Women's Ashes Match To Be Broadcast On-Line

The ECB have announced that one of the Ashes ODIs (Lords) will be broadcast on-line.

This isn't a first for women's cricket - the West Indies have shown matches this way in the past. And neither is it a first for English cricket - the recent men's Ashes series has been broadcast on-line in "non cricket" countries by YouTube.

But it is significant nonetheless.

The ECBs contract with SKY gives the pay-TV giant exclusive rights to all cricket played in the UK; so the broadcasting of this match must have been done with SKY's permission... meaning that SKY have accepted the principle that if they don't want to broadcast it, someone else can.

Hopefully then, this is a precursor to fuller coverage of women's cricket being made available in future. (And ECB, if you're listening... which I'm sure you're not... I'd be happy to pay for it!)