By Andy Frombolton The whole structure would be stronger, more inclusive and more likely to unearth additional talent. Here’s why… Under current Project Darwin proposals, most, possibly all, of the current women’s squads at the 8 counties selected for Tier 1 status will find themselves homeless at the end of the year; displaced by a cohort of professionals. In the case of the 3 Tier 1 counties which aren’t migrating from being regional hosts, many of these players will be ‘guns for hire’ representing counties with which they have no affiliation. For those in power focussed on the ‘headline’ go ..read more

This week: RHF Trophy: Diamonds pull off a thriller v Sparks! England squad v Pakistan: was it selected by AI or Jon Lewis? Bess Heath becomes Amy Jones’s formal understudy Will England take an A team to Ireland? Cricket Australia shorten WBBL – Syd isn’t happy ..read more

This week: RHF Trophy: What’s gone wrong for the Blaze & right for the Vipers? Dani Hazell reacts to Durham beating Yorkshire in the race to host a Tier 1 side Is AI being used to select the England squad v Pakistan? Plus, meet Vipers superfan Deirdre ..read more

Ella “Mac” McCaughan has been a constant fixture for Southern Vipers in the short history of the RHF Trophy; and she has been a consistent but not spectacular performer through the past four seasons, averaging 23 across 36 games for the team she made her 50-over debut for as a 17-year-old, back in 2020. The one caveat about her career so far was that she had never made a really BIG score in senior cricket before today, and… if we’re being brutally honest… she still hasn’t; but her 83 off 97 balls, opening the batting for the Vipers against a perennially strong Diamonds side, was the difference ..read more

By Andy Frombolton In 2019 the ECB launched its action plan for Transforming Women and Girls cricket “underpinned by [2 years of] robust research and consultation”. Central to professionalising elite women’s domestic cricket was a new [8 team] regional structure built on “collaborative cross-County working”. “Each region,” it was stated, “will have its own identity, allowing cricket fans in the region the opportunity to support their local women’s team.” The plan reassuringly added: “It won’t signal the end of an individual County’s relevance” – although how the ECB had the confidence to make ..read more

This week: Stars upset Vipers in the RHF Trophy Winners & losers in the race to host a Tier 1 county Meg Lanning opens up about her international retirement 3 women winners for Wisden ..read more

South East Stars got their 2024 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign off to a winning start with a 4-wicket win against reigning champions Southern Vipers. But, on a freezing cold day at Beckenham, Vipers made them fight for the win tooth-and-nail, taking the match right down to the 50th over before Ryana MacDonald-Gay finally hit the winning run. Elsewhere, Storm were bowled out for 114, Blaze for 135 and Thunder for 165 in three one-sided contests. By contrast, this had all the feel of the two strongest sides in the competition laying out their cards early. Stars v Vipers at Beckenham pic ..read more

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