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India Women Turn the Impossible Into Possible: Case For 5-Day Tests In Women’s Cricket?

“Start by doing what’s necessary. Then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible,” said Francis of Assisi about 800 years ago.

India women did just that, holding England to an improbable draw.

Women’s Tests A Rarity

Due to an increased fan following in women’s cricket since the 2017 ODI World Cup, recent emphasis has been on limited overs cricket, expansion of the game via T20 World Cup, and a potential game changer in Women’s Hundred.

Since resources have been spent in marketing the limited overs game, women’s Test cricket has disappeared in the background.

England play only one Test match every couple of years in the Ashes against Australia. Indian women had it even worse—they were playing their first test after 7 years and only their third in 15 years.

We did not know how it will pan out. Will India struggle with the lack of match practice? Will they remain unbeaten in Tests in England? How would teams cope with a used pitch?

Summary

Electing to bat first, England posted a solid 396/9 declared courtesy their senior players: Beaumont’s 66, captain Heather Knight’s 95, Nat Sciver’s 42, and debutant’s Sophie Dunkley’s 74.

Openers Smriti Mandhana & Shafali Verma would form a record 167-partnership, before India collapsed for 231. England enforced the follow-on with India 165 runs still behind & 135 overs still left in the game.

Rana-Bhatia’s Performance of the Ages

In the second innings, they started by doing the necessary. The top order repeated its fight with contributions from Verma, Raut, and Sharma before they collapsed from 171-2 to 199-7 in 73.3 overs. What’s more, India’s last recognized batter, Harmanpreet Kaur departed. With 50 overs still to go, little did anyone expect that India would survive.

Then they did what was possible. Stitch out partnerships. Play ball-by-ball. Stall the time. An hour later, Shikha Pandey departed after a fighting 18 (50).

What followed was a performance of a lifetime, a magnificent rearguard effort between Taniya Bhatia & Sneh Rana—104* (185) partnership. Suddenly, India were doing the impossible.

Rana scored 80* (154) & Bhatia provided ample support with 44* (88) to deny England a routine victory.

Patience, grit, determination on show. Bravo India women!

Debutants Dare to Dream

The experienced duo, Mithali Raj & Harmanpreet Kaur, scored a paltry 18 runs in 4 innings. To achieve the impossible, India’s youngsters were thrown in the deep end, similar to the Border-Gavaskar series in men’s cricket.

Not only did the newer generation star, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana, and Taniya Bhatia were actually making their Test debuts for the India women team. Sophia Dunkley, whose 74* revived England from 251-6 to 396/9 declared, was debuting for England.

  • Shafali became the youngest women (17 years & 139 days) cricketer and second overall after Sachin Tendulkar to score fifties in both innings—96 & 63.
  • Promoted from #7 in the 1st innings to #3 in the 2nd, Sharma brought India back in the game with mature knocks of 29* & 54 to go along with 3/65.
  • Rana’s 4/131 & 80* Bhatia’s 44* saves India.
  • Vastrakar contributed with 1/53.

Ecclestone Bowls Herself To the Ground

The English bowlers were in the field for two and a half days!

Sophie Ecclestone took the bulk of the responsibilities, bowling 26 overs (out of 81.5) in the first innings and 38 (out of 121 overs) in the second. She ended up figures of 4-88 & 4-118.

Kudos to her for giving it her best shot. Can take some rest now. Already a T20 star, the 22-year old has the potential to be an all-time England great.

Time For 5-Day Tests In Women’s Cricket?

At the end of the 4th day, the captains shook hands with 12 overs to go. India were 179 runs ahead at 344/8.

Imagine a potential day 5—England’s target around 200 runs with 80 overs to go. All 4 results possible. Mouth-watering scenario, isn’t it? Well it isn’t entirely possible when you only have a 4-day Test.

Captain Heather Knight commented that the lack of 5th day “robbed of that finish,” and they would definitely be open for 5-day Tests. Mithali Raj had a more practical suggestion, “It’s a good idea to have a five-day Test but we actually have to start Test matches regularly.”

Why not combine both? Teams that traditionally play consistent Test cricket (Australia & England) should be allowed to experiment with 5-day Tests and pink-ball Tests. On the other hand, teams like India should not be searching for Test match opportunities every seven or eight years. Why not have one mandatory 4-day Test per bilateral series for teams like India, South Africa, and New Zealand? This way, more seasoned cricketers will get Test match experience and cricket boards will get the chance to focus on the marketing aspect of Women’s Test cricket.

Who knows, maybe a Women’s World Test Championship is just what is needed to provide context.

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COPYRIGHT @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X, 06/23/2021; Email at bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Sources: Quotemaster

England Women Vs India Women 2021 Series Preview: Test Cricket Makes a Comeback

England Women Vs India Women 2021 Series Preview.

It is a huge year for India Women—Test cricket makes a comeback after seven years, last playing against South Africa in 2014. India is scheduled for one Test against England as well as two Tests in Australia later this year, including a Day-Night Test.

Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, and Poonam Yadav return from that game 7 years ago.

England, on the other hand, have played multiple Ashes series with one Test match each (2013, 2013-14, 2015, 2017-18, 2019). Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight, Georgia Elwiss, Natalie Sciver, Katherine Brunt, Anya Shrubsole, and Sophie Ecclestone return from their last Test.

While the Test match is in the forefront now, do not forget the limited overs. The build up to the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup is about to begin.

Also Read: Need For Change In Women’s Cricket: Hoping Against Hope, India Vs South Africa Women Series Review, England Vs New Zealand Women Series Review

When And Where?

Test

  1. Only Test: June 16th-19th, Bristol

ODIs

  1. 1st ODI: June 27th, Bristol
  2. 2nd ODI: June 30th, Taunton
  3. 3rd ODI: July 3rd, Worcester

T20Is

  1. 1st T20I: July 9th, Northampton
  2. 2nd T20I: July 11th, Hove
  3. 3rd T20I: July 15th, Chelmsford

Test Match Preview

In The News

The used pitch has been under the scanner, especially with captain Heather Knight’s disappointment palpable on not been provided a fresh pitch. This women’s Test match was not given enough attention, with a Gloucestershire vs Sussex T20 Blast game held last week.

Meanwhile, both the India men’s & women’s arrived together on June 3rd in Southampton and had been in quarantine since.

Test captain Mithali Raj has put her support behind multi-format series for women’s cricket like the Ashes, with a points system distributed across the three formats. India’s vice-captain Kaur is in a positive mindset with regards to this Test match despite lack of match practice, especially after receiving some words of advice with a conversation with Ajinkya Rahane.

Return for coach Ramesh Powar in this series as well.

Head-To-Head, Previous Matches, & Records

India have won their past three encounters (England 2006, England 2014, South Africa 2014) and they have a golden opportunity in this series. If they win this Test match, they will break the record for most consecutive Test wins in women’s cricket.

Long-term records do not mean much, but England has only won against India (1995) in 13 meetings. On the other hand, India have won two, both in England.

In fact, India in Tests are unbeaten in England —2 wins, 6 draws.

My Starting XIs

England Women

  1. Lauren Winfield-Hill, 2. Tammy Beaumont, 3. Heather Knight*, 4. Georgia Elwiss, 5. Natalie Sciver, 6. Amy Jones (WK), 7. Fran Wilson, 8. Kate Cross, 9. Anya Shrubsole, 10. Katherine Brunt, 11. Sophie Ecclestone

12. Emily Arlott, 13. Sophia Dunkley, 14. Tash Farrant, 15. Mady Villiers

*Captain

Note: Dunkley made her debut. No Fran Wilson in the actual game.

India Women – Test Squad

  1. Smriti Mandhana, 2. Jemimah Rodrigues, 3. Punam Raut, 4. Mithali Raj*, 5. Harmanpreet Kaur, 6. Deepti Sharma, 7. Taniya Bhatia (WK), 8. Jhulan Goswami, 9. Shikha Pandey, 10. Arundhati Reddy, 11. Poonam Yadav

12. Ekta Bisht, 13. Priya Punia, 14. Sneh Rana, 15. Indrani Roy (WK), 16. Shafali Verma, 17. Pooja Vastrakar, 18. Radha Yadav

*Note: Sneh Rana, Shafali Verma, Pooja Vastrakar actually made the XI at the expense of Yadav, Jemimah, and Reddy.

T20s Only: 19. Simran Bahadur, 20. Harleen Deol, 21. Richa Ghosh

England Women Vs India Women 2021 – Team Previews

India Women

  • Shikha Pandey’s omission in the South Africa series caught the public by surprise as she has been one of India’s most dependable bowlers in recent times. Expect the fast bowling trio – Pandey, experienced Jhulan Goswami, and Arundhati Reddy to make the ball talk during the Test series.
  • Mithali Raj debuted more than 22 years and has played a total of just 10 Test matches. She holds a stellar record in the limited opportunities—best of 214, 1-100, 4 50s, average of 51.00. Highest ODI run-scorer in women’s cricket, watch out for Raj in the ODI series in her final season as the 2022 World Cup will be her swansong.
  • The Young Brigade—Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Radha Yadav, Pooja Vastrakar, and Simran Bahadur—have immense potential. Although Shafali Verma is in the Test squad, it is unlikely she will get a break at the top with Mandhana-Raut-Jemimah-Mithali-Priya in front. A certainty in the T20Is, the explosive opener should receive her ODI debut in this series.

England Women

  • Tammy Beaumont was on another planet during the New Zealand series, with 231 runs in the ODIs (best of 88*) & 102 runs in the T20Is. 4 fifties in 6 innings. A class apart. She would be itching to convert to triple figures, and this Test match would be an ideal opportunity if she continues her form.
  • Lookout for the Shrubsole-Brunt combination. Katherine Brunt’s experience came to the fore with a player of the match performance in the 3rd T20I against NZ, England’s last match before this series. Anya Shrubsole’s name was etched in legends with an iconic performance in the close 2017 ODI World Cup final, coincidentally against India.
  • Knight-Sciver are key to this English middle order. Although they only have 7 and 5 Test caps to their names respectively, they are the senior pros in this lineup, having represented England in over 150 games each across formats. Knight has a Test century (157), while Sciver’s best is 88. Across formats, Knight has 3 centuries and 27 fifties, while Nat Sciver has 3 hundreds and 24 fifties to go along with her 118 wickets.

Prediction

Home side England have the upper-hand in the Tests, although India will fight it out. The limited overs series should be much more competitive. I am especially excited for the ODI seriesrepeat of the 2017 ODI World Cup finals (also held in the same country).

  • Predictions
    • Test: England 1-0
    • ODI: India 2-1
    • T20I: England 2-1

The Hunch

My gut feeling says that Punam Raut is going to be the key player in this tour. She had an outstanding series against South Africa, providing India the little bit of stability during the series.

Her stats in that series speak for herself: 1-100, 2-50s, 263 runs, and a tremendous average of 87.66.

Hoping her form continues.

England WomenIndia Women
Player of the Series/MVPNatalie SciverPunam Raut
Most RunsTammy BeaumontPunam Raut
Most WicketsKatherine BruntShikha Pandey
Emerging PlayerSophie DunkleyHarleen Deol
Surprise PackageAmy Jones Arundhati Reddy

What are your predictions about the England Women Vs India Women 2021 series? Let us know in the COMMENTS section below!

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COPYRIGHT @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X, 06/15/2021; Email at bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Need For Change in Women’s Cricket: Hoping Against Hope

The pandemic has elevated the disparity between men’s & women’s cricket, with the situation worsening in recent weeks.

Post-Pandemic Disorder: Women’s Cricket Scheduling Problems

March 8th, 2020 with 86,174 spectators. The crescendo beginning in the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup peaked on that day in the World T20 final between Australia and India. However, progress has stalled due to the COVID-19 break. The post-pandemic stats below show how the counterparts stacked between March 2020 & January 2021:

  1. Maximum possible days of international cricket scheduled (5 days maximum per tests)
    • Men: 128 days
    • Women: 16 days (including 5 Austria-Germany T20Is)
  2. Total Matches Played (international + T20 Leagues)
    • Men: 540
    • Women: 144

(Check out Who Cares About Women’s Cricket, where we displayed detailed list of post-COVID statistics, thoughts about women’s cricket & WIPL)

Miscommunication at its finest

Women’s cricket resumed in September 2020 as West Indies toured England. Later in the year, New Zealand played against Australia & England, and Pakistan visited South Africa. It took Indian women an entire year before playing against South Africa in March 2021. Proteas won the series comfortably 4-1 (ODIs) & 2-1 (T20I).

Although lack of match practice, domestic tournaments, & national camps was the reason for India’s defeat, highly regarded coach WV Raman was the casualty, alleging a “smear campaign” against him. Replacement Ramesh Powar, who famously had a fallout with Mithali Raj in 2018, was picked as the head coach again.

Stark Payment Gap

Although women cricketers have seen a marked increase in revenue since 2017, it is nearly not enough (with New Zealand, England, India, & Australia expanding central contracts).

BCCI’s latest contracts caused uproar. The highest paid men’s bracket is worth fourteen times as much as the highest paid women’s bracket.

Grade A+, consisting of Kohli, Sharma, and Bumrah earn about 7 crores (INR) or about $964,000 (USD). Grade A earn 5 crores ($689,000), B with 3 crores ($413,000), & C, consisting of the likes of Kuldeep & Gill, earn around 1 crore ($138,000).

Their counterparts—Mandhana, Kaur, & Poonam (Grade A) earn 50 lakhs INR ($68,000), while stalwarts like Mithali Raj & Jhulan Goswami (Grade B) plummet down to 30 lakhs ($41,000). This is comparable to the current standard around the world, but things do need to change.

What’s worse? World T20 finalist prize money worth $500,000 has not been paid yet, 14 months later. It took Isabelle Westbury’s Telegraph article & subsequent social media outrage to get BCCI to act, finally paying the dues.

The most profitable cricket board needs to allocate resources properly. The least they can do is avoid media stunts and focus on tangible progressive changes.

Hope In Times of Uncertainty

There is still hope, however.

Indian women will play two Test matches (last Test in 2014) this year, one each against England & Australia. The Test in Australia will be a day-night affair, which adds another layer of excitement.

Ireland & Scotland women are also back in action right now with a T20 series. New Zealand’s England tour in September is the only other scheduled series prior to the ODI World Cup (March 2022).

The Hundred Is the Savior

The Hundred in July this year promises to be a game-changer for women’s cricket.

All men & women’s game will be held on the same day on the same ground, will be televised (including free-to-air games), and prize money will be shared evenly between the winners of the men’s & women’s tournaments. It has the potentialize to revolutionize the women’s game and become a template for other T20 leagues to follow.

Even Indian players have been given the green signal to participate in the Women’s Hundred & the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).

When Will the Attitudes Change Towards Women’s Cricket?

Australia, England, New Zealand are prime examples of how to recruit the future of women’s cricket, with efforts visible in the WBBL & New Zealand’s Super Smash tournaments.

Yet, there is still a long way to go. Each national board should prioritize women’s cricket, invest accordingly in the infrastructure, and work together with other nations to uplift standards.

Am I hoping against hope?

Copyright: Nitesh Mathur, 5/27/2021, Broken Cricket Dreams, bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Photo by Ben Mack on Pexels.com

Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Review: Record-Breaking Australia Too Good For White Ferns

Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women Series Review—An All-Time great Australian team brushes aside a struggling White Ferns outfit, the home team. A few major moments in this series.

The return of Ellyse Perry, Australia Women breaking Ponting’s ODI streak, Kasperek’s 3-wicket over, and Ashleigh Gardner’s golden run were some of the highlights.

Also Read: West Indies Vs Bangladesh Review, West Indies Vs New Zealand Review

Results – Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women

T20I Series: Series Drawn 1-1

* Player of Match

  1. Australia Women won by 6 wickets*Ashleigh Gardner
  2. New Zealand Women won by 4 wickets*Frances Mackay
  3. No Result
Player of SeriesAustralia WomenNew Zealand Women
Most RunsAshleigh Gardner – 76 runs (2 inn)
Best of 73*, 149.01 SR
Amelia Kerr – 56 runs
Best of 36, 90.32 SR
Most WicketsJess Jonassen – 3 wickets
Best of 3/26, 6.00 economy
Frances Mackay – 3 wickets
Best of 2/20, 6.12 economy
Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women T20I Series Stats

ODI Series: Australia Win 3-0

  1. Australia Women won by 6 wickets*Megan Schutt
  2. Australia Women won by 71 runs*Rachael Haynes
  3. Australia Women won by 21 runs (25 overs)*Alyssa Healy
Player of SeriesAustralia Women
Megan Schutt
New Zealand Women
Most RunsAlyssa Healy – 155 runs
Best of 65, 51.66 average, 98.72 SR
Lauren Down – 106 runs
Best of 90, 35.33 average, 68.83 SR
Most WicketsMegan Schutt – 7 wickets
Best of 4/32, 13.14 average, 4.18 economy
Leigh Kasperek – 9 wickets
Best of 6/46, 7.77 average, 4.66 economy
Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women 2021 ODI Series Stats

The Moments

Australia Women

  • Ellyse Perry finally came back since injuring herself in the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup. Before the pandemic hit. Although not back to her fluent self, she finished a couple of games with 23* and 56*. Bowling is still a worry though. In the 3 ODIs & 3 T20Is, she bowled a combined 7 overs with only one wicket to her name. With Alyssa Healy hitting form in the T20I series, good signs for Australia that their two best batters are getting back to their best.
  • Ashleigh Gardner has been on a golden run in the past two years, hitting 3 T20I fifties (best of 93), including a 73* in this series. Also hit a 53* in an ODI and rolled her arm a few times for part-time off-spin.
  • Jess Jonassen & Megan Schutt were the pick of this series with the ball. Jonassen’s 3 wickets in the T20I gave Australia the edge in the first T20I, while figures of 4/32, 1/38, & 2/22 earned Schutt the Player of the Series award in the ODI series. With 99 wickets (ODI) & 96 wickets (T20Is), she is on a verge of couple of records.

Nicola Carey (3/34 in 1st ODI), Rachel Haynes (87 in 2nd ODI) starred in a couple of games as well.

Also Read: What Can Ellyse Perry Not Do?

The Record

Speaking of records, let us talk about the big one. Meg Lanning has now led Australia to 24 consecutive ODI wins, regrouping after their 2017 WC defeat against India. They overtook Ricky Ponting’s 21 consecutive ODI wins in the great 2003 era.

This is a huge achievement for the Australian team, and it will take quite a dominant team to take over this record. I am saying this may last a couple of decades. CONGRATULATIONS TO Lanning and the rest of this Australian team.

New Zealand Women

  • Leigh Kasperek was one of the only stand-outs from the Kiwi side in the ODIs. Although Australia swept the series, Kasperek took a 6-wicket haul, including 3 wickets in the same over in the 3rd ODI. Australia are really good, there is still room for improvement against spin.
  • Frances Mackay’s show won New Zealand their only victory in the 2nd T20I of the series. Opening the bowling, her spell of 4-0-20-2 stalled Australia’s run-rate, but her courageous batting display won her praise. Mackay opened the batting as well and battled through an injury to score 46 (39). After her wicket, Kiwis collapsed from 81-2 in 12 overs to 101-6 when Amelia Kerr got out in 17.0 overs. Composed 30-run partnership between Maddy Green & Hannah Rowe took New Zealand off the last ball. Thriller.
  • Breakout tour for Lauren Down. Only 75 runs in 10 innings prior to this tour, her 90 (134) set the platform for the White Ferns in the first ODI. Unfortunately, the lower order collapsed, and Australia women completed the record breaking streak.

Awards

Australia WomenNew Zealand Women
Emerging PlayerNicola CareyLauren Down
Surprise PackageAshleigh Gardner, the all-rounder Frankie Mackay
Broken Cricket DreamEllyse Perry’s bowling load The White Ferns’ Declining form
Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Awards

Where Do They Go From Here?

New Zealand Women tour England for 3 T20Is and 5 ODIs In September, while Australia do not have anything scheduled till the 2022 ODI World Cup next March (to be held in New Zealand).

That means, the next major tournament, is going to be the Hundred this summer in England. Will be a game-changer for women’s cricket.

Comment below for your favorite moments & squad predictions! Subscribe for more below! Share with your friends as well! Here is our Facebook Twitter pages.

Copyright (2021: 4/10/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

India Vs South Africa Women 2021 Series Review: Lizelle Lee, Punam Raut, & Lack of WIPL The Talking Points

India Vs South Africa Women Series Review.

After a year of no cricket, women’s cricket finally restarted in India. Although the series ended with 4-1 and 2-1 to South Africa, there were positives for both teams.

Lizelle Lee’s blew India away with a whirlwind series, Shabnim Ismail continued to show why she is one of the leading fast bowlers in the world, and Anneke Bosch made full use of her opportunities.

While it seems that Women’s IPL is not going to become a reality anytime soon, India had positives as well.

India added another feather to Mithali Raj’s & Jhulan Goswami’s record breaking careers, witnessed Punam Raut’s second coming & return of Mansi Joshi, and saw the rise of youngsters in Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Monica Patel, & Radha. The experienced trio of Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Deol, & Deepti Sharma chipped in as well, but lower order power hitting & Jemimah Rodrigues’ ODI form remains a concern.

For Video Highlights/Scorecards, commentary on Women’s IPL, & emerging players, keep on reading ahead.

Also Read: Nobody Cares About Women’s Cricket, India Vs South Africa Women Preview

Stats, Scorecards & Video Highlights – India Vs South Africa

ODI Series: South Africa Women Win 4-1

  1. South Africa Women won by 8 wickets*Shabnim Ismail
  2. India Women won by 9 wickets*Jhulan Gosami
  3. South Africa Women won by 6 runs (D/L method)*Lizelle Lee
  4. South Africa Women won by 7 wickets*Mignon du Preez
  5. South Africa Women won by 5 wickets*Anneke Bosch

* Player of Match

ODI Series Stats

Player of SeriesIndiaSouth Africa
Lizelle Lee
Most RunsPunam Raut – 263 runs
(best of 104*, 100s-1, 50s-2, 87.66 average, 71.66 SR)
Lizelle Lee – 288 runs
(best 132*, 100s-1, 50s-2, 144.00 average, 86.22 SR)
Most WicketsJhulan Goswami – 8 wickets
(best of 4/42, 17.12 average, 3.51 economy)
Shabnim Ismail – 7 wickets
(best of 3/13, 20.25 average, 3.56 economy)
India Vs South Africa Women 2021 ODI Series Stats

T20I Series: South Africa Women Win 2-1

  1. South Africa Women won by 8 wickets*Anneke Bosch
  2. South Africa Women won by 6 wickets*Laura Wolvaardt
  3. India Women won by 9 wickets*Rajeshwari Gayakwad

* Player of Match

T20I Series Stats

Player of SeriesIndia
Shafali Verma
South Africa
Most RunsShafali Verma – 130 runs
(best of 60, 156.62 SR)
Sune Luus – 91 runs
(best of 43, 95.78 SR)
Most WicketsRajeshwari Gayakwad – 4 wickets
(best of 3/9, 4.75 economy)
Shabnim Ismail – 4 wickets
(best of 3/14, 8.20 economy)
India Vs South Africa Women 2021 T20I Series Stats

The Highlights

India

  • Punam Raut was revelation in this series with scores of 10, 62*, 77, 104*, & 10. Debuting 12 years ago with 72 ODIs & an average in the 30s, she was already a known name in the line up. Before this series, Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, & Jhulan Goswami were sure starters for the Indian Women’s ODI team. Add Punam Raut to that list after this breakthrough series. Could be a long term #3 option.
  • Mithali Raj & Jhulan Goswami once again displayed their worth in this ODI team. Although she had no centuries to her name this series, Mithali Raj consistently steadied the ship with scores of 50, 36, 45, and 79*. In the process, she became the first Indian women and second overall to cross 10,000 runs across formats. Legend. The other stalwart, Jhulan Goswami, came to the party as well with a match winning 4/42 in the second ODI.
  • Shafali Verma gave India the much-needed blazing starts in the T20I hitting 8 sixes altogether, with the 60*(30) in the 3rd T20I the best of the lot. Now the #1 ranked T20I batter. Time for ODI debut?

South Africa

  • If there was one player that was the difference between the two sides, it was Lizelle Lee and the top order. Usually one match winning knock in a series is a great achievement, but Lizelle came up with 83*, 132*, 69, & 70 across formats. Brilliant. When Lee did not perform, either the others in the top order Laura Wolvaardt (80 & 53) and Lara Goodall (59) came to the fore or South Africa women lost.
  • The Proteas found a new winner in Anneke Bosch with two player of the match performances. With Mignon Du Preez & Sune Luus chipping in and van Niekerk on an injury break, South Africa might be a dark horse for the next World Cup.
  • Shabnim Ismail & the fast bowling unit were impressive yet again. Although Ismail was the only one with the wickets, Khaka & Kapp kept the runs in the check, limiting India to 177, 248, 266, and 188.

Also Read: Impact of India’s 2017 Final Loss on the Lack of Women’s IPL, What Can Ellyse Perry Not Do?

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The Awards: Emerging Players & Surprise Package

India South Africa
Emerging PlayerShafali Verma, Harleen DeolAnneke Bosch
Surprise PackagePunam RautHow Did They Lose 2 Games?
Broken Cricket DreamNo Women’s IPL yet again & Jemimah Rodrigues’ ODI formVan Niekerk’s Out of Action – Missing out on a wonderful overseas series win
India Vs South Africa Women 2021 Series Awards

Where Do They Go From Here?

At this point, except the upcoming Australia vs New Zealand Women series coming up, there are no upcoming international fixtures till ODI World Cup in March 2022. The only professional cricket seems to be The Hundred in the UK this summer. Promises to be a game changer for Women’s cricket.

Another setback has happened with reports of no IPL in 2021 (with suggestions that this was done due to the ‘lack of depth’ and result of the South Africa series).

If the result of this series indeed had a direct impact on the WIPL decision, then let us reflect back. Were India really that bad this series? Not really. They actually improved over the course of the series. 177, 160/1 (won), 248 (lost only by D/L), and 266. In the final T20I, chased 113 with 9 wickets and 9 overs in hand. If not for Lizelle Lee’s brilliance, the score line would have been much closer.

Also if the national cricket board does not give the team a chance for an entire year after the team reached the final of a World T20, then it is not the players’ fault. It is the administration’s lack of urgency, vision, & communication.

Thoughts on Women’s Indian Premier League

It was nice to see widespread awareness and support in Twitter countering the arguments made against Women’s IPL. Here was a list of the top women professional cricketers in India that went viral.

If not now, when? Mithali Raj & Jhulan Goswami are on the verge of retirements, and it would be a shame if they are not part of the first iteration of this imaginary tournament. Here are my thoughts on the positives that Indian cricket can gain from the WIPL:

  1. Foster fanbases & transfer experience to the next generation of Indian players
  2. Intermingling of domestic Indian players with international stars and coaches, which has clearly been a feature of the
  3. Financial Growth, which can be reinvested to grow the women’s game in India and improve the standard of women’s domestic cricket in the long run.
  4. Cultural and financial awareness through the WIPL in the form of TV and social media can help make women’s sports a potential career in India
  5. Bring talented youngsters in the mix
  6. Narrowing down the gap between Australia-England-New Zealand and the rest of the countries in women’s cricket. This will also give an opportunity to Associate nations like the rising Thailand team.

Sure maybe 8 teams with 30 players each may be two far, but just 4 games in the Women’s T20 Challenge is a disgrace. Start with 4-6 teams and grow it little by little each year.

This is the time. Better late than never.

Copyright (2021: 3/27/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

England Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Review: Beaumont & Knight Too Much For New Zealand

England Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Preview.

This series was dominated by two individuals—Tammy Beaumont and captain Heather Knight. Apart from these two, England also found match winners in Nat Sciver, Freya Davies, Sarah Glenn, and Katherine Brunt.

On the other hand, except for Amelia Kerr & Amy Satterthwaite, New Zealand were not in the fight in their own backyard. There was stand-in captaincy for Sciver, injury to Lea Tahuhu, and even a bit of Billy Bowden as well. Here is a quick review—The stats, highlights, and more! Keep on reading, and let us know your thoughts!

Also Read: Ind Vs SA Women Series Preview, Who Cares About Women Cricket?

Results – England Vs New Zealand

ODI Series: England Win 2 – 1

  1. England Women won by 8 wickets *Heather Knight
  2. England Women won by 7 wickets *Natalie Sciver
  3. New Zealand Women won by 7 wickets *Amy Satterthwaite

* Player of Match

Player of SeriesEnglandNew Zealand
Most RunsTammy Beaumont – 231 runs
(best of 88*, 3 – 50s, average 231.00)
Amy Satterthwaite – 135 runs
(best of 119*, 1- 100, average 67.50)
Most WicketsNatalie Sciver – 5 wickets
(best of 3/26, average 16.60)
Amelia Kerr – 4 wickets
(best of 4/42, average 28.00)
England Vs New Zealand Women ODI Series Stats

T20I Series: England Win 3 – 0

  1. England Women won by 7 wickets *Sarah Glenn
  2. England Women won by 6 wickets *Freya Davies
  3. England Women won by 32 runs *Katherine Brunt
Player of SeriesEngland
Tammy Beaumont
New Zealand
Most RunsTammy Beaumont – 102 runs
(best of 63, 1 – 50, 100.99 SR)
Amy Satterthwaite – 76 runs
(best of 49, 122.58 SR)
Most WicketsFreya Davies – 5 wickets
(best of 4/23, 4.71 economy)
Leigh Kasperek – 4 wickets
(best of 2/24, 6.61 economy)
England Vs New Zealand Women T20I Series Stats

The Highlights

England

  • Individual runs do not win you matches, great partnerships do. Tammy Beaumont & Heather Knight were not only consistently among the runs, they stitched the English team together. Beaumont is literally in almost all the match-winning partnerships. Dream tour for her (although struggles for Danni Wyatt continued).
    • Beaumont-Knight 94 (113), Beaumont-Sciver 103 (129) & Beaumont-Jones 79*(87), Beaumont-Knight 109 (151)
    • Wyatt-Beaumont 59 (53), Knight-Beaumont 83 (73), Jones-Dunkley 36 (31)
  • While the experienced top order dominated the ODI leg, the bowlers were the stars in the T20Is. Sarah Glenn’s miserly 2/11 in 4 overs in the first T20I & Freya Davies’ wonderful outing of 4/23 sealed the 2nd T20I. Only 8 T20Is old before the series, Davies was the find of the T20I tour for England.
  • The experience of Katherine Brunt was on spot in the 3rd T20I. At half way stage, 128 seemed too low to defend but Katherine Brunt’s 2/19, Sophie Ecclestone’s 2/19, & Mady Villiers’ 3/10 bundled New Zealand for just 96.

New Zealand

  • It was a tough tour for Sophie Devine. After hitting the fastest women T20 century in the domestic Super Smash tournament, much was expected of her as the captain-all rounder. Scores of 16, 6, 15, 2, 8, 0 and only 2 wickets across the 6 matches was way below her usually excellent standards.
  • Amelia Kerr, the young prodigious (Devine used to babysit her) allrounder continued her dramatic rise in world cricket. Although the stats do not show it all, she was constantly threatening the pair of Beaumont-Knight in the ODIs. Performance of 4/42 & 72* in the 3rd ODI helped seal New Zealand their sole victory in the series.
  • The women of the hour in the 3rd ODI was Amy Satterthwaite, completing her 7th ODI century with magnificent knock of 119* (128) after the White Ferns were 15-2. Another 49 came in a T20I. The only real resistance from the New Zealand batting came from her. Otherwise, T20I scores of 96, 123, 96 & ODI scores of 178 & 192 are not much to write home about.

Also Read: What Can Ellyse Perry Not Do?, What If India Won the 2017 World Cup?

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We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

England New Zealand
Emerging PlayerFreya DaviesAmelia Kerr
Surprise PackageKatherine BruntLeigh Kasperek
Broken Cricket DreamDanni WyattLea Tahuhu (injured)/Sophie Devine
England Vs New Zealand Women Awards

Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!

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Where Do They Go From Here?

Australia Women will tour New Zealand for 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs, starting March 28th. For England, The Women’s Hundred will finally take stage from 21st July-21st August. This will be a huge game changer for women’s cricket.

The ODI World Cup (which was to be held during this time in New Zealand this year) is postponed to February of 2022.

Where do New Zealand cricket go from here? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!

Image Courtesy: Katherine Bruntpaddynapper, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons