Georgia Adams (Lightning) was beefed-up for the commentators by her proud father (former England player Chris Adams). Without Lauren Bell (rested), Vipers bowling attack lacked quality. Isabelle Wong looked wayward, lacking consistent line-and-length before she earns the title as the first Jofra Archer of English women’s cricket.

Put in to bat by Vipers – minus incoming Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), or outgoing Hayley Matthews (West Indies); England opener Amy Jones slogged New Zealand star (former captain) Suzi Bates for six off her first delivery. Jones finished undefeated on 74 off 53 balls – her best ever performance in difficult playing conditions. Commentators coined the fine mist as ‘mizzle’ – neither rain nor drizzle.

Chamari Atapattu (Photo Bruce Perkins)

Lightning faltered at the half-way point with 75 runs on the board. Sri Lanka’s Chamari Atapattu (35); was clean-bowled by Bates (1-36). Six runs later, Vipers’ captain and England’s Tammy Beaumont juggled a ballooning catch to remove Georgia Adams (2) gifting fast bowling wannabe Izzy Wong (1-25) her maiden wicket. Captain Georgia Elwiss was promptly dropped by Tash Farrant but mustered up a six with the next ball.

During the 16th over, two overs after Lightning posted 100 runs, the game appeared to swing to-and-fro when Australia’s Amanda-Jade Wellington had Lightning floundering on a hat-trick ball at 125-2, then 125-3. Having had Captain Elwiss spooned to Paige Scholfield, Wellington (2-22) awarded a golden duck to former South African captain Mignon duPreez leg-before, first ball. SKY commentators found it hilarious that England team veteran Jenny Gunn should come to face Wellington’s hat-trick ball, wearing multiple track suits to defy the weather. Gunn survived and battled onto 12* partnering Jones, unbeaten on 74* out of Lightning’s 163-4.

Lightning set Vipers 164 to win

For Lightning, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Atapattu and England’s Kirstie Gordon (2-18) bowled tightly, ensuring they kept Vipers top-heavy batting in check. With identical economy (4.5) they bowled 27 dot balls and took five wickets between them in progressively worsening conditions. Vipers were playing without outgoing Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) and incoming Lauren Bell, was rested until Sunday’s semi-final.

Source: Julian Thompson

Fi Morris (Photo Julian Thompson)

The target seemed a tall order for Vipers, knowing that had rain stopped play, Lightning would win using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculation. Hard-hitting Danielle Wyatt (0) was caught at backward point by Kirstie Gordon, awarded a golden duck by Chamari Atapattu (at 1-1). Suzie Bates (20) was stumped by Jones, unwisely coming down the wicket to Gunn (at 23-2). Gunn also caught Tammy Beaumont in the deep (13) off Sarah Glenn (at 42-3). By then Vipers’ three most formidable batters were sat outside the pavilion wondering what happened.

When Amanda-Jade Wellington (15) reached double figures until bowled by Kirstie Gordon (2-18), Vipers were struggling to stay in the match – well behind at their half-way point (at 68-5). One silver lining was a cameo by Fi Morris – pictured left – who scored a record 36 runs at Vipers’ No.8, before being bowled by Chamari Atapattu (3-18). After the match, Tammy Beaumont was un-phased by defeat and looked forward to seeing Vipers’ batting back at full strength in Sunday’s semi-final.

Result: Loughborough Lightning beat Southern Vipers by 36 runs
Lightning 163 for 4 (Jones 74*, Atapattu 35, Elwiss 28, Wellington 2-22) beat Vipers 127 all out -19 overs (Morris 36, Bates 20, Atapattu 3-18, Gordon 2-18)

You can view the full scorecard here.

Sarah Taylor inspiring the next generation. (Photo: Bruce Perkins)

Surrey Stars followed convention by inviting the visitors to bat first. Marizanne Kapp started the rot by trimming Sune Luus’s bails with a magnificent delivery. The catch of the day brought the fourth wicket: Aylish Cranstone ran back at short third to hold on to a lofted edge by Thalia McGrath off Nat Sciver.

We have to wonder why Harmanpreet Kaur was held back till No 5. Sophia Dunkley can certainly hit the ball hard, but today she went cheaply for 2, lbw to Dane van Niekerk who bowled her leggers excellently (3-20). It meant that Kaur was at the crease for ‘only’ 13 overs. In so abbreviated a game, you really need your power batters in for as long as possible.

By the time the Thunder innings ended, Kaur had scored 58* with 6 fours and 3 sixes. This was an outstanding display of timing and placement.

Had she not stayed right through, the Red Roses would have struggled to reach a team century. Even so, their total of 120 looked inadequate, even before Lizelle Lee came in to make the Guildford ground look Lilliputian.

When she was very well caught low down by Luus off Alex Hartley for 66, the Stars needed only 13 more runs off 7½ overs. As Sarah Taylor was motoring along happily at the other end (36*), the local support – and there was plenty of it, of all ages – could relax totally.

With the game finishing after only 34 overs, the players were even more generous than usual with their time post-match. Long lines of young fans waited patiently for caps and bats to be autographed and selfies to be granted by their heroes. The free scorecards were another plus mark for Guildford.

Scores
Thunder 120
Stars 124-2
Stars won by 8 wickets

Lightning v Vipers

This was an altogether tenser affair. The home batters all made useful contributions both Georgia Elwiss and Mignon du Preez scoring at more than a run a ball, but no-one could get away from the bowling till Jenny Gunn came in to hit 17 off only 7 balls. She and Amy Jones managed the only two sixes to be struck in a total of 135. Would it be enough?

The Vipers’ innings followed a typical patter: the leading batters all made a decisive contribution – the solitary exception being the skipper, Tammy Beaumont, who bagged an unwelcome duck –  but after them the wickets fell regularly.

Danni Wyatt (40) got them off to another hard-hitting start. Suzie Bates (22) and Stafanie Taylor (38) saw the total well past the half-way mark, but then the procession began. As the tension mounted, Vipers descended from 80-2 to 116-7 with only 13 balls left. Greatly to their credit they squeezed home with three balls to spare.

The crowd got their money’s worth, though most were supporting the purple-and-pinks.

It was gratifying that home-grown players played a more central role here than at Guildford. There it was Kaur, du Preez and Lee who dominated. Of course English players did good things, not least Sarah Taylor with another remarkable display of making wicket-keeping look like child’s play.

But as I argued last year it’s hard to fathom why as many as three overseas players per franchise were thought advisable.

In the northern leagues, one overseas professional was considered right and proper from Learie Constantine onwards; his influence on the team would be considerable. In later years it might be two – Richard Hadlee and Clive Rice had a profound effect upon Nottinghamshire’s cricket fortunes in the 1980s.

But three? – especially when the third of the trio may well be at the very start of her career. The set-up seems to favour these overseas players to the detriment of the very people the ECB is trying to aid.

Scores
Lightning 135-5
Vipers 136-8
Vipers won by 2 wickets

Well, the shape of the KSL allows them to enjoy lots of help from outsiders, not least some of the self-same Aussies. This is its last season. We can leave a verdict on that decision to another day, but some of us share Lydia Greenway’s disapproval of the draft system. ‘At least’, she says, ‘let’s leave a legacy’.

The first round got off to a cracking start with three games played out over a large span of August 6.

Game 1 

Lancashire Thunder v Southern Vipers – Aigburth

The two sides stood 2 victories-all as Kate Cross, captaining a side for the very first time ever, had Suzie Bates taken early for 1. But Vipers reached 66-1 off 8 overs as Danni Wyatt (42*) and Tammy Beaumont (22*), both hitting sixes, got the southerners off to a furious start. The Lancashire bowling is their strength with Cross, Alex Hartley and Sophie Ecclestone all able to turn a game. But it came under huge pressure.

Cars were struck with some regularity until owners sensibly moved them. By half-way the Vipers had posted 86-1. Sophia Dunkley held a catch on the boundary rope but couldn’t help stepping over.

Beaumont hit three successive 6s and the 100-partnership came up in the 12th over. It was carnage.

Wyatt finally drilled Emma Lamb to extra. (54 off 39 including 10 fours). Vipers reached the summit of their achievements the moment that Beaumont was dismissed. (53 off 33, including 2×4 5×6 – the current record for sixes is 6).

From there the innings set a pattern to be followed right through the day. The remaining batters couldn’t maintain this headlong advance.

Stafanie Taylor struck a vigorous 40, but after her no-one topped 5. Once more Ecclestone returned a memorable analysis, 4-0-12-1.

A total of 166-7 was creditable, but way below what the optimists had been expecting.

Georgie Boyce showed the Red Roses the way with a heartening 43 off 41, but once Thalia McGrath, the young Aussie, fell to the first of Wyatt’s two wickets, only two other batters reached double figures, and one of them was the skipper (18) coming in at No 10. Tash Farrant took two late wickets to ensure Lancashire were bowled out within the 20 overs.

Scores:

Vipers 166-7
Thunder 132
Vipers win by 34 runs
Umpires: Sue Redfern; Neil Pratt

Teams:

Game 2

Loughborough Lightning v Western Storm, Haslegrave

Two of Lightning’s leading imports, Hayley Matthews and Chamari Athapathu, went for a combined total of 0. Georgia Elwiss followed for the same score (15-3), so it was just as well that Amy Jones was there to right the ship with a magnificent knock of 65. But as in the first match, the middle and lower order couldn’t provide sufficient ballast. Mignon du Preez (29) and Georgia Adams (15*) helped her reach 110-5, but by then only 7 balls remained.

The six Storm bowlers all played their part, none going for worse than 7½ per over.

Before the tournament started, it was hard deciding which franchise had the strongest batting line-up. but by the time Storm had polished off the target of 126, it looked as though Rachel Priest, Smriti Mandhana, Heather Knight and Fran Wilson might well take prime place. They had no need to rush, but they turned out to be the only one of the six sides not to lose an avalanche of wickets.

Scores:

Lightning 125-6
Storm 126-3
Storm won by 7 wickets

Teams:

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Game 3

Yorkshire Diamonds v Surrey Stars, Headingley

NYSD Premier league cricket: Darlington v Norton at the Feethams ground in Darlington. Darlington’s Jack Vickerman is bowled by Norton’s Helen Fenby who celebrates with team mates. (Photo: Chris-Booth courtesy of The Northern Echo)

Stars won toss and batted. Lizelle Lee carted Linsey Smith’s first over for 10, but Lauren Winfield played her trump card as early as the third over. She brought on the teenage Tees-sider, Helen Fenby, to tease the opposition with her whirlwind leg-spinners. This is a youngster who played for her club 1st (men’s!) XI at the age of 15 and showed what a talent she possesses.

She captured the prize wicket of Lee then Bryony Smith, and there were more to follow.

In between, Sarah Taylor hit a glorious 43; with help from Nat Sciver and Dane van Niekerk she boosted the total to 117-5. But once more batting frailties meant the Stars could reach no further than 130-9.

Fenby completed an enviable analysis of 4-0-20-4.

The White Roses had Alyssa Healy on the strength, straight from her demolition of England’s Ashes hopes. She powered her way to 31 but then Mady Villiers, taking up from her wonderful debut at the tail-end of the Ashes, dismissed her.

Winfield also scored 31, but it took her twice as long. Her policy was obviously to play the long game, but when she was bowled by Sciver, her side still needed 34 off 5.1 overs. You’d suspect 31 out of 97 was not the scoring-rate the Yorkshire skipper had intended.

It will be interesting to see how many KSL teams manage to achieve this sort of target when all their leading batters are back in the hutch. There are capable hitters in the lower orders, but today none of them could produce the goods.

Sadly, an eminently winnable game finished in an 9-run defeat for the Diamonds.

So once again the South could lord it over the North. Three wins out of three.

Scores:

Stars 130-9
Diamonds 121
Stars win by 9 runs

Teams:

Tuesday August 6th 2019

Lancashire Thunder vs Southern Vipers – Vipers win by 34 runs

Loughborough Lightning vs Western Storm – Storm win by 7 wickets

Yorkshire Diamonds vs Surrey Stars – Stars win by 9 runs

Thursday August 8th 2019

Surrey Stars vs Lancashire Thunder – Stars win by 8 wickets

Loughborough Lightning vs Southern Vipers – Vipers win by 2 wickets

Saturday August 10th 2019

Western Storm vs Lancashire Thunder – Storm win by 6 wickets

Sunday August 11th 2019

Yorkshire Diamonds vs Loughborough Lightning – Lightning win by 9 wickets

Southern Vipers vs Western Storm – Storm win by 3 wickets

Monday August 12th 2019

Surrey Stars vs Southern Vipers – Match abandoned

Tuesday August 13th 2019

Lancashire Thunder vs Yorkshire Diamonds – Diamonds win by 9 runs

Western Storm vs Loughborough Lightning – Storm win by 40 runs

Thursday August 15th 2019

Surrey Stars vs Loughborough Lightning – Lightning win by 7 wickets

Yorkshire Diamonds vs Western Storm – Storm win by 9 wickets

Southern Vipers vs Lancashire Thunder – Match tied

Sunday August 18th 2019

Lancashire Thunder vs Western Storm – Storm win by 5 wickets

Southern Vipers vs Surrey Stars – Vipers win by 89 runs

Loughborough Lightning vs Yorkshire Diamonds – Lightning win by 6 wickets

Tuesday August 20th 2019

Surrey Stars vs Yorkshire Diamonds – Diamonds win by 5 wickets

Western Storm vs Southern Vipers – Storm win by 15 runs

Lancashire Thunder vs Loughborough Lightning – Lightning win by 35 runs D/L

Wednesday August 21st 2019

Western Storm vs Surrey Stars – Storm win by 4 runs

Southern Vipers vs Yorkshire Diamonds – Vipers win by 3 runs

Friday August 23rd 2019

Yorkshire Diamonds vs Lancashire Thunder – Diamonds win by 4 wickets

Loughborough Lightning vs Surrey Stars – Lightning win by 5 wickets

Sunday August 25th 2019

Loughborough Lightning vs Lancashire Thunder – Lightning win by 8 wickets

Yorkshire Diamonds vs Southern Vipers – Diamonds win by 4 wickets

Surrey Stars vs Western Storm – Storm win by 77 runs

Wednesday August 28th 2019

Lancashire Thunder vs Surrey Stars – Stars win by 35 runs

Western Storm vs Yorkshire Diamonds – Diamonds win by 5 runs

Southern Vipers vs Loughborough Lightning – Lightning win by 36 runs

Sunday September 1st 2019

Loughborough Lightning  vs Southern Vipers – Vipers win by 5 wickets

16.00  Western Storm vs Southern Vipers – Final
The 1st Central County Ground, Hove

Scores will be updated

The 22-year-old made a huge impact for Western Storm last year and played a major role in the team making it to Finals Day for the third consecutive season.

Smriti is currently ranked as the number one batter in ODI cricket and the number three batter in IT20 cricket by the ICC.

In ODI cricket she has scored over 1900 runs in 50 matches at an average of 42.41. She has also featured in 58 IT20s, scoring 1298 runs at a strike rate of 119.08.

In 2018 she set the KSL alight with a number of outstanding displays, and finished the tournament as the leading run scorer with 421 runs at an average of 60.14 with a best of 102.

After announcing her return, Smriti said: “I enjoyed my time with Western Storm last year and I’m looking forward to coming back in 2019. We played some outstanding cricket last year and hopefully we can go a little further this season and lift the trophy.

“Everyone involved with Western Storm made me feel so welcome and, if given the opportunity, I was always going to come back. The culture around the team, from top to bottom, was very good and I know that everyone will be looking for success once again.

“The squad has a good mix of experienced players plus young players who have a point to prove. I hope that I can score the runs that will help to contribute to a successful year for Western Storm.”

Western Storm Head Coach, Trevor Griffin is understandably pleased to have been able to secure the services of such a world-class player. “Everyone knows what Smriti is capable of and she was absolutely sensational for us last year’” he said. Her performances on the field were superb and really set the tone for what we were trying to achieve in each match.

“It wasn’t just the volume of her runs that was impressive, it was the manner in which they were scored that really caught the eye.

“She was exceptional off the field as well. Her team ethic and the way in which she goes about her training will no doubt inspire some of our younger players, who will certainly learn from someone like her.”

Courtesy of Somerset CCC

All four players have played a major role in the success of Western Storm since the KIA Super League was formed in 2016 and Head Coach Trevor Griffin is pleased that his England players will be returning for another campaign.

“I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “Continuity of squad has been a massive thing for us over the last few years and that has played a big role in what we’ve achieved. The England players have all been in great form and that can only be a good thing for us. They are world class players and World Cup winners. To have Freya now in the International picture as well is great for us because it will certainly help her to develop as a player.”

After announcing her return Heather Knight said: “I’m really pleased to be representing Western Storm again in 2019. Over the last few years we’ve developed an outstanding team spirit and that has shown out on the field. To have qualified for Finals Day in the three previous seasons is something that we are all really proud of, and we’re determined to do that again this year.

“Playing for Western Storm is something that is very special to me because I have links to the South West. To see so many supporters at our home games is something that makes me very proud to be involved with this squad. Hopefully we can give those supporters something to cheer again this year.”

Anya Shrubsole said: “Everyone knows about my links to the West Country, so I’m delighted to be representing Western Storm again this year. Over the last three years we’ve created something pretty special and I can’t wait to put that green shirt on again in 2019.

“The support we’ve received since the KSL was introduced has been outstanding, and we’ll all be doing our very best to reward those supporters by lifting that trophy again this year. It’s been great to see Western Storm and the KSL grow in stature year on year and I can’t wait to get started.”

Fran Wilson was quick to praise the team spirit that exists at Western Storm: “It’s amazing and I’m really pleased to be back,” she said. “We’ve got a great group and I love working with the Storm coaches. It’s clear what our identity is, and we work really well together. That’s the foundation of any winning team.

“I started my cricket in the South West and it’s always great to go back. I was adamant that this is where I wanted to play my cricket and Trevor and his team were very much along those lines too, so I’m really grateful that things have worked out again.”

Freya Davies said: “Western Storm has played a big part in helping me to make the step up to International cricket, so I’m thrilled to be coming back again this year. To be able to play and train alongside the likes of Heather, Anya and Fran on a daily basis has definitely helped my game to develop, and hopefully I can improve again this year.

“It’s been an incredible 18 months for me and the icing on the cake would be lifting the KSL trophy at Hove at the end of August.”

Courtesy of Somerset CC

If it ain’t broke…

The ECB is giving serious consideration to abandoning the Kia Super League after three seasons’ existence in favour of a much-debated 100-ball contest. The supposed advantages of the change include: pairing the women’s game off with the men’s; increased live coverage and a type of game better suited to the supposed 10-second attention span of the modern populace. A new audience would be attracted to the game.

With this 20-ton pendulum swinging just above our heads, we can attempt an assessment of the KSL as it unfolded during the blissful high summer of 2018.

The Aim

The Kia Super League was set up in 2016 to raise the profile of women’s cricket, to raise the standard of English women cricketers and to bring together the best players in women’s world cricket. (Compare and contrast Tyrrells Premier 15s League in Women’s Rugby)

Mark Robinson, England’s Head Coach, said before the start of the 2018 season that he wanted his own players to determine the outcome of matches. Not easy when the six franchises import some of the best players in the known world to compete with them. They aren’t going to be placed 8, 9 and 10 in the batting order or be seventh change in the bowling line-up.

The Method

In July 2017 the ECB abandoned its plan to add a similar 50-over competition to the KSL. In the longer term, women’s cricket can only expand and improve if that nettle is grasped. The England captain herself would love to play more test cricket. In the last twelve years Sarah Taylor has mustered a mere 9 tests; her predecessor as England’s wicket-keeper, Jane Smit (Cassar), played in 21 tests over a fourteen-year period.

T20 games were ordained. That means there is far less scope for all eleven players to make their mark. Each squad is a blend of three England players, three Overseas stars, England Academy players and the best of the rest at County level. If few England-qualified players are deemed worthy of a place above No 5 in the order, then their chances of reaching the batting crease are low. And when they do, how many overs will be left?  If their task is to clout every ball of the remaining 1.3 overs for 6 or play tip-and-run, then any thoughts of player-development fly out of the window.

A typical 2018 line-up of first 4 batters in each franchise (Overseas players in bold):

That is: 3 sides had 3 Overseas players in the Top 4; 2 had 2; 1 (Stars) had 1 and they went on to win the Tournament.

Put another way: of 24 leading batters, 14 were Overseas players; 1 was England-qualified but has not played for her country (Eve Jones. Lancashire’s captain). Of the remaining 9 England players only 5 were consistent first-choices this summer.

A random example of the squeezing-out of home-grown players:

Alice Davidson-Richards comes in at No 7 for Diamonds against Storm, with 2 balls left. Before her, overseas players occupied three of the six places and scored 95 of the total of 172-5 (Thank goodness for Lauren Winfield with her 48 off 45 balls!)  ADR normally bats 4-5 for them.

Is there any difference in treatment of Overseas and home-grown players when they fail to score runs or get hit out of the park?  On 22 July Delissa Kimmince v Storm returned an analysis:  2-0-38-0.

On 5 August she was brought on as 1^st change in the return match: 1-0-21-0.

She is Australian.

A few drawbacks of the abbreviated game:

One batter can all too easily dominate proceedings; two bats in one big stand are usually enough to claim the champagne. Hardly one bowler can claim to have won the match for her side by taking an avalanche (4+) of wickets at minimal cost.

In a game of 200-balls breadth, this tendency would be even more exaggerated.

How many field-catches close to the wicket were spectators allowed to see? – none?

How many maidens were bowled? – eight!

There are 15 players in each squad. With an extended fixture-list in 2018 – all played each other home and away – there was a higher chance that players 12-15 would occasionally get the nod. But did they? Some players didn’t appear at all.

We can talk about steep learning curves for young English players hoping one day to catch the selector’s eye, but their chances of showing their mettle are severely restricted. The Royal London One-dayers gave a more reliable indication of their worth.

On the ECB’s generous video clips we see time after time: ‘A bowls to B…4 runs’. The sequence becomes monotonous through repetition.

The Bowler’s lot

How can bowlers improve when they are allocated only 4 overs which are, as often as not, delivered in 4 spells? Philip Tufnell has been heard to say: ‘We’re always straining at the leash [to bowl]’. If they concentrate on bowling as tightly as possible for 24 deliveries, how do they readjust to the challenge of bowling 60 in 50-overs match with a completely different field-setting – or considerably more, if test matches were even to reappear? (Laura Marsh once bowled 44 overs in an innings and lived to tell the tale.) Some of us are old enough to remember when bowlers got through 1000 overs in a season.

Of course, if bowlers were allowed unlimited access to the ball, even fewer of them would have the chance to participate positively in the game. Another black mark against the T20 format.

Every bowler has to learn to deliver a ball, then watch as it’s slogged to a far corner of the field  – without adopting the teapot stance.  Shrugged shoulders not welcome. Even Katherine Brunt, the only bowler to take 5 wickets in an innings, suffered this frequently. One of the equal-top wicket-takers after Round 5, Tash Farrant, was slaughtered at 10+rpo on occasion.

Victory can too often depend on one bowler delivering one, occasionally two economical overs (Shrubsole/Kerr/Kapp). Is that what cricket was supposed to represent?

As for the 200-ball feast: if straightforward arithmetic is employed, the traditional five bowlers would be offered 20 balls each, that is 3 overs and two balls. Of course, an over doesn’t have to consist of 6 balls. The number has varied between 4 and 8 in recorded history. 5-ball overs are the favoured option at present, it seems. Metric wins out over imperial.

By the end of the 2018 series the average run-rate had increased to the highest ever in women’s world-wide T20 competitions – 7.47. The 2017 level was a mere 6.57. where will this all lead? Serious consideration should be given to the ball that is used. Neither of the two major manufacturers have succeeded in giving the white ball the same range of characteristics as the red one – the pink one is still in nappies.

In every game there has been fine bowling on view, in most of its recognised guises. Defenders of the status quo will point to the lack of consistency in the bowling: a sequence of accurate deliveries is all too often interrupted by a rank long-hop or full-toss. But we are left wondering what would have happened if all these games had been played with the red Duke’s ball or its exact replica painted white.

The continuing improvements in playing standards:

Catches in the deep, boundary dives, powerful hitting, wicket-keeping, throwing (the greatest improvement of all!). They contrast starkly with bowling skills. Occasional successes mask the pasting that bowlers of every type have suffered. What is the gain for a young bowler being offered one over by a (am I guessing?) desperate captain and getting tanned for 26 by an international player? Is the response ‘Get over it. Go back to the nets and work harder’?

Dismissals:

Eight arbitrarily chosen totals from this season:

174-3

172-5

172-6

174-7

154-3

175-5

85-2 (6 overs)

67-0 (6 overs)

These include no fewer than 11 run-outs, that is, over a third of the total.

The most frequent methods of dismissal by bowlers include: catches in the deep (many outstandingly good); stumpings as batters go for broke; clean bowled as batters reject technique (the straight bat) in the chase for quick runs.

The stumpings tell a confused story. The standard of keeping is generally very high. The standard of batters’ footwork against spin bowling is much weaker – especially against a quality wrist-spinner (Kerr/van Niekerk). Up the creek without a paddle. Sarah Taylor’s vast haul of stumpings is all the proof needed. But she herself was stumped twice in the course of the competition!

Questions

1. Why did the ECB say no to 50-over matches?

Comparison with its nearest 50-over equivalent:

The English Counties’ Royal London One-Day Cup competition is highly organised and spreads across the entire country, arranged in three divisions and seven groups.

Eight counties comprise Division One and play each other once. That means that distinguished players such as the England captain and the leading wicket-keeper in the world currently play in Division Two.

A few Overseas players fill up the ranks, but not so persistently as in the KSL. Two sides are relegated and two promoted each year, which leaves little room for failure.

The competition’s relative importance to the ECB was reflected adversely in the final round of matches played in Division One in early June. Kent lying third met Somerset in bottom place at Canterbury. This promised to be a battle of the giants: Shrubsole versus Beaumont and Marsh. But no, they were called away, allegedly, to take part in an England warm-up session for the coming tri-series. No matter that with more forethought these preparations might have been fixed for another occasion. The crucial final games in the top division were debased.

The competition’s relative importance to the ECB is far more positive in another regard: it is the clear pathway to England selection for its own 50-over games, which are now organised on the basis of a  world-wide competition.

2. Who does the KSL competition favour more, home-grown or Overseas players?

The Overseas dominate most of the time. They comprise 3/11 of every team. They are rarely if ever discarded as reserves. Current England players are also spread round the franchises but not all of them are automatic choices (Hartley, Winfield, George etc). This is inevitable. While the imports will all be first choices in their homelands, only 11 can represent England at a time. (Contrast rugby’s 23!)

This year the six franchises opted mainly for batting imports. It wasn’t a prime requirement for them to strengthen England’s chances, but it should have been possible for the regulations to specify the type of Overseas player signed up, for example, two specialist batters, one specialist bowler. The statistics below paint the picture.

In the men’s game there are concerns about the increasing percentage of home wins in test matches. Players have little chance of preparing for unfamiliar conditions on tour before facing the music. In the women’s game, eighteen Overseas players have had the chance to adjust to English conditions (drought, downpour). The imbalance would be redressed if all England players were all assured of reciprocal arrangements.

3. By what criteria are England players allocated to the six franchises?

Many are self-explanatory, but some baffling decisions remain. When Charlotte Edwards retired, it was decreed that Tammy Beaumont, her successor as Kent captain, would replace her at Southern Vipers to bolster their batting chances. Why? Why not send her north to help out Lancashire Thunder, who were in more obvious need of sustenance? Sarah Taylor was moving back south, and Thunder had one victory to show in two seasons.  Furthermore, Beaumont captained the Stars, but would take a back seat at her new abode.

Personal preferences must be seriously considered. Not everyone wants to be linked to a franchise based hundreds of miles from home. Should it have been necessary to send an England hopeful, Alice Davidson-Richards, from Tunbridge Wells to Leeds to pursue her ambitions for advancement? And it seems odd to find Sarah Taylor, even after her return south from Lancashire, turning out twice at her beloved home ground, Hove, for the visiting team.

The repeated switching of players from team to team cannot possibly help the togetherness that all coaches and captains long for. The 2018 results did show greater equality in strength between the six franchises. All achieved at least two wins and suffered at least three losses. But if the KSL is allowed to survive, how many more player-transfers are likely to occur? The fewer, the better.

4. A case of the Leaders and the Led?

‘Making up the numbers’. (Contrast men’s T20 games; all have a closely defined role)

In every game there are four squad members whose main job is to sprint refreshment on to the field. But worse, there are junior players whose role is so subservient that, if they are lucky enough to be included in the XI, they do little more than bat in the 19^th/20^th over as the wickets tumble in a headlong rush.

Any ambitious youngster admitted to this level of expertise will be delighted. But should her role be (almost) entirely passive?

Should DoCs and Head Coaches have been instructed to ensure that all fifteen players are allowed a certain number of games in the season? Sadly, even if that happened, they would in all probability not be invited to bowl and be placed at No 10 or 11 in the batting order – unless certain levels of input were required (say, minimum two overs bowled, batting position no lower than 6)

With no other meaningful women’s cricket in operation during the KSL programme (late July and August), these outsiders had no chance to practise their skills.

This is at best osmosis.

5. Can the KSL learn from a comparison with the situation in Women’s Rugby?

The two games are strikingly different in nature, but it is rewarding to contrast the way in which the two authorities, the ECB and the RFU, have gone about spreading the good word.

Both opted for what are essentially franchises, rugby 10, cricket 6. The contrast in these two numbers may in itself be indicative of the relative strength of the two games. The rugby competition lasts the entire season (with a 2-month break for the 6 Nations); the KSL a month and two days. Cricket decided to encourage the best non-English players to take part, rugby didn’t. The many foreign players competing in the newly-established Tyrrells League excluded the very best, (New Zealand, with one late exception). Instead they come from the USA, Hungary, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France (1 player), Sweden…

Each rugby franchise needs to field 22 players per game, and must run two sides. These are demands way beyond the compass of their cricketing equivalents.

In stark contrast, many of the top world players have dominated the KSL (Haynes, Mandhana, Lee, Kapp, van Niekerk, Bates, etc, etc.) A fascinating question is why? Did the ECB fear that general standards would not be high enough without that amount of foreign input?

The KSL takes the lead in terms of live coverage. Sky plays a major role and BBC Live Sports Extra offers commentaries. In 2017-18 the Tyrrells got two Sky visits plus occasional livestreaming.

The ECB was lucky to avoid the major ructions caused by the RFU’s choice of its ten franchises – it came to heated national debate.

6. Are the priorities right?

Presumably, ECB’s priorities in setting up this competition put the future of England Women’s cricket at the head of the list. Is the balance right? Almost certainly not. Overseas players hold sway far too often. Why three per team? Why not two? Then they would not  dominate games as persistently as they do at present. And the money saved on their expenses could be redirected to the native game.

Many matches have been exciting, several unpredictable; that is in the nature of the beast. They have been watched by ever larger crowds. But as with all games of this length, they are forgotten as quickly as they are played out.

Bowlers should be honoured, not treated as cannon-fodder. Their role should be to take wickets and deny runs, not just to deny runs. No Head Coach should need to say to his charges: ‘If you go for less than’ – let’s guess – ‘8 per over, you’ve done well.’ With the proposed introduction of an even shorter game, bowlers will be even further reduced in stature. It has been sad watching great practitioners such as Sophie Devine and Katherine Brunt being regularly flogged all round the park.

We should be looking to advance the other end of the cricketing spectrum for all its worth. Women’s tests are close to extinction. The ICC should be striving to advance that side of game, the best formula we have. The introduction of a 50-over competition one notch higher than the current Royal London One-day Cup would be a first step in the right direction.

Some raw stats after the group stages (as of 16 August 2018)

Overseas players in bold

Batting Records

Overall

Average run-rate 7.44 rpo

Runs per wicket 22.18

Average 1^st innings total 139.32

11 wins batting 1^st

17 wins chasing

Only Lightning and Storm had a net run-rate above zero

With thanks to hypocaust @_hypocaust for the basic stats, imperfectly transposed

Implications:

Overseas players dominate the batting places. Most of them were signed up for their batting pedigree, though nearly all can turn their arm over, Sophie Devine foremost. The only English players to appear are all established internationals; no new face has emerged to demand a place in Mark Robinson’s next selection purely on her batting.

The reverse is true of the bowling stakes. While two outstanding performances came from Overseas players, Devine and Marizanne Kapp, all the other major contributors were British.

It’s good to see youngsters appearing in all four columns of the bowling stats. The Scot, Kirstie Gordon, had several fine spells and made an impression in high places by clean bowling the England skipper; Sophie Ecclestone is a known threat; Emma Lamb’s bowling is coming on to match her earlier batting record in quality; Lauren Bell replaced injured quicks (Farrant, George) and made a positive impression. Claire Nicholas led the way for Wales with some excellent spin bowling.

But by their very function in T20 cricket, the bowlers’ union had to suffer huge indignities as they were flogged to all parts of the parish.

The burning question was: who had the advantage, a side playing twice in the day, getting used to the pitch and the occasion, or the side that could relax till the crunch game at the end of the day?

Play-off: Surrey Stars v Western Storm

A big crowd turned out to find the answer. The noon start on a cool cloudy day seemed to give immediate advantage to the toss-winners, Western Storm. They exploited the conditions to remove three of Surrey Stars’ top batters, Lizelle Lee (19), Bryony Smith (11) and Sarah Taylor (15) before they could do irreparable damage. Taylor has tended to play her riskier shots early in the innings, and once more paid the penalty. A second consecutive reverse sweep was mistimed for Fran Wilson to take a fine catch low at backward point.

But the skipper, Nat Sciver (72* off 43), retained her excellent form. As the innings threatened to dissolve, she stayed strong, playing mostly with a straight bat. 72-5 could yet have spelt disaster for the Ovaltinies, but Marizanne Kapp (32*) joined her captain to build an unbroken partnership of 90.

This turned the tide against the Storm; they would need their batters to be near their best to win through. Anya Shrubsole achieved an unusual double, opening the batting too (in place of the absent Smriti Mandhana), but she didn’t stay long (2). Did she volunteer or was she volunteered? An old soldier’s commandment runs: ‘Never volunteer for anything’.

Storm accelerated fast through Rachel Priest (24) and Stafanie Taylor (16), but a crucial moment occurred when a Sophia Dunkley leg-break snared Heather Knight (34). She had looked capable of winning the game off her own bat.

Fran Wilson exploited her opportunity to remind the watching Mark Robinson of her qualities. In what must be her best innings of the summer she struck 58 off 45 with nine 4s.

But as so often has happened this season, the lower order couldn’t help her maintain the asking rate. So a second triumph in the tournament remained just out of reach.

Scores:

Stars 162-5

Storm 153-6

Final: Loughborough Lightning v Surrey Stars

The only one of the three sides on display to be making their Finals Day debut, Lightning, won the toss and made the conventional choice. But they hadn’t counted on Lizelle Lee reserving this occasion to produce one of the finest innings of the season.

Sophie Devine was strangely off-colour, even before she suffered an arm injury in the field; a succession of deliveries slid down past leg-stump. (3-0-37-0) Back to that opening question: was it preferable to be thoroughly warmed-up with a practice run-through? It seemed so.

Lightning rid themselves of Smith (2) and Taylor (5) – a disappointing tally of 20 for the crowd favourite – but once Lee and Sciver (40) got together, life became hard for the Midlanders. The pair put on a thunderous 111, and Lee went on to complete only the second  century of the competition (104, 58 balls, 13×4, 6×6). The ground shrank in size while she was at the crease. How was it possible? Her share of the running total was ridiculously high (104 out of 155).

For a while it seemed Stars would exceed the highest total of the year (Storm’s 185-4 eighteen days earlier), but Dane van Niekerk’s 15* off 10 couldn’t quite get them over the line. Despite that minor disappointment, the side that had come good only at the tail-end of the season could already sniff the champagne.

Lightning would now have to go out and bat at their very best on an unfamiliar pitch. In all honesty their effort never got going properly. Kapp broke the back of the upper order with two wickets and van Niekerk removed the biggest threat to their success by bowling Amy Jones with a corker. Between them, they took five wickets for 52 runs. The writing was on the wall from an early stage. By the time Jenny Gunn (23*) came in at No. 7 even her experience and forceful hitting couldn’t prevent the inevitable; a run-rate of 6.32 isn’t going to worry a bowling side these days.    

So confident was Nat Sciver that she gave herself only a single over. The other five bowlers, Laura Marsh, Kapp, van Niekerk, Dunkley and Mady Villiers, all enjoyed themselves. Sciver turned late to Villiers. She responded with an outstanding spell of spin bowling from around the wicket, taking three wickets (4-0-22-3). All three were clean bowled; add to them two similar successes, and the total of five must rank amongst the highest of the season, the reward for straight-as-a-dye bowling. How fitting that the final wicket should fall to Stars’ senior bowler, Marsh, with yet another joyous stumping by the mistress of that art.

Player of the Match: Lizelle Lee

Scores:

Stars 183-6

Lightning 117

Player of the Tournament: the absent Smriti Mandhana

Table after 9 Rounds                                   P            W          L          T           NR             Net RR               Pts

Loughborough Lightning                             9              7           2            0         0             +1.568 .              33 

Western Storm                                               9              6           2           0          1             +1.094                30 

Surrey Stars                                                    9              4           4           0          1              -0.479                20 

Lancashire Thunder                                     9              4           5            0         0             -0.965                 17 

Yorkshire Diamonds                                    9              2           6            0          1             -0.348                 11 

Southern Vipers                                            9              2          6             0          1             -0.491                 10

Western Storm v Surrey Stars

So if the Stars failed to beat Storm and Thunder beat bottom side Vipers, there could yet be tears in Kennington. All three scheduled games were played under lights.

Nat Sciver won the toss at the Oval and invited the visitors to bat first. Perhaps the most significant moment in the game happened as early as the third over: Smriti Mandhana (5), the only player to top 400 runs in the competition, was run out by Mady Villiers after a mix-up with Rachel Priest. When Priest was bowled by Dane van Niekerk (30), Stars knew they still had to get past formidable batting, but their tails were up.

Heather Knight (62) continued her excellent form, staying at the crease while 136 runs were amassed. It took another run-out by Laura Marsh to her own bowling to stop her short. Fran Wilson (28) had added 59 useful runs with her, but for once Storm had failed to post a daunting total (158-5). It has been their batting that has kept them at or near the front of the race till now; would their bowling play its part to deny the hosts?

The Stars’ batting has been a relative disappointment this season; their overall average is barely half that of the two sides placed above them. But Lizelle Lee and Bryony Smith, probably the most powerful opening pair in the competition, set about the target with relish. They had 90 on the board inside 10 overs before Lee carved a catch to backward point off Anya Shrubsole.

After pushing a simple single off her first ball, Sarah Taylor succumbed to her namesake Stefanie’s next ball and was stumped – not the first time this season. But the run-rate already established meant that the skipper (30) and Dane van Niekerk (25) didn’t need to take unnecessary risks.

Even so, by the time Sciver was out in the 19^th over, 9 runs were still needed. The squeals heard came exclusively from the terraces, but nerves jangled on the field. The light blue ones were finally soothed by a huge blow to the boundary by Sophia Dunkley, who had a good all-round match. Two balls were left unbowled. 

Scores:

Storm 158-5

Stars 160-5

Lancashire Thunder v Southern Vipers

Lancashire Thunder can feel thoroughly satisfied with their performance this season. After winning their debut game in 2016, they had to wait till this summer to repeat that success. To finish with five victories is a huge achievement. Though they’ll be disappointed not to join in the fun at Hove, they can hold their heads high, not least because their biggest signing, Harmanpreet Kaur, couldn’t join them till August 3, when – inevitably? – she was run out for 0.

They did beat the under-performing Vipers at Old Trafford, but the Oval result did for them. Sophie Ecclestone returned another memorable analysis of 4-20 to put her in second place behind Sophie Devine in the overall wicket-taking stakes (15, 14) – subject to confirmation.

Scores:

Thunder 162-3

Vipers 153

Yorkshire Diamonds v Loughborough Lightning

Was it inevitable that the league leaders would fall at the final hurdle to a side that played tail-end Charlie for so long? Yorkshire’s bowlers just held their nerve to prevent Loughborough’s lower order from squeezing over the line. They were indebted to Beth Mooney for her 76 (50 balls) early on. By contrast, Lightning’s leading bats all made some runs, but no-one could take the bull by the horns. Another dramatically close affair.

Scores:

Diamonds 148-6

Lightning 145-6

The pre-Final Table

                                                                              P            W          L          T         NR             Net RR                 Pts 

Loughborough Lightning                             10            7           3            0         0             +1.361                 33 

Western Storm                                               10            6           3            0          1             +0.919               30 

Surrey Stars                                                    10            5           4           0          1              -0.404                24 

Lancashire Thunder                                     10            5           5            0         0             -0.825                 21 

Yorkshire Diamonds                                    10            3           6            0          1             -0.290                 15 

Southern Vipers                                            10              2          7           0          1             -0.490                 10

Suzie Bates turned to Danni Wyatt to bowl two closing overs. In the twentieth, she let a foot clip a stump as she delivered, and bails went flying – at her end. Under the nonsensical law-change the ICC saw fit to introduce after Steve Finn had a bout of this problem, a no-ball was called and a free hit indicated. The next ball Marizanne Kapp smote for a maximum. Stars squeaked home with three balls to spare.

Stars were desperate for victory. Three teams qualify for the finals; Storm and Lightning are already booked in; Stars needed to maintain their third position, under attack from Thunder.

Vipers were feeling sorry for themselves, with some justification. They had suffered a number of important injuries, removing front-line bowlers like Katie George and Tash Farrant. Their batting proved vulnerable again, relying on Suzie Bates to play the skipper’s role with a dominant innings of 82. Only Danielle Wyatt and Mignon du Preez joined her in double figures and neither reached 20.

Totals below 150 are always vulnerable these days, but a remarkable opening pair of bowlers did their best to deny Stars the start they wanted. Two youngsters with a combined age of 35 from the opposite ends of the earth and bowling in contrasting styles caused Lizelle Lee and Bryony Smith plenty of problems. At the sea end, Lauren Bell, only in the side because of those injuries, demonstrated why England are so hopeful of her future. She is tall with a good high action and sends the ball down at pace. She bowled the only maiden of the game to finish with the analysis 4-1-16-0, the most economical of the day.

At the Cromwell Road end Amelia Kerr picked up where she left off, causing all the batters problems with her leg-breaks and googlies. She didn’t fox Sarah Taylor with her googly this time, but she did take her wicket, at least her third success this season. 4-0-26-2

Stars’ batting was far more consistent, so they didn’t need a major knock like Bates’. As Taylor (38) and Sciver (46) put on 73, their only concern was ‘Are we scoring fast enough?’ The skipper was run out in bizarre circumstances in the 19^th over – Carla Rudd, the keeper, was hopping around after being struck off the bat on the foot, but the ball finished up breaking the bowler’s wicket to leave Sciver cursing her fate. 13 runs were still needed. But Vipers couldn’t apply the brakes hard enough. Their unhappy run continues.

Women’s cricket was done no favours by the ticket-pricing. The many folk wanting to see only the first of the two matches on show were charged the full whack of £28. This comes in at £18 more than for any game England Women have played this summer. For a similar double header at the Oval, a £5 ticket was available for the women’s game only. Whoever scheduled the games left too little time between the two for the ground to be cleared and reopened. 

Scores:

Vipers  147-9

Stars 148-6

KSL Table after 8/9 Rounds                 

                                  Played         Points

Storm                           8                   30

Lightning                    8                   28

Stars                             9                  20

Thunder                      9                   17

Diamonds                   9                   11

Vipers                          9                   10