This summer has been quite eventful for the English women’s cricket team. The team participated in several matches. In this article, we will analyze all the food for thought provided by these games, focusing specifically on the negatives.
Before we discuss the negative trends in the England team’s performance, remember that after Mostbet login, anyone can place bets on cricket matches. This applies to both women’s and men’s teams.
Problems playing against spin bowlers
England’s hopes for a series win this summer were shattered due to spin bowling. More precisely, due to their weak game against it. In the test match against Australia, the home team advanced to a score of 55-0, chasing 268, but off-spinner Ash Gardner broke through, claiming eight wickets, and England was defeated with a score of 178.
In the second ODI of the women’s series against Australia, they lost seven wickets to spinners, while the 111 unbeaten runs of Sciver-Brant were in vain, and Australia secured the essential victory to retain the Ashes.
Then, in the T20I series against Sri Lanka, Knight’s team suffered back-to-back defeats from slow bowling, scoring just 106 in Chelmsford – which were 66-8 before Dean became the top scorer with 34 runs from the 8th spot – and then 116 in Derby.
Improving his team’s performance against spin bowling is a key task for head coach John Lewis ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, before the 50-over version takes place in India in 2025.
Lewis said, “People will look at our play against spin and say, ‘that’s where, in our opinion, we can exploit them,’ so I really want to work with the girls on playing against spin and explore options. There’s a lot of room for growth.”
What’s wrong with Wong?
Last summer, Issy Wong emerged and made her debut in all three formats. In March, she claimed a hat-trick in the Women’s Premier League. In June, she was the face of the Ashes series – but the English fast bowler has since had a rough time.
Problems with her run-up and rhythm meant that Wong did not participate in the Ashes at all, was dropped from the Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred, and had a disheartening return for England against Sri Lanka.
After Wong was surprisingly picked for the second T20 in Chelmsford – a decision that Sky Sports expert and former Warwickshire bowler Charles Dagnall characterized as “terrible” – she faltered twice in her delivery; the first one had three no-balls and a wide, the second featured three consecutive boundaries.
Lewis said, “My approach is to surround her with maximum support. We constantly discuss her game and how she’ll improve. We’re confident we have the answers. She’s going through a dip, but we’ll work hard. There’s incredible talent there, and our job is to nurture it, make it better, and stabilize her.”
A missed opportunity in the Ashes?
England certainly closed the gap on Australia this summer. In fact, there was no gap at all with the series, consisting of one Test, three T20s, and an ODI, finishing 8-8. A massive improvement for Heather Knight’s side after a 12-4 loss in the previous two series. However, they feel it could have been so much better. England was always on the back foot after a 6-0 deficit following losses in the Test match and the first T20, games they might have won.
Perhaps England played the better cricket over the course of the series, winning four matches to Australia’s three and proving they can match a side that previously seemed invincible.
Yet they still only had a draw to show for it, and with the Southern Stars enjoying home advantage in the next Ashes series in 2025/26, taking the trophy might be an even tougher challenge.
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