At a cursory glance, it didn’t look like this summer’s sporting calendar had too much to become excited about. No Olympics, no men’s football tournaments: the two most reliable suppliers of those cherished moments of collective chest-beating and hand-wringing. There is an Ashes cricket series but they have mostly made England fans seek a darkened room for a prolonged lie-down.
And yet, this summer is already looking like a vintage one. It has thrown up numerous moments of unanticipated overachievement and heart-breaking drama. All of those elements have been in abundance at the women’s World Cup in Canada. Despite the antisocial timing of matches for British audiences – and the fact that the media have historically deemed women’s football less interesting than a mid-level male player moving from, say, Bolton to West Ham – few can have failed to be been entertained and moved by the performances of Mark Sampson’s Lionesses.
England’s campaign ended in cruel defeat on Thursday, with an injury-time own goal against Japan, but this could – and should – be a moment when women’s football is changed forever in this country. During the tournament, it emerged that the best-paid England player receives £65,000 a year, while the average weekly wage in the Premier League is £43,717. Maybe that gap will narrow now.
At Wimbledon, overhyping almost imperceptible moments of British success has been a national affliction for years. Yet, even here, there are reasons for genuine optimism. Heather Watson gave Serena Williams the toughest match she has ever played at SW19, according to the world No 1. On the men’s side, Liam Broady and James Ward dramatically exceeded expectations.
That leaves the Ashes then. Ben Stokes is now at the heart of the team and has the swagger of a real-deal all-rounder. Jos Buttler and Mark Wood are others who offer hope that finally everyone can move on from the interminable Kevin Pietersen saga.
