This week: We’re gearing up for a strange final season of regionals Who is the best overseas signing? Can Vipers do the double again? PCA report highlights continued issues with pay & facilities We review 2 documentaries: Cricket Actually and Bring The Thunder ..read more

This week: England win the ODI series v NZ but struggle with the bat Sophie Devine shines but what’s the future for NZ? Is the jury still out on Alice Capsey? England U19s win their tri-series Are male cricketers overpaid ..read more

An 8th ODI hundred for Sophie Devine, brought up with a 6 off the final ball of the game, gave New Zealand victory in the final T20 at Hamilton. #NZvENG England 194 v New Zealand 195-3 pic.twitter.com/tzV2jecWSM — CRICKETher (@crickether) April 7, 2024 Although New Zealand had already lost the series 2-1, they will take consolation from two crucial ICC Championship points, which could well be the difference between direct entry to the World Cup in India and having to schlep off to a qualifying tournament. Having drawn the short-straw of missing out on playing thus-far-winless Ireland (eve ..read more

England recovered from 166 for 7 to post 252 in Hamilton, eventually winning the match at a canter (by 56 runs) and with it the series. But the scoreline rather belies the fact that England very much did the hard yards to get the win under their belts. Tammy Beaumont was named Player of the Match for her 81 from 96 balls, continuing an emotional rollercoaster of a tour which has so far involved picking up her 100th T20 cap after a two-year wait, only to find herself dropped from the team for the final two matches of the T20 series. Her runs were crucial today but – as Beaumont herself admitted ..read more

England got out of jail free, passed ‘Go’, and collected 2 ICC Championship points, in the 1st ODI against New Zealand in Wellington. #NZvENG New Zealand 207 v England 209-6 pic.twitter.com/DRrqorYQ53 — CRICKETher (@crickether) April 1, 2024 The win leapfrogs England over New Zealand and Pakistan, from 5th place into 3rd in the ICC Championship, though the table does have to be read with some caution right now, with New Zealand having played 3 more games than England, and Pakistan 6 more. Chasing a sub-par 207, England had collapsed to 79-6 at the end of the 17th over when Wyatt, who had ..read more

This week: England v NZ T20s: Bouchier and Filer positives for England England A lose to NZ: Has the regional system failed? 2025 Women’s Ashes: Cricket Australia want to #FillTheMCG again ..read more

During the recent England v New Zealand T20 series, Alex Hartley observed on comms that for the first 4 games in the series, the team that had “won” the powerplay went on to lose the match. This was definitely an interesting titbit. In the entire history of T20s between the sides that now make up the ICC Championship, the team that won the powerplay went on to win the match 72% of the time. One of the other commentators then went on to assert two further things. That there had been a recent downward trend in that number. That this was due to improvements in middle-order batting. Let’s look a ..read more

A businesslike performance from England allowed them to win the final T20 in Wellington by 5 wickets, with 7 balls to spare, to close out the series 4-1. #NZvENG New Zealand 136-6 v England 138-5 pic.twitter.com/AVC7ktED1M — CRICKETher (@crickether) March 29, 2024 With Lauren Bell sitting this one out, England’s one change was to bring back Lauren Filer for her second outing of the series. It was a “like for like” replacement, in the sense that they are both “fast bowlers” but Filer’s plans today were not plans you’d have given Bell. Filer’s directives today were straight out of men’s cou ..read more

At the halfway point of the fourth T20 at Wellington, the cameras zoomed in on New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, sitting away from the action, nursing a freshly-inflicted quad injury. Her gloomy face told a thousand stories: she knew, as we all did, that – with England having put 177 on the board – the game was as good as over before New Zealand even faced a ball. This pretty much sums it up #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/5CZwNQ0hZK — Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) March 27, 2024 All of the talk ahead of this game had been about the return of England’s four WPL superstars, but Maia Bouchier comple ..read more

England recovered from the precarious position of 77 for 6 to post 149 for 7, enough to overcome New Zealand by 15 runs at Nelson. Heather Knight posted a second consecutive half-century, and shared crucial partnerships of 45 off 30 with Charlie Dean, and 27 off 12 with Sarah Glenn. England’s most productive game-phase was the last 4 overs, by far: #NZvENG England 149-7 v New Zealand – big, big finish from England – great support from Dean and Glenn for Knight's acceleration at the death. pic.twitter.com/4ZA8HnwWbj — CRICKETher (@crickether) March 22, 2024 Linsey Smith, selected in place o ..read more