Heather Knight’s side got the big moments right after three losses to turn things round and face Australia in Sunday’s finalMithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana, both world top-10 ODI batters, are at the crease. Mithali, the India captain, drives an in-swinger from Anya Shrubsole low to point, and the ball dips in front of Sophia Dunkley as she throws herself forward for the catch. The review captures Dunkley’s fingers beneath the ball: “I’m satisfied,” pronounces the third umpire. A wave of joy breaks over the gathered England fielders. They’re satisfied, too.Was this the moment England’s women turned their hitherto disastrous World Cup campaign around? Or was it in Shrubsole’s next over, when Kate Cross ran from cover to mid-off and...
Australia are on an 11-match winning run, can score deep into the innings and have enviable strength in their bowlingOn one side of Sunday’s upcoming World Cup final is the inevitable. In 50-over cricket, the Australians march on like Darth Vader: more machine now than human, twisted and evil. You could argue that’s overstated, but they do have an imposing relentlessness. After having their world record winning streak of 26 matches broken back in September, Australia immediately set about building the next one. It currently sits at 11, including an unblemished eight wins through this cup campaign. Their semi-final against West Indies was a thrashing.On the other side of the coin is the unlikely. A few months ago the defending...
Talismanic bowler has helped turn around hers and England’s World Cup prospects, mirroring the story of her early yearsThe latest edition of the Indian Premier League kicks off this weekend. It poses some interesting questions. The IPL is gripping, high-grade stuff. Like me you may well end up watching every second of it, even as you complain loudly about the fact that, oh look, you’re watching every second of it.But starting again? Really? Was there an extended period in the last two years where you could say with any real certainty that the IPL had actually stopped? Perhaps in future it might be easier to assume, unless specifically stated otherwise, that the IPL is still going on. That somewhere in...
Pakistan’s captain is back playing in the Women’s World Cup, having brought her six-month-old daughter Fatima with herIt is more than 33 years ago since Neneh Cherry swaggered around the Top of the Pops stage in big white trainers performing Buffalo Stance with the fierce energy of a woman who was having a fine old time and wanted everyone to know about it. Around her neck hung a huge medallion and she wore a golden bustier and matching jacket. But it wasn’t her outfit that was the talking point at secondary school the next day – but the seven-month pregnancy bump that stuck proudly out of her Lycra miniskirt as she lip-synched along.It was the first time many of us...