One way cricket proves it is not an old-fashioned game is to keep updating its vocabulary. For those of you just waking up after a pleasant ten-year doze, here are explanations of phrases that may be new to you: ’10 needed from 40’ = another commercial break ‘Back of a length’ = short of a
Bryan Easson has announced an extended training squad of 32 in preparation for WXV2 in Cape Town: Forwards Leah Bartlett (Leicester Tigers), Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning), Sarah Bonar (Harlequins), Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears), Lisa Cockburn (Warriors), Eva Donaldson (Leicester Tigers), Evie Gallagher (Warriors), Jade Konkel (Harlequins), Rachel Malcolm (captain, Loughborough Lightning), Elis Martin (Leicester Tigers),
Here’s an unusual boxing match between two opposing forces. Identity Identities are being lost in franchise cricket. Every team has to be gifted a nickname that obliterates any sense of its origin. Here are some names: Brave, Diamonds, Fire, Invincibles, Originals, Phoenix, Rockets, Spirit, Stars, Storm, Superchargers, Thunder, Vipers. Can you distinguish them? Yes, some
It’s encouraging that the RFU has announced the eight venues to host matches in the 2025 World Cup. It shows that arrangements are well in hand for the first RWC to be held in England for fifteen years. The eight are: Twickenham Stadium, Sandy Park Exeter, Salford Community Stadium Manchester and Franklin’s Gardens Northampton; Ashton
Will the results of the Hundred have any effect on the way England approach the coming series against Sri Lanka? Hardly. One unsavoury fact the publicity agents will want to keep far from supporters’ minds is: England are likely to win every one of the six games played. SL are ranked eighth in the world
The FFR were kind enough to announce a squad to prepare for WXV before anyone else. But it is a work in progress, not the finished article. Who can tell where an axe may fall before the plane finally takes off? The group of 35 divides up 19 forwards,16 backs, but we must bear in
Jon Lewis and his selection committee have shown the greatest respect to Sri Lanka by picking two thoroughly strong squads, both 15 strong. They are: T20: Heather Knight (captain), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Issy Wong,
Canada The Canadian squad continues to scale mountains. We need only recall the semi-final score at the last World Cup, Canada 19 England 26, to see the stern stuff they are made of. Before that, a week after the Black Ferns had conceded 56 points to England in November 2021, the Maple Leafs briefly took
The appointment of Abi Tierney, currently Ethics Advisor at the Home Office, as the first female CEO of the Welsh Rugby Union marks another huge step-change in the history of the WRU. Everybody with an interest in rugby, not merely the Welsh themselves, must hope this marks an end to the troubles that have spiralled
Australia and Wales The sextet that makes up the elite group of the new WXV divides into two. Canada, England, France and New Zealand sit far ahead of Australia and Wales. This split neatly mirrors their world rankings, 1-6, but the fear remains that even within those subdivisions wide gaps will appear when the tournament
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