muster only 280.

In reply, England’s attack began well. Laura Marsh and teenage debutante spinner Sophia Ecclestone claimed the top three batters, before Shrubsole had Villiani brilliantly caught by Taylor. 95-4, after 56 overs, and things were looking up. However, Ellyse Perry was watchful at the other end. When joined by Haynes, the runs began to flow more easily. Alyssa Healy upped the scoring rate even more and put on 102 for the sixth wicket with Perry who was playing beautifully.

The third day saw the all-rounder reach three figures. Amazingly it was her first international century in any format after more than 170 attempts. But she didn’t stop there. By stumps, she had progressed to a superb 213 not out, the third highest individual Test score in history. More importantly, the Aussies declared on an unbeatable 448-9. Facing 17 awkward overs in the lights, Winfield and Beaumont successfully held on intact. However they faced a mountain on the final day to avoid a defeat which would cost them the Ashes before the Twenty20 games had even started.

So full credit to England for digging in throughout the day. It can’t have been much of a spectacle for the North Sydney Oval crowd but the top four displayed diligence that the men’s team would do well to repeat when the situation demands it. Newbies McGrath and Wellington nabbed an opener apiece, but Heather Knight, passing 70 for the second time in the match, led from the front. On 206-2, she shook hands with her opposite number and it was honours even.

With a four-point margin, the Ashes are still up for grabs. However, England must win all three of the T20 fixtures to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Anything’s possible in the biff-bang stuff but I can’t help feeling that Australia will manage at least one win and hold the women’s trophy for another two years. With Ellyse Perry in this form, who would bet against?

Women’s 2017 Ashes Off and Running

Well, the Ashes are well under way at last. I don’t mean that over-hyped ‘war’ which seems to be more about whether or not a drunken thug is selected to play. That's still a few weeks away. No, I'm referring to the women’s Ashes, which comprises a multi-format tournament and is decided by a points system.

Two years ago, I saw first-hand the Aussies lift the trophy in Cardiff, despite losing the final Twenty20 fixture. Unlike the blokes, the women’s tour is concentrated along the East coast, working their way down from Brisbane to Sydney and Canberra. If nothing else, it has introduced the name Coffs Harbour to my vocabulary, as the venue for the second and third ODIs. The New South Wales city will have mixed memories for the tourists, but the second match there did see England registering their first win of the series, keeping the overall result alive for another week at least.

Australia will surely miss injured captain and ace batter Meg Lanning.  Stand-in skipper Rachael Haynes was expected to be a bit of a weak link but went into the competition in great form. Since 2015, England’s leadership has also seen a change. Charlotte Edwards may have gone but her successor Heather Knight will love the chance to add the Ashes to the World Cup her team won this summer. 

The home side nicked the Brisbane opener thanks to veteran all-rounder Alex Blackwell’s 67 not out. Four days later, Australia made it two on the trot, but the margin was far more decisive. Top three, Nicole Bolton, Alyssa Healey and Ellyse Perry each earned half-centuries but it was Haynes’ unbeaten 89 which boosted England’s target to 285 off 46 overs. It was never going to be enough. Megan Schutt trapped both openers inside five overs and, until Kathy Brunt lashed out near the end, the batting never really got going.

Positions were reversed three days later, when Sarah Taylor and Taylor produced excellent performances, each scoring at more than a run a ball. With Tammy Beaumont also contributing 74, the foundation for a formidable total was laid. Healy and Beaumont started in determined fashion, notching a century partnership in 21 overs. However, from 159-1, wickets fell regularly and by the time Jenny Gunn polished off Blackwell and Wellington, the game was already won.

Now for the single Test match. Sadly, these are very rare in the women’s game. In fact, next week’s game at Sydney will be the first five-dayer since….the two nations last met two years ago. Then, at Canterbury, Australia rolled England over by 161 runs with almost two days to spare. Debutant Jess Jonassen was cruelly denied a maiden century by an LBW on 99, then also top-scored in the second innings. Her resulting Test average of 76.50 is rather impressive but her subsequent career has panned out more as a bowler than batter, especially in T20. She may well have more of a say in these Ashes in the concluding fixtures. Perry took nine cheap wickets last time around and, with new-ball partner Schutt will undoubtedly be in the mix again on home soil.

Win, and they can’t be overhauled. Lose, and the series is wide open. For that reason alone, I’d love to see England upset the odds at the SCG and keep things interesting. Somehow, though, I can’t see it happening.

England Lose both Edwards and Taylor

Imagine the following scenario. Andrew Strauss sits down with Alastair Cook for a chat about England’s strategy, after which Cook announces his immediate retirement from international cricket. A week later, Joe Root says he is taking an indefinite break from the game. It’ll never happen, right? Well, something very similar has just happened in women’s cricket.


Last week came the news that England’s long-serving captain and middle-order batter Charlotte Edwards had been forced to stand down. Today came the even more shocking revelation that her likely successor Sarah Taylor is “to take some personal time away from the game". With James Taylor having forced to quit the sport for health reasons at the same age, that’s two of my favourite cricketers off the scene at ridiculously young ages.


Edwards has given two decades’ service to England cricket, making her Test debut at the age of 16, scoring 34 and 31 against New Zealand. Test matches are rare in the women’s game, so since July 1996, the bulk of Edwards’ 309 appearances for her country have been in ODIs and T20s. With a Test average of 44, she remains one of the most successful run-makers in the modern game. But more than this, England Women have under his leadership moved into a new era, the professional era, in which players no longer have to wear skirts and caps, de rigeur when Charlotte started her career.

She has lifted the World T20 Cup and Ashes but the Aussies have in recent years become bigger stars. Edwards is not the best runners out in the middle and maybe that is why coach Mark Robinson, backed by his boss Clare Connor, gave her the elbow in the name of promoting youth and fitness. Last year at Cardiff, when signing autographs at the boundary fence, I must admit she did look like the proud elder sister amongst her younger siblings, a mother hen shepherding her clucking chickens. I don’t mean that disparagingly at all. Charlotte Edwards was, is, a genuine star and, as the likes of Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry will testify, she is one of the greats of the game, not just in 2016 but in its entire history.

I’ve written before about the way Sarah Taylor always plays with a smile on her face, be it batting or behind the stumps. That belies a steely determination that all top sports people must possess to succeed. And success is no stranger to Sarah.

Her debut came against India in 2006 at the grand old age of 17. Since then she has become one of the world’s best players, opening and keeping wicket. Admittedly last year’s Ashes series and the recent World T20 didn’t see Taylor at her best. Nevertheless the media aren’t revealing the reason for her immediate break, which will presumably scupper her chance of taking Edwards’ place as captain and participating in the summer fixtures against Pakistan.

Sarah is undoubtedly an emotional player who, while delighting spectators like me, can get under the skin of opponents, albeit not in a nasty Jimmy Anderson way. Maybe that explains why her form can be a rollercoaster ride. When she makes runs, England usually win. When she fails, so does her team. However, she has recently spread her wings in Australian Men’s Grade cricket and their women’s Big Bash, easily holding her own.

So what about her future? I am clinging to the hope dangled by history. At 21 she took a similar break before returning in even better form than ever. Please, Sarah, come back to grace the game once more. Women’s cricket can’t afford to lose two of its biggest names.

Women’s Cricket Deserves Centre Stage

There were many reasons why August Bank Holiday in Cardiff was so enjoyable. Firstly, it actually refrained from raining between 10am and 6pm. Secondly, the T20 double-header provided twice the entertainment value that I expected.

I rarely glean much satisfaction from watching a Twenty20 match. Too much biff-bang, little finesse and despite the paucity of balls bowled, there’s no guarantee of an exciting finish. However, if there’s an opportunity of watching two matches in succession, I can be persuaded!

Monday was just such an occasion. The headlines focussed on the men’s game. They enjoyed the full house, the patriotic, vociferous support (maybe not from the few Welsh locals, of whom I am an honourable member!) and the enthralling climax. There were Eoin Morgan’s seven sixes, a beautiful innings from Moeen Ali, Steve Smith’s excellently paced 90 and the thrilling catch by Ben Stokes which turned the game England’s way. There was also the unfortunate dismissal of Shane Watson which not only stirred the derision of the crowd but also hilarity of his own bench upon the repeat showing on the big screen later on. I know because I was sitting close to the Aussies. Even Darren Lehmann was laughing heartily!

However, to concentrate on the men’s one-off fixture would do the women’s game a gross injustice. I hadn’t bought my ticket just to see Hales, Watson, Buttler, Starc and co. I was intrigued by the prospect of watching first-hand the newly-professionalised Women’s teams doing battle for their version of the Ashes. While a batting collapse at Hove a few days earlier had rendered the Cardiff tie redundant as an Ashes decider, there was still much to play for.

I’d familiarised myself with the leading players with a few snippets of gams in the past year or two so I was keenly awaiting the chance to see global stars such as England’s skipper Charlotte Edwards, her Aussie counterpart Meg Lanning, star all-rounder Ellyse Perry and our own wicketkeeper-batsman Sarah Taylor, my new favourite cricketer!

It was interesting to compare the two games. Of course the men’s game provided more power, pace and sixes. However, the opener featured no less skill and was played in great spirit. One reason I like watching Sarah Taylor is her enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment of playing. Something the men should remember from time to time.

Two performances stood out. Anya Shrubsole ripped out the first four Aussie wickets, including the ever-dangerous Lanning and newcomer Jess Jonassen. Perry stuck around for 16 before becoming one of Natalie Scriver’s four victims. Grace Harris struck a few sixes but 111 didn’t look a formidable total. Nevertheless, England had failed to reach even 90 in the previous T20, so anything was possible, especially when Edwards, Wyatt and Taylor were all gone by the fourth over.

Enter Scriver once more. She steadied the ship, put on 55 with Katherine Brunt and was run out with only six needed. Lydia Greenway did the rest and victory came in the nineteenth over. A wonderful all-round display from Sciver but I was mightily impressed by all the bowlers and in particular the fielding, every bit as smart as the men’s.

The awards and celebrations were a bit muted. Maybe it was because the Aussies had done most of their champagne cork-popping at Hove. However, most of the players on both sides were happy to sign autographs and pose for selfies afterwards. These weren’t the big strapping selfish sports stars we have become familiar with. They were young ‘normal’ athletes keen to build a rapport with the fans, and they seemed genuinely pleased to do so.

I sincerely hope that women’s cricket continues to grow and attract not only TV audiences but also youngsters willing to pick up a ball and bat. From what I experienced at Cardiff on and off the field, they are going about it in the right way. Those who couldn’t be bothered to turn up in the morning at the SSE Swalec missed a real treat.