ALEX HARTLEY: England and India put on a brilliant advert for women’s cricket at Bristol… but now tests MUST be made five days
- India and England’s women’s sides played-out a thrilling draw last week
- Heather Knight’s side and the tourists performances were an advert for cricket
- Now there is no reason why tests shouldn’t be extended to being five days
It’s hard to imagine a better advert for women’s Test cricket than last week’s game at Bristol between England and India.
People have often complained that women’s Tests usually end in draws, but this wasn’t your normal draw. It was edge-of-the-seat stuff, with exciting innings from Sophia Dunkley and Shafali Verma, a marathon spell from Sophie Ecclestone, and an incredible Indian rearguard on the last day. What wasn’t to like!
On that last day, with England pressing for the final couple of wickets, I really wanted to be out there in the middle, rather than up in the commentary box. But watching the game made me feel proud about where women’s cricket has got to.
England and India had to share the spoils at Bristol as the two women’s sides played a draw
The match was a great advert for the sport and proved why tests could go on for five days
For me, there should be a Test match built into every visiting team’s itinerary. The ideal tour programme would be one Test, three ODIs and three T20s — but with the flexibility to add or subtract a game here or there depending on the teams’ needs.
And I don’t see why women’s Tests can’t be five days, as Heather Knight alluded to after the game. It’s probably a hangover from the era when only three days were set aside, but these are professional cricketers and the game was set up beautifully, with India 179 ahead and eight down. Imagine how much attention a fifth day would have attracted.
I was so impressed with the way Dunkley batted in her first Test. She is the first black woman to play Test cricket for England, and she can go on to be as important a role model as Ebony Rainford-Brent has proved to be.
That means she’ll be coping with a lot of pressure, but Sophia clearly loves her cricket: her smile is infectious, and it’s great to see her selected for the one-day series that starts in Bristol tomorrow.
The test was set up perfectly to go to a fifth day and would have attracted great attention
As for Verma — wow! It was scary watching that girl. She’s 17, for goodness sake, and made her Test debut look like a stroll in the park.
She got out in the first innings trying to hit a six to reach her hundred, which said a lot about her mentality, and it needed a screamer of a catch from Katherine Brunt in the second innings to get rid of her. I have a sneaking feeling Verma is going to be making her ODI debut tomorrow.
A word, too, for Ecclestone, who basically bowled 64 overs of left-arm spin back to back, because India were asked to follow on. She took eight wickets and was outstanding — not least because she’ll never have bowled a spell like that.
It was probably five or six overs too many, and with hindsight England might have chosen a second spinner in Mady Villiers, but it confirmed Ecclestone’s status as the best bowler in international cricket. One thing the women’s (and men’s) game needs to do better is over-rates.
The sides in action again for their ODI face-off on Saturday, back at the Bristol Country Ground
It’s an issue that needs to be addressed because fines for the players don’t seem to be working.
England go into Sunday’s first ODI without Danni Wyatt for the first time I can remember. She’ll be gutted to be left out, but coach Lisa Keightley says you need to keep making runs at domestic level to merit inclusion for England.
I’m sure Danni will be back — she’s too good not to be — but more competition for places is a good thing for the England team, and leaving her out was the right call.
Watching brief: England v India, 1st ODI, 10.30am Saturday, Bristol. TV: LIVE on Sky Sports Cricket.