Innehållsförteckning för Issue 69 från Wisden Cricket Monthly

1. Tammy Beaumont (wk) England Dropped from England’s T20 side and short of runs in general, Beaumont’s career was on a downward turn until she exploded into life in the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. Having warmed up with an unbeaten double ton against Australia’s second string at Derby, Beaumont became the first English female to score a Test match double, making 208 in a wonderfully crafted innings which occupied more than eight hours and put the hosts back in contention. Her effort proved in vain, but Beaumont is back. 2. Usman Khawaja Australia After two failures in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Khawaja put any doubts about his ability to score runs in England to bed with an innings of supreme skill and concentration in the Ashes opener…

LAWRENCE BOOTH Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack editor and Daily Mail writer @BoothCricket When a short video appeared on Twitter of Cindy Butts – the chair of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) – telling the BBC about the conclusions within her instantly damning report, some of the responses confirmed the distance our sport still has to travel. “How much was she paid to solicit hurt feelings?” asked one. Another began: “As an U13 coach in a wonderful club this doesn’t mirror what I see in youth cricket. It’s inclusive and caring. If it’s anyone’s experience it needs to be highlighted but I simply haven’t seen ‘rotten to the core’ in any of my experiences.” He ended with an important detail: “But then I am a white middle-aged man.” Yet…

Derbyshire NEXT MATCHES: Durham, CC (H), July 19-22; Glam, CC (H), July 25-28; Gloucs, ODC (A), Aug 1; Glam, ODC (H), Aug 6; Sussex, ODC (H), Aug 9; Durham, ODC (A), Aug 11; Warks, ODC (A), Aug 15 Arecord-breaking partnership between Leus du Plooy and Anuj Dal couldn’t end Derbyshire’s Championship winless streak, as Worcestershire held on to secure a draw at New Road in late June. Having bowled out their hosts for 237, Derbyshire slipped to 38-3 before two mammoth partnerships put them firmly in the driving seat. Wayne Madsen (143) and du Plooy shared 267 for the fourth wicket before Dal joined his skipper at the crease and put on a club record sixth-wicket partnership of 258, Derbyshire eventually declaring on 578-5. Du Plooy’s unbeaten 238 was the…

Somerset NEXT MATCHES: Northants, CC (A), July 19-22; Surrey, CC (H), July 25-28; Warks, ODC (H), Aug 4; Worcs, ODC (H), Aug 6; Northants, ODC (A), Aug 9; Sussex, ODC (H), Aug 11; Gloucs, ODC (A), Aug 13; Durham, ODC (A), Aug 17 Somerset were the form team in the group stages of the T20 Blast. A superbly well-balanced unit – with Tom Banton and Will Smeed a thrillingly effective opening pair – proved broadly unbeatable, winning 12 of their 14 matches en route to a home quarter-final tie against Notts. Banton and Smeed are two of the hottest young batting talents in the game. Both posted 400-plus runs in the group stage, while Tom Kohler-Cadmore, a recruit from Yorkshire in the close season, also went north of 400. They…

Warwickshire NEXT MATCHES: Lancs, CC (H), July 19-22; Middx, CC (H), July 25-28; Somerset, ODC (A), Aug 4; Gloucs, ODC (H), Aug 7; Glam, ODC (A), Aug 10; Worcs, ODC (A), Aug 13; Derby, ODC (H), Aug 15 There’s no better way for a player to endear themselves to home supporters than box-office performances against local rivals, and Dan Mousley is becoming very popular indeed with Bears supporters after a string of standout performances in T20 encounters with Worcestershire. The 22-year-old all-rounder made a sprightly 40 in his first derby clash in 2020, helping set up a 16-run win, and last summer he blitzed a fifty and claimed the key scalp of his now-teammate Moeen Ali. This season he claimed two Player of the Match awards in the space of…

Vipers defend their crown Southern Vipers continued their domination of the domestic scene with a resounding sevenwicket victory over The Blaze in the Charlotte Edwards Cup final at Worcester, their fourth trophy from a possible six since the women’s game’s reconfiguration in 2020. Vipers had made an uncharacteristically slow start to the 2023 season, winning just two of their first five games in the 50- over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (RHFT), but they found their best form when it mattered, producing a superb all-round performance to defend their T20 title. For The Blaze, it was an untimely dip after a 12-match unbeaten run. The Nottingham-based outfit suffered their first loss of the season across formats in a rain-affected encounter that stretched across two days. The Blaze had struggled to 53-4…

On July 13, cricket will come crashing into the world’s biggest sporting market. Major League Cricket (MLC) – the newest arrival on the franchise scene – is the latest attempt to popularise the game in the States and, according to those involved, it is much more than a two-and-a-half-week tournament. Can cricket succeed where Jamie Oliver, Oasis and Ant & Dec failed – and break America? We’re about to find out. On the morning of March 19, cricket fans across the world awoke to strange news. A player draft was coming live from the Houston Space Centre. Anrich Nortje, Aaron Finch and Quinton de Kock had signed up to play in… America. English supporters who missed the story at the time were slapped around the face with it a couple…

At the heart of club cricket SCOTT OLIVER I n the era before five-Test Ashes tours weresquashed into six hectic weeks, a regular highlight of the itinerary for international touring teams was a trip to Tyneside and a game against the Minor Counties XI at Jesmond, where the hammerings weren’t always confined to the pitch. With no top-class cricket in the region until Durham’s belated accession to the first-class ranks in 1992, passionate crickionados from hundreds of clubs belonging to a thick patchwork of leagues – the Tyneside Senior League straddling the river, the Northumberland County League to its north, the Durham Senior League (not to mention Durham County, Durham Coast and North East Durham leagues) to its south – came out in their droves. So much so that, in…

Inking your club crest onto the gluteus maximus usually suggests either a compulsive yen for body art or an impulsive gesture of devotion. For Gary Loveday, effectively a one-club man since joining Finchampstead as a 13-year-old in 1977 after an unenjoyable first net at neighbours and rivals Wokingham, it was definitely the latter, marking the club’s dramatic – and solitary – Thames Valley League (TVCL) title in 1994, secured with a little outside assistance on the final day at Marlow, when Loveday and his long-time Berkshire opening partner Martin Lickley were both dismissed without a run on the board, the prelude to a bungled, nerve-shredding run-chase. “We had to rely on Wokingham holding out for a draw at Boyne Hill, which they did, although we didn’t know this until after…

[Yawn] Boring you am I? No more than usual Rude. No, you’re fine. You’ve got your bonsais and your tai chi. Huh? You know, you’ve got a bit of something about you. A hinterland. You’re 360 degrees, give or take. Now you’re being… nice? I’m confused. You’re not all cricket, cricket, cricket. You’ve got interests, you’re a bit different. You like marmalade on a Tuesday and a Thursday, you like tinkering with your Kawasaki on a weekend. I think I see what you’re getting at – the old CLR James quote: “What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?” Well, yeah. Sort of. With the schedule more crammed than ever I know it’s tricky for the modern cricketer to focus on anything other than cricket, but everyone just…

Durham NEXT MATCHES: Derby, CC (A), July 19-22; Yorks, CC (A), July 25-28; Worcs, ODC (H), Aug 1; Sussex, ODC (A), Aug 4; Glam, ODC (A), Aug 8; Derby, ODC (H), Aug 11; Northants, ODC (H), Aug 13; Somerset, ODC (H), Aug 17 Comfortably out in front in Division Two of the Championship, Durham were unable to replicate their impressive red-ball form in the T20 Blast, finishing one from bottom in the North Group to miss out on the quarter-finals for a fifth season on the bounce. They weren’t helped by the unavailability of Bas de Leede for the later chunk of the campaign, as the Netherlands international departed for the World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe. The 23-year-old all-rounder joined Durham in February, reuniting with former Netherlands coach Ryan…

Northamptonshire NEXT MATCHES: Somerset, CC (H), July 19-22; Lancs, CC (A), July 25-28; Gloucs, ODC (A), Aug 4; Sussex, ODC (H), Aug 6; Somerset, ODC (H), Aug 9; Durham, ODC (A), Aug 13; Worcs, ODC (H), Aug 16 Ever since Prithvi Shaw emerged as a preening teenage run-machine with the number 100 on his back, the dasher has courted and maintained immense public expectations. Captain of a victorious Under-19 World Cup team, a Test cricketer at 18, India’s second-youngest Test centurion after Tendulkar (whose bat sponsor Shaw actively sought), the youngest opener in the IPL’s history – alot happened very quickly for Shaw. But in recent years the good times have thinned out. In the IPL, a perceived weakness against the short ball has only been partially offset by a few…

Surrey NEXT MATCHES: Middx, CC (A), July 19-22; Somerset, CC (A), July 25-28; Leics, ODC (H), Aug 3; Middx, ODC (A), Aug 5; Kent, ODC (H), Aug 11; Notts, ODC (A), Aug 13; Yorks, ODC (A), Aug 15; Lancs, ODC (H), Aug 17 It was all so easy, almost casual. For the challenging pack, it was the kind of result to make them question their life choices; a win to bury every last morsel of hope that Surrey’s dominance could be contained. At Canterbury in early June, Surrey were abysmal for two days. They conceded a first-innings lead of 156, batting as poorly as they have for two seasons. They then gave up 344 in Kent’s third innings. The target, 501, was on the notional side. And yet, some 146.1…

Worcestershire NEXT MATCHES: Leics, CC (A), July 19-22; Gloucs, CC (A), July 26-29; Durham, ODC (A), Aug 1; Glam, ODC (H), Aug 4; Somerset, ODC (A), Aug 6; Gloucs, ODC (H), Aug 10; Warks, ODC (H), Aug 13; Northants, ODC (A), Aug 16 Ashley Giles, the former MD of England men’s cricket, has been appointed as Worcestershire’s new CEO. It looks a good fit. Giles, a longtime resident of the county, has been out of work for over a year since leaving his role with England, while the club itself requires a prominent figurehead to help maintain its policy of homegrown development and improve its financial footing – the club reported a £203k loss for 2022 – in order to attract players from further afield. “Having resided in Worcestershire for…

After a typically skilful display in the Charlotte Edwards Cup final, taking 2-24 from her four overs to claim the Player of the Match award, Anya Shrubsole announced that this will be her last season of professional cricket. The 31-year-old retired from international duty last summer and she will focus on her burgeoning coaching career at the conclusion of this campaign, admitting that the physical strains of bowling had influenced her decision. “I think through the course of this tournament it just became clear to me that my time was up,” she said after Vipers defeated The Blaze at New Road. “I carried on playing because I really enjoy playing, but I guess the pain element of it – if I’m being totally honest – made it not particularly enjoyable…

At the halfway stage of New Zealand’s 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final chase against England, Daryl Mitchell was threatening to lose the match for his side. Having been promoted to open on the eve of the tournament, a role he’d never filled at international level, the all-rounder steered the Black Caps to victory in their group-stage encounter with India but had otherwise struggled for fluency. That theme continued in the semi-final in Abu Dhabi, Mitchell mustering a solitary boundary in the first 10 overs as New Zealand’s target of 167 appeared increasingly out of reach. With eight overs remaining, the makeshift opener had crawled to 28 from 27 balls and the Kiwis required almost 11 runs per over to qualify for their first T20 World Cup final. Watching from the…

Cricket is a game of failure. Failure is quotidian, built in, the everyday currency of the sport, especially in batting. Its complex psychology pivots on this: a single delivery can exclude you from the match, a threat that hangs over every innings, every season, every career. This immutable fact preys on particular personality types, makes them inhibited, scared, compulsive, governed by ritual and superstition. It builds and breaks down egos, attacks the sense of self. It is the tyranny of a professional’s life, which can be destroyed by a run of low scores. Every dismissal leaves behind a what if? It suggests an alternative reality in which something else happens, something better, and it is this tantalising horror that makes batting and the game what it is. Here are a…

WIN! 1. 5 years ago… On July 22, 2018, which Lancashire seamer dismissed Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow with successive deliveries to claim a high-quality hat-trick in a Roses Championship clash at Old Trafford? 2. 10 years ago… On July 21, 2013, England beat Australia by 347 runs in the second Test at Lord’s. Who was named Player of the Match after scoring his first and so far only Test hundred as an opener? 3. 15 years ago… On July 6, 2008, Sri Lanka beat India by 100 runs in the final of the Asia Cup in Karachi. Which Sri Lankan claimed figures of 6-13, taking his haul across the tournament to 17 in five matches? 4. 20 years ago… On July 24, 2003, South Africa racked up…

ANDREW MILLER Wisden Cricket Monthly columnist, UK editor of ESPNcricinfo and former editor of The Cricketer @miller_cricket In its long-awaited report into the sport’s myriad ills, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) pulled no punches in assessing the contemporary state of the women’s game. Amid reams and reams of testimony describing how female cricketers were routinely “demeaned, stereotyped and treated as second-class”, the report also drew the damning inference that women were expected to “be grateful for the gains that they have recently made”, as if they were mere stooges for a Harry Enfield ‘Know your limits!’ skit. So, how grateful should Heather Knight’s England team be feeling right now? By the time you read this, their Ashes challenge will surely be over*, and the irony is that…

What a game. People will remember Edgbaston ’23 for a very long time. Obviously it was gutting to come out on the losing side. Trust me, I hate losing. That night in the dressing room I sat for five full minutes with my cap over my head. Baz spoke first. He always goes first when we lose. He just said, “Lads, I’m immensely proud of the efforts that you’ve put in, we’ve made the game what it was. We were so close to pulling off an unbelievable victory. We played all the cricket in the game. If it wasn’t for us, the Australians wouldn’t have even had a chance to win.” And then the dust settles, and you’re reminded again of the bigger picture. It’s about more than just winning…

MEL FARRELL Australian writer and broadcaster @melindafarrell ”One thing I’ve learned about being a captain is that whether you stand up for something or whether you stand up for nothing, both are going to create backlash. I think it’s important that you just stay true to who you are. If you believe something, you live it ”You know,” says Patrick Cummins presciently, “I think cricket and sport brings out the best in people and the worst in people at different times.” It’s the eve of the Ashes, and Cummins is speaking to WCM at Edgbaston. A few days earlier he had led Australia to victory in the World Test Championship final. Two days on from our conversation, the Hollies Stand will be crammed with vociferous England fans booing and chanting…

An alternative prize will be provided if the winner is aged under 18, or if requested *Only available to UK residents LETTER OF THE MONTH Women’s Ashes deserves more Test cricket First of all, I’d like to congratulate you on such a great magazine. I’ve been a subscriber since the very first issue and every issue is an enjoyable read. With women’s cricket becoming more high profile, I was at Lord’s to see Charlie Dean’s controversial dismissal by Deepti Sharma last summer and the place was packed. But there is something missing from the women’s game. Namely, more Test matches. It is, to me at least, the ultimate test and the highest form of cricket. But there is such a lack of it in the women’s game. I understand that…

Essex NEXT MATCHES: Kent, CC (H), July 19-22; Hants, CC (A), July 25-28; Lancs, ODC (A), Aug 1; Notts, ODC (H), Aug 3; Hants, ODC (A), Aug 8; Middx, ODC (H), Aug 11; Yorks, ODC (H), Aug 13; Leics, ODC (A), Aug 15 It’s rare for a county transfer story to be quite so jawdropping. But when it came out that Dan Lawrence – darling of Essex, captain-elect, four major trophies – was off to Surrey on a three-year deal that kicks in straight after this campaign, it wasn’t just Essex loyalists but supporters of every other financially middling club processing the news with weary resignation. The reigning red-ball champions are getting one of the English game’s most watchable talents – aTest rookie with time on his side (he’s just…

Hampshire NEXT MATCHES: Notts, CC (A), July 19-22; Essex, CC (H), July 25-28; Middx, ODC (H), Aug 1; Essex, ODC (H), Aug 8; Notts, ODC (A), Aug 11; Leics, ODC (H), Aug 13; Lancs, ODC (A), Aug 15; Yorks, ODC (A), Aug 17 When Jack Leach went down injured in the build-up to the Ashes, Ben Stokes immediately fired off a text to Moeen Ali, an off-spinning all-rounder who’d not played a red-ball game in two years. Two weeks later, with Moeen struggling with a blister on his spinning finger, Rehan Ahmed, an 18-year-old leggie averaging 68 with the ball in Division Two this summer, was brought in as cover. The other option that England reportedly considered was Will Jacks, a batter who only started seriously bowling off-spin in firstclass…

Speaking to WCM ahead of the 2023 season, Sophie Luff, Western Storm’s captain, said that the England set-up no longer feels like a “closed shop”, with the selectors placing greater stock in performances at domestic level. “I think England are genuinely looking at performances in regional cricket and that’s because the standard of competition is so good now,” said Luff. The 29-year-old tipped her teammate Danielle Gibson for Ashes selection, and the all-rounder duly received a call-up for the 15-strong squad picked for the Test match at Trent Bridge. Having been a travelling reserve for the T20 World Cup, Gibson’s selection came as no great surprise, but the curveball inclusion of Lauren Filer would have supported Luff’s belief in a more open-minded selection process. Filer, a 22-year-old Bristol-born fast bowler…

The wrong Burton M thanideal day out when his side took on Burton in the third division of the Cheshire League, turning up to the wrong ground… twice. “I set off to Burton-on-Trent and about 40 minutes into the journey I got stuck in traffic, so voice-noted the captain to say I was running a bit late,” Baty tells WCM. “I then got lost in a one-way system trying to find the ground. “When I got there, the game had started, but I didn’t recognise any of the players on either side and they had never heard of Wistaston Village. Their scorer suggested I needed to go to a different ground, half a mile away. When I got there, same story: two teams, neither of whom I recognised. It was…

He liked Hampshire’ s vibe and he saw cricketers that he could improve. He knew he could make a big difference I first met Shane in 2000. It was a life-changing moment, but it could have very nearly not happened at all. There was so much media speculation about which county he was going to go to. It seemed to come down to Hampshire and Lancashire. It must have been hard for him to turn down Lancashire – it absolutely ragged there, and it was the scene of the ‘Gatting ball’ – but thankfully he decided to head down south. We were so lucky to get him. It basically came down to the fact that he was mates with Robin Smith. ‘The Judge’ got it over the line for us.…