ECB Moot "Fully Pro" Women's Game By 2020

Cricinfo are reporting that the ECB's latest discussion paper includes the proposal (or more likely, the aspiration) for a "fully professional" women's game by 2020.

There are no further details in the Cricinfo report, but a "fully professional" game would surely imply an extension of professionalism to the domestic game; which is currently (England-contracted players aside) more "semi-amateur" than "semi-professional". (No slight on the players - that's just the way it is!)

Needless to say, it is quite an ambition for a domestic game where crowds can generally be counted on the fingers of two hands, if not one!

But if the ECB (or "CEW" [Cricket England & Wales] as the report also suggests they may soon be re-branded) are up for it... then so am I!

2015 Young Cricketers Announced

The MCC have announced the recipients of their Young Cricketers "scholarships" for 2015. They are:

• Grace Gibbs
• Georgia Holmes
• Georgia Hennessy
• Steph Butler
• Lydia Harris
• Carla Rudd
• Freya Davies
• Amara Carr
• Sophie Luff

The YC's program offers coaching over the winter and matches during the summer, typically against county-level "boys" sides. The YCs receive a small amount of financial help; and in the past have also had the opportunity to earn their keep, for example by working in the Lords Shop during (men's) Test matches.

5 Things That Need To Happen For WBBL To Be A Success

A Stand-Alone Window

WBBL needs its own spot in the calendar, which doesn't clash with anyone's international commitments. Both Charlotte Edwards and Heather Knight would have missed this year's WNCL final, had their teams qualified. This mustn't happen in WBBL - it isn't fair on the players; and it isn't fair on the fans.

The WORLD'S Best Players

WBBL needs all the top players, from all over the world - the existing MBBL limit of 2 foreign players needs to be raised to at least 3. This makes sense commercially - Indian players generating interest in India, South African ones in South Africa, etc. - and it raises the bar for women's cricket as a sporting spectacle,

Their Own Team Names

The teams can be aligned to the MBBL teams - they can share their colors and their grounds; but they need their own team names, not "The Women's Sydney Sixers" but the Sydney Seventy-Niners! (Or whatever!) This demonstrates that women's cricket is not just an adjunct to the men's game; but something to be valued in its own right.

Global Coverage & Access

WBBL needs visibility to be a success - this means ideally getting it on free-to-air TV, even if this necessitates taking a short-term revenue hit. Likely the temptation will be there to sell WBBL and MBBL as a single package... no doubt to be snapped up by Sky in the UK; but if so, WBBL risks being shunted into the backwaters. This mustn't be allowed to happen; and whoever buys the rights must at the very least be obligated to broadcast all matches.

Time

WBBL might be an overnight sensation; but it probably won't be, and Cricket Australia must be in this for the long-haul. It might take a generation to make this a real success of this commercially; but WBBL has to keep the faith that our sport is amazing and given time it will succeed.

WBBL Hands Destiny Of Women's Cricket To Australia

The official announcement of the Women's Big Bash might well be the final nail in the coffin of the WICL; but if it is a victory for the ECB, who opposed the WICL from the start, it is a pretty pyrrhic one.

To be fair, ECB opposition to the WICL came mostly from the ECB's then-chairman, Giles Clarke. Several other voices within the ECB were far less rabidly hostile; but when Clarke put his foot down, they were left with little choice but to fall into line.

Now we have the WBBL on the horizon. It differs from the WICL in one key regard - it falls under the direct auspices of the ICC; but otherwise it is essentially the WICL in all-but-name - big, brash and ambitious, it looks set to take the world of women's cricket by storm... and it will all be controlled by Cricket Australia.

And this is why Clarke's victory is a pyrrhic one - he has prevented WICL taking-over women's cricket; only to hand its destiny instead to Cricket Australia. It's the IPL all over again... and remind me again how that one ends...???

Who Is England's Best Bowler?

On this tour, the statistics speak for themselves - only one England bowler has taken wickets and been economical. (Oh... and her 79 in the 3rd ODI is also England's highest score with the bat!)

	Wickets	R.P.O
Shrubsole	6	5.51
Knight	5	2.75
Everyone Else	Don't Even	Go There

P.S. - Heather, if you're reading this, please can you wire the money directly to my Swiss bank account this time. (The cheques are such a pain - I have to go all the way to Geneva to pay them in!)

Women's International Championship Standings Clarified

The ECB's Twitter feed states that England are now "joint second" in the ICC Championship; whilst the table on CricInfo shows them in third, behind South Africa on Net Run Rate. What's the truth?

ECB Tweet

ESPN CricInfo

The answer to this question lies in the ICC's Playing Conditions - these state what happens if teams finish the championship equal on points; and the answer is... more complicated than you'd think!

In the event of a tie, it is 'Games Won' which is the first determinant of standing; and then only after that does N.R.R. come into play.

So since England and South Africa have both won 3 games, N.R.R. does come into play and England are third... right?

Well... yes... but... technically, both 'Games Won' and N.R.R. are only applied once all games have been completed; therefore as things stand right now, England and South Africa are indeed "joint second"!

Nat Bat Chat (Or Why Sciver Needs To Deliver!)

When she made her England debut against Pakistan in 2013, Nat Sciver was definitely considered a Bowler Who Can Bat. But increasingly she's playing as a batsman, and on that score she's not performing at the level she should be.

How different it was a year ago! Coming off the last Women's Ashes in Australia, Sciver had the world at her feet, having averaged 34 in that series, and been a critical part of England's success.

But since then, things have gone downhill fast, and in 12 international innings since, she has averaged just 11, with a highest score of 23; the situation reaching its apotheosis today in the 3rd ODI against New Zealand, when she was run out for a duck. 

For an all-rounder, this might (just about) be acceptable; but Nat has hardly bowled outside of T20s in 2014/15; and a Batsman Who Can't Bat But Can Bowl Very Occasionally really isn't what England need in their flaky middle-order right now.

I don't think England will, or should, drop Nat for the remaining ODIs or T20s; but if she's to be a part of England's next Ashes triumph in 2015... Sciver needs to Deliver.