With successes at the rugby and football World Cups there is a feelgood factor around women’s sport. For the first time in a long while there is also a positivity around English cricket.
England’s women begin their Ashes defence this week against a strong Australia side, with the series being broadcast on Sky for the first time. England are hoping to impress with an eye-catching brand of cricket and, above all, to hit Australia hard.
“We do all the training and hard work and it’s time to put it into action,” the all-rounder Jenny Gunn said on Sunday. “Running in the rain on your own is worth it if you can get the sport out there and give the kids something to aspire to. Against the Australians we want to bring it to them. Hopefully you’ll see a bit more of an aggressive approach.”
England have been in danger of being left behind in limited-overs cricket. They were comprehensively outplayed in the Women’s World T20 final against Australia, who hit four sixes in that game. England, by contrast, failed to clear the boundary once in the tournament. England were often bogged down in the early overs and struggled to regain fluency. “We’ve been working on finding the boundaries more but it’s not always about that,” said Gunn. “It’s about being smart and playing shots all around the ground rather than heaving it and getting out. I think the big thing is keeping wickets in hand so you can go big towards the end. For us it’s about being smarter with our cricket.”
Every game in the Ashes series will be played on a county ground. The last home series saw the Test match played at Wormsley which, although picturesque, failed to offer a pitch that got the best out of either side as the game slid to a draw, with neither gaining much from the experience. Playing the games on county pitches, alongside the Sky coverage, gives this series added credibility.
The multiformat Women’s Ashes is decided on a points system – two for the winners of the three ODI and T20 games, four for the Test. The gap in points is meant to reflect the importance of Test cricket but it also means the Test victor is almost guaranteed to win the series. England’s Ashes victory in Australia was underpinned by success in the longer format. They struggled in the limited-overs series that followed, winning only two of the six games. England do, however, have the value of experience, as well as home advantage.
They are led by Charlotte Edwards, whose successes at the top of the order tend to dictate England’s style of play. Sarah Taylor is unerringly skilful with the gloves and Lydia Greenway is a superb fielder.
They also have a real asset in Gunn. Her development into a genuine all-rounder, and improved skill with the ball, has underpinned England’s recent success. “I’ve played for England for about 11 years and this team has gelled really well and really quickly,” Gunn said.
“We’ve got a few youngsters, which keeps you on your toes. It’s nice that you can just sit with anybody, whenever you want, and have a chat. I’m still excited by cricket as a whole. I’m always pushing my fitness to catch up with the younger girls. That competitiveness is still there and it will help us against the Australians.”
