In the middle of a major Test series it's a fine effort for women's cricket to earn a double-page spread in the Age's sports section. Chloe Saltau spend some time with the Victoria women's team, the Spirit, and their coach Cathryn Fitzpatrick.

Earlier in the year she asked each member of the team to research a player, so they could understand better what it means to represent their state. There is a secret players' code known as "The Wilson", after the legendary former all-rounder Betty Wilson. Attempts to discover the meaning of The Wilson are met with silence, but it is safe to say the forthright 86-year-old who still attends every game in Melbourne embodies the hardness and determination to which the Spirit players aspire.

December 22, 2006

A true trailblazer still

Posted on 12/22/2006 in Women's cricket

Rachael Heyhoe-Flint’s name will be forever synonymous with women’s cricket. She’s in Australia at the moment to follow the Ashes, but although England have lost the series she is
still her cheerful self, and full of her usual anecdotes. Mike Coward caught up with her and profiled her for The Australian newspaper.

September 20, 2006

Texts about girls! It's absolutely outrageous!

Posted on 09/20/2006 in Women's cricket

There are mountains and there are molehills and The Surfer suspects that the latter is about to turn into the former with the news that a private text allegedly sent by the chairman of Leicestershire, Neil Davidson, has caused much indignation at Somerset, who have lodged a complaint with the ECB. And it’s about girls. Read the sorry saga, as reported in The Times here.

September 5, 2006

Birch in a timewarp

Posted on 09/05/2006 in Women's cricket

	Rosalie Birch: diplomat © Getty Images

A tour to the subcontinent involves anticipating dry-as-dust pitches and noise pollution that would scandalise the EC. Rosalie Birch would however want to go a step further and broaden her palette as well to prepare for the England women’s team’s forthcoming tour of India for the quadrangular world series. Towards this end the chillies she gamely chewed on was obviously more than she could swallow though her primitive tastes was equally evident in what she wrote in her online diary.

Commenting on the recently-concluded series against India’s women’s side, Birch trotted out more clichés about curries and hot food in one column that an entire series of It Ain’t Half Hot Mum.

“We found it hilarious how the Indians added their own curry paste and pickles because they found the food too mild … but our players will not be laughing when their mouths are burning up in India.”

Wonder which universe Birch is living in? The ECB should make it mandatory to have its cricketers savour the delights of London’s Curry Mile, if only for the likes of Birch to sample how cumin combines with parsley and Rose Mary overlays cardamom to make curry something much more than just a masala-mix.

August 14, 2006

Because they're worth it?

Posted on 08/14/2006 in Women's cricket

As England women take on India at Lord's today in the first of their five one-dayers, a storm is raging on the other side of the world. In Australia, The Age are asking do women sports stars deserve media coverage?

Greg Baum kicked off the debate a few weeks ago, with the rather contentious line: “If women insist on playing sport at all, it should be beach volleyball.” And a week later, his colleague Natalie Craig regretfully finds herself agreeing.

The debate came about because of a public inquiry in Sydney which, as ABC Sport reports, is considering the suggestion
that the media could be compelled to carry regular coverage of women's sport.

What do you think? Email us with your thoughts.

Thanks to Dan Roesler for the links

January 24, 2006

Isa Guha looking forward to Lord's

Posted on 01/24/2006 in Women's cricket

Isa Guha writes in the Bucks Free Press about her ambitions, on playing against Australia and her forthcoming trip to Lord's to face India

January 19, 2006

Return to source

Posted on 01/19/2006 in Women's cricket

England's women international, Isa Guha, recently returned to her roots on the tour of India and Sri Lanka, and tells the Ealing Times about a hot, noisy, daunting but exhilarating experience.