Raf Nicholson

YouTube video by Cricket Research Network Catching History: Celebrating 25 years (and more) of the Scotland Women's cricket team

It's raining in Colombo, so why not catch up on our webinar from earlier in the week about the @bayfirth.bsky.social Catching History project on the history of women's cricket in Scotland?

Featuring interviews with 2 of the first official Scotland women's team.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P13...

England off to Cricket World Cup flyer with 10-wicket demolition of South Africa England romped home with a 10-wicket win in their World Cup opener on Friday, after bowling opponents South Africa out for 69

"World Cup cricket has never been so easy."

What a strange day.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/o...

England players kept grounded as Cricket World Cup challenge begins Head coach Charlotte Edwards emphasises pride in shirt and says her team are in a great place mentally and physically

Lottie keeping England grounded ahead of today’s World Cup opener v South Africa…

Me for @theguardian.com:

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/o...

Hi Nick - just wondering what the baseline was for the women’s numbers? Is it based on regional coverage or….?

Just spoken to Charlotte Edwards ahead of England's World Cup opener v South Africa on Friday.

She is confident that Nat Sciver-Brunt will bowl 10 overs (although they will have to manage workload for future matches). The XI is still TBC, but she did say Heather Knight will bat at 3.

About to start - feel free to join us on the Zoom!

Wow! Are Sri Lanka on the verge of upsetting the apple cart against the tournament co-hosts? 5 down and Harmanpreet GONE.

India lost their first match of last year's 20-over World Cup as well - and it cost them a place in the semi-finals.

A fabulous event last night - honoured to have been part of the panel tasked with critiquing the new edition of Richard Holt’s classic text.

There was a lot of love for Professor Holt in the room - it really felt like a celebration of the very best of our #sportshistory community 😊

Happy World Cup Day!

Check out the Google Doodle:

www.google.com

Bumper prize money but off-pitch turmoil as Women’s Cricket World Cup returns to India Late ticket sales are threatening to squander a golden opportunity with the hosts on a collision course with Australia for the final

My World Cup preview for @theguardian.com

Featuring Charlotte Edwards and a suitcase full of ketchup 🍅

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/s...

She’s certainly caused a dilemma after today’s warm-up!

Yep, agree. I was thinking that meant they needed to play Capsey, but actually if Lamb can bowl a few overs then that’s a way to get her in. Against SA I reckon it’s:

TB
Jones
Lamb
NSB
Knight
Dunks / Capsey
DWH
Dean
Ecclestone
Smith
Bell

That’s weird. She’s definitely playing because she held 2 catches!

www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/...

Thoughts on England’s warm-up with Australia:
*NSB didn’t bowl, after only sending down 4 overs on Thursday - are we worried?
*Lamb DID bowl today, so maybe they are thinking they could still only play 4 bowlers (plus Nat) & she could help make up some of Nat’s overs?

Yeah I don’t think it has been announced properly. And if it was a crisis then Tammy would have to do it temporarily, until they could fly Rhi out. But still a nice vote of confidence from Lottie, I think.

She is the reserve keeper for the World Cup. (Albeit doing so from back home in England!)

Rewriting Sport and the British

Only THREE DAYS left until our amazing event at @ihr.bsky.social that has seen OVER 80... that's right... 80 people sign up so far!

If you want to be a part of this event on Monday, sign up via the link below by SUNDAY 6pm

www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

The scorecard said "retired out" but the live commentary said that she had been injured.

Good shout!

Yes, but one would usually assume that those doing online commentary for ICC are on site and can see more than we can. Clearly not!

I've been reassured by ECB that Nat Sciver-Brunt didn't suffer any injury - she was retired out to give everybody else some batting time. Not sure where the online comms were getting their info from!

AUS-W vs ENG-W Cricket Scorecard, Final at Christchurch, February 07, 1982 Live Cricket Scoreboard: Get Australia Women vs England Women Final, cricket scorecard, Hansells Vita Fresh Women's World Cup 1981/82 dated February 07, 1982.

My favourite Dickie Bird fact is that he umpired in the 1982 Women's Cricket World Cup final.

He later remembered the day as so windy that "not even the weighted bails would stay put".

In an ideal world yes. But (inevitably) things leak which I think adds pressure in a different way. In this case it meant that Kate had to deal with being asked questions about the World Cup squad while knowing she had also lost her contract & not knowing who else knew that. Not ideal?

Exactly.

As I’ve just said elsewhere (& it relates to mental health) - I don’t think it’s fair to either have players announce their own axing or sit on the news for months wondering who knows what. That was the point I was trying to make but perhaps didn’t make very well!

I think you’ve misunderstood what I’m saying. Clearly I don’t have the right to know anything. But my personal view is that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of players to either announce their own axing or to sit on it for months wondering who knows what. That’s not fair.

It was literally said on BBC commentary during The Hundred so yes there was a leak.

But she inevitably was going to be asked about it during The Hundred when the World Cup squad was announced? So instead she had to give a half-answer.

Immediate thought re Kate Cross: why couldn’t she & Alex release the pod ep in July when it was recorded?

Why is there such a lengthy lag between someone being told & the ECB announcing the contracts?

It puts those who are in Cross’s situation in a horrible position & inevitably leads to leaks.

Aha! interesting that we both came to the same conclusions.