After reading Hannah Wilks' soapbox piece in The Times today (July 7, sport p2 - "The women's game is not equal to the male version. It's actually far superior") it strikes us here at WC that our fair game could learn a lot from the lawns, clay and asphalt of tennis tournaments around the globe.
Even under the historical wood, iron and climbing vines of Wimbledon, the women have put themselves on an even keel with their male counterparts, but can we say the same at Lord's quite yet?
The key aspect is that, apart from the same prize-money, a large amount of strong competitors and crucially the same amount of media coverage as the men, they are always striving for more - in particular, equal recognition.
Although women's cricket is not at the same level in comparison, the fighting attitude of WTA professionals is right at the heart of why the sport has already become equal to the men's game. The players lead the way, and sections of the media (eg BBC) follow, all the way from the first round to a glitzy final.
Another strand to this view has to be the fact that tennis is global, but cricket is still struggling to cement itself in continental pastures new. Audiences and support in the US for example give a huge boost to women's football and women's tennis, as networks like ESPN dedicate swathes of journalists to covering the female side of various disciplines.
But progress is being made here in England, more T20s are a useful way of promoting women's cricket as part of 'double-header' packages for fans coupled with men's county clashes, but we need should not dilute the quality for the premise of quick media gains.
It took female tennis players a long time to get where they are now, but in the end it has been the quality of the sport - not gimmicks - that has seen them through, and it has been worth it.
As an experienced tennis writer, Wilkes stands up for the female side of her sport with gusto - cricket could do with some steely advocates of its own to promote and move forward the women's game for the long term.
Send us your comments women.cricket@yahoo.com or on twitter @womencricket
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Tweet us...
We have launched the @WomenCricket Twitter feed...
Over the course of the next few months we will establishing this blog as the place to go for info on Women's Cricket.
We are currently creating a dedicated website to take over - by the time summer 2013 comes around Twit Cricket will be the only place to learn, promote, and take part in the women's game.
Send us your news, views, club info, fixture lists and results. Let's get the women's game to where it should be.
Thanks
Nick
Over the course of the next few months we will establishing this blog as the place to go for info on Women's Cricket.
We are currently creating a dedicated website to take over - by the time summer 2013 comes around Twit Cricket will be the only place to learn, promote, and take part in the women's game.
Send us your news, views, club info, fixture lists and results. Let's get the women's game to where it should be.
Thanks
Nick
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
TV money needs investing across that gender gap
The ECB today announced a new seven-year deal with ESPN STAR Sports (ESS)
for the exclusive multi-platform rights to broadcast ECB's domestic and
home international programme across all the broadcaster's territories
in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
ESS are the ECB's current broadcast partner in the region, having held the contract for the past five years.
The new agreement, which runs from 2013 to 2019, will encompass more than 300 days of live international cricket, including India's next two tours to England in 2014 and 2018 and three home Ashes series scheduled for 2013, 2015 and 2019.
As well as covering all England's home Investec Tests, NatWest Series and NatWest International T20 fixtures, the deal will also give ESS the right to transmit 60 days' coverage every season from all ECB's key domestic competitions: the LV=County Championship, Clydesdale Bank 40 and Friends Life t20 competitions plus selected England Lions, England Under-19s...
...and lastly (and I suspect leastly) England women's matches. We need to channel more of this cash and more of this attention into the female game. But the ECB chefs still seem intently focused on the lucrative men's tests and one-day internationals.
But the cricket chiefs are not tuning in.
ECB Chief Executive David Collier said: "This new agreement demonstrates the enormous appetite for cricket worldwide and the global pulling power of a successful England team and a vibrant county game.
"In a challenging economic climate with all sports facing tough competition for funding streams, it will also provide an important source of additional revenue for funding the development of our game at all levels.
"TV audiences for cricket are expanding rapidly in Asia and the Middle East and we look forward to working closely with ESS to give both our international and county teams the widest possible TV exposure over the next seven years."
The next seven years is important and audiences are expanding rapidly, but not just across countries and continents, there is also the ever widening gender gap that still exists in a sport owned by men.
A little investment would go a long way in the women's game, we need to move beyond the boundaries of the occasional highlights package from a one-day international. That are some skillful players out there that deserve the coverage and the plaudits.
After all, England's women are one of the most successful teams of all time.
ESS are the ECB's current broadcast partner in the region, having held the contract for the past five years.
The new agreement, which runs from 2013 to 2019, will encompass more than 300 days of live international cricket, including India's next two tours to England in 2014 and 2018 and three home Ashes series scheduled for 2013, 2015 and 2019.
As well as covering all England's home Investec Tests, NatWest Series and NatWest International T20 fixtures, the deal will also give ESS the right to transmit 60 days' coverage every season from all ECB's key domestic competitions: the LV=County Championship, Clydesdale Bank 40 and Friends Life t20 competitions plus selected England Lions, England Under-19s...
...and lastly (and I suspect leastly) England women's matches. We need to channel more of this cash and more of this attention into the female game. But the ECB chefs still seem intently focused on the lucrative men's tests and one-day internationals.
But the cricket chiefs are not tuning in.
ECB Chief Executive David Collier said: "This new agreement demonstrates the enormous appetite for cricket worldwide and the global pulling power of a successful England team and a vibrant county game.
"In a challenging economic climate with all sports facing tough competition for funding streams, it will also provide an important source of additional revenue for funding the development of our game at all levels.
"TV audiences for cricket are expanding rapidly in Asia and the Middle East and we look forward to working closely with ESS to give both our international and county teams the widest possible TV exposure over the next seven years."
The next seven years is important and audiences are expanding rapidly, but not just across countries and continents, there is also the ever widening gender gap that still exists in a sport owned by men.
A little investment would go a long way in the women's game, we need to move beyond the boundaries of the occasional highlights package from a one-day international. That are some skillful players out there that deserve the coverage and the plaudits.
After all, England's women are one of the most successful teams of all time.
Monday, 11 June 2012
What is wrong with a keeper that can bat...?
England one day squads announced. But Craig Kieswetter still gets the nod over Steven Davies.
What has the Surrey man got to do to get selected over the Somerset pretender?
He leads the premier one day side in the country at the Oval, after helping Surrey to win the CB40 and staying unbeaten so far this year, yet his quickfire contributions this season remain ignored.
Kieswetter's Taunton colleagues are languishing at the bottom of the same group having lost four games.
We know cricket is not a one man sport, the Somerset man averaged 57 in 2011, Davies managed just 30, but the balance of glove power has shifted.
Davies now averages 38, perfectly respectable at the top of the order - Kieswetter averages a little over 8.
The pressure must be on if the Somerset player doesn't get the required runs.
Mind you, what is wrong with Matt Prior...?
Friday, 1 June 2012
Kartik set for Surrey debut...he will be a match winner
Team Director Chris Adams has named a thirteen man squad for Surrey’s
three Clydesdale Bank 40 games over the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Bank
Holiday weekend.
Surrey’s three Group B games come inside four days beginning with a
trip to the SWALEC Stadium on Saturday to take on the Welsh Dragons.
They then return
to the Kia Oval on Sunday to play the Hampshire Royals and on Tuesday
the Scottish Saltires are the visitors to the Kia Oval to complete the
three game run.
Murali Kartik comes straight into the squad having arrived this week
to join up with Surrey as the overseas professional until the end of the
season. Zafar
Ansari is unavailable for the three games due to commitments at
Cambridge University.
Chris Adams commented: “We are delighted to welcome Murali Kartik to
the club. He is a proven match winner in all forms of the game and we
are really looking
forward to having him available for us until the end of the season. He
will bring an extra dimension to our squad and his experience will be
invaluable in the dressing room.
“This run of three games in four days is a critical period in our CB40
campaign. If we can win all three then we will have put ourselves in a
very strong
position in Group B. That is our aim and we are confident because we
have already played some excellent cricket in the competition this
season which has seen us win our three opening games. We are looking
forward to the challenge of the next few days”.
The Surrey Squad for the Clydesdale Bank 40 games against the Welsh Dragons on Saturday 2nd June, the Hampshire Royals on Sunday 3rd
June and the Scottish Saltires on Tuesday 5thJune:
Rory Hamilton-Brown (capt)
Steven Davies
Jason Roy
Tom Maynard
Zander de Bruyn
Matthew Spriegel
Gareth Batty
Murali Kartik
Jon Lewis
Stuart Meaker
Jade Dernbach
Gary Wilson
Tim Linley
Thursday, 31 May 2012
The women's game
I went to watch Surrey v Sussex women last weekend. Decent game, England keeper Sarah Taylor made a sparkling hundred in a 150-run victory.
I sat there and asked myself, what must the women's game do to gain more exposure? It needs higher standards, more coaching and more time and money given to those who have the talent to become professional.
However, there is a long way to go. So I want your suggestions please. I'm writing now for The Cricket Paper and we have the perfect platform to take the female game forward in the media.
Let's get bigger crowds, more interest, and establish a game for both sexes to enjoy.
I sat there and asked myself, what must the women's game do to gain more exposure? It needs higher standards, more coaching and more time and money given to those who have the talent to become professional.
However, there is a long way to go. So I want your suggestions please. I'm writing now for The Cricket Paper and we have the perfect platform to take the female game forward in the media.
Let's get bigger crowds, more interest, and establish a game for both sexes to enjoy.
Friday, 13 April 2012
Sussex swept aside
Good to see Surrey secure a first win in the County Championship Div One, but they will face much stiffer tests than the weak Sussex attack at the Oval last week.
Middlesex are already providing a tougher examination of the Brown Cap's batting line up and the longer that de Bruyn and Ramps fail to score runs, the more likely that Chris Adams will turn to youth and Jason Roy who is waiting in the wings.
But Adams is right to give the old stagers a starting berth, experience is important in a division where nothing is given away.
By rights Surrey could have wrapped up victory in two days against the Sharks, but the quality that exists throughout teams in this league shone through. That patience and experience won the day and by not rushing for victory Surrey sailed home comfortably early on day four.
The London side's bowlers however look like THE force to be reckoned with this year - pace, accuracy and aggression were top of the menu. With some quality spin the vocal Surrey support will have much to cheer in the way of wickets this year. (And for those who were at the Oval late on the third day, yes they do need to pitch it up more!)
Good start, but we need more runs. 6 out of 10.
Middlesex are already providing a tougher examination of the Brown Cap's batting line up and the longer that de Bruyn and Ramps fail to score runs, the more likely that Chris Adams will turn to youth and Jason Roy who is waiting in the wings.
But Adams is right to give the old stagers a starting berth, experience is important in a division where nothing is given away.
By rights Surrey could have wrapped up victory in two days against the Sharks, but the quality that exists throughout teams in this league shone through. That patience and experience won the day and by not rushing for victory Surrey sailed home comfortably early on day four.
The London side's bowlers however look like THE force to be reckoned with this year - pace, accuracy and aggression were top of the menu. With some quality spin the vocal Surrey support will have much to cheer in the way of wickets this year. (And for those who were at the Oval late on the third day, yes they do need to pitch it up more!)
Good start, but we need more runs. 6 out of 10.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)