Women’s cricket has enjoyed substantial growth in the last 15 years, and it is no coincidence that this rise has come alongside the emergence of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
While Australia may currently be the women’s game’s pre-eminent force, there is a feeling of the sport becoming more open, with nations outside of the traditional powers starting to emerge.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup itself has grown, a fact made clear in that just eight teams contested the first competition in England in 2009. The tournament was held simultaneously with the men’s competition, and the form of the hosts captivated a nation.
This culminated in over 12,000 attending the final at Lord's, where Charlotte Edwards’ side defeated New Zealand by six wickets to become the inaugural champions. The triumph pushed England women into the spotlight, with the same being said of Australia when they claimed the title in 2010 and how they have run with it since.
Their margin of victory over New Zealand at the Kensington Oval might have been slim (three runs), but it kicked off an era of dominance that continues to this day. Australian players such as Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning became prized commodities off the back of the exploits at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with teams all over the world bidding for their services.
Lanning was the top run scorer in the 2014 tournament in Bangladesh, the first in which 10 teams took part, as her country claimed their third consecutive title.
There was a new name on the trophy, however, when the competition moved to India in 2016 as the West Indies crowned their emergence as a leading nation by dethroning the Australians at Eden Gardens.
It was the first women’s final to take place on the same day as the men's, and it set the tone, with the Windies’ men going on to memorably defeat England, making the men and women from the Caribbean double world champions.
The holders then hosted in 2018 as Australia reclaimed the trophy that year, and they have not relinquished it since. Indeed, it was when they hosted in 2020 that the competition truly was taken to new heights. This was capped by the extraordinary attendance of 86,174 at the MCG—a record for a women’s cricket match—that witnessed Australia’s victory over first-time finalists, India.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 turned out to be the largest global sporting event to take place for some time, and it sticks in the memory for all the right reasons.
Its increased profile that year also brought rewards of the prize money for the winners of US$1 million, five times more than what was awarded in 2018.
That is a figure that has continued to skyrocket, with the winners of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the United Arab Emirates set to take home US$2.34 million.
Nine other countries will be taking on one of the toughest tasks in the sport, dethroning Australia, when the action gets under way on October 3.
With household names among the challengers, such as Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Smriti Mandhana (India), and Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), set to lead the challenge for their respective nations, we are set for the most explosive competition yet.
Crawley and Root leading England fight after Pakistan cement dominance
Zak Crawley and Joe Root's assured start with the bat gave England hope on day two of their first Test against Pakistan, after the hosts had again impressed with the bat.
Just like on day one, the tourists struggled in the field as Pakistan racked up an impressive total of 556, before overcoming setbacks to steady the ship late in the day.
England were unable to build on their strong finish to day one, which saw them take three late wickets to halt Pakistan at 328-4, but Brydon Carse (2-74) got a wicket on his debut to end Naseem Shah's stand of 33.
Saud Shakeel's 82 put the hosts further out of reach, but it was Salman Ali Agha's unbeaten 104 off 119 balls that kept the momentum firmly with Pakistan, though it almost turned out differently.
Chris Woakes made a spectacular boundary catch with Salman on 15, but it was ruled not out as Woakes was judged to have stepped beyond the rope, denying England a chance to drop the hosts to 420-7.
Though England at one point took four wickets for 76 runs, it did little to end the onslaught, and they finished Pakistan's innings on a low note as opener Ben Duckett hurt his thumb taking the catch on the final wicket.
Ollie Pope then opened in his place, but the stand-in captain was taken for a duck on just his second ball.
However, Crawley (64 not out) and Root (32 not out) managed to calm any nerves as they reached stumps at 96-1, though they still trail by 460 runs.
Data Debrief: Pakistan race out of the blocks again
After making a flying start on day one, Pakistan caught England out with a similar tactic on Tuesday, adding 64 to the fifth wicket before Naseem was made to walk.
Jack Leach (3-160) was the pick of England's bowlers as they struggled in the heat, but for the most part, the tourists had no answers as Salman became the third centurion in the Test so far.
They will be hoping Crawley and Root can continue defying Pakistan with their stand on day three, with the latter now just 39 runs away from overtaking Alistair Cook as England's all-time leading run-scorer.
ICC lauds Match Referee Richie Richardson on 50th Test match milestone
Former West Indies stalwart Richie Richardson was moved by the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) recognition as he celebrated a milestone of officiating in 50 Men’s Test matches as a Match Referee.
Richardson, a member of the Emirates ICC Panel of Elite Match Referees, reached the landmark when he took the field in the first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan on Monday.
The 62-year-old former West Indies captain has also officiated in 99 Men’s ODIs, 99 Men’s T20Is, eight Women’s ODIs and 15 Women’s T20Is since making his international debut in February 2016.
Sean Easey, ICC’s senior manager for umpires and referees, lauded Richardson on the milestone.
“Congratulations are offered for reaching this significant milestone. Building on his extensive experience from being a player and team manager, Richie has worked hard to establish himself as a Match Referee. That hard work is clearly paying off,” Easey said.
“He conducts himself with composure, integrity, and respect, and in return he is highly respected by the game’s participants. On behalf of the ICC, I wish Richie best wishes for his 50th Test match as a referee,” he added.
Richardson in return expressed gratitude to those who supported him along the way.
“It is an honour to be officiating in my 50th Men’s Test match. I have enjoyed doing this job in different parts of the world and in all three formats of the game.
“I thank the International Cricket Council, Cricket West Indies, and all my colleagues for their support over the years. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my family and friends whose encouragement has been invaluable,” Richardson stated.
During his playing time, Richardson scored 5,944 runs in 86 Test matches and 6,248 runs in 224 One Day Internationals during an impressive international career from 1983 to 1996. He was inducted into the Emirates ICC Panel of Elite Match Referees in 2016.
CWI President congratulates St. Lucia Kings on historic maiden Republic Bank CPL title
Cricket West Indies President Dr. Kishore Shallow has extended congratulations to the Saint Lucia Kings for their remarkable achievement in securing their inaugural Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title.
In a thrilling final at the National Stadium in Providence, Guyana on Sunday, the Kings defeated the Guyana Amazon Warriors by six wickets to claim their first-ever title at the third attempt.
“The Saint Lucia Kings have etched their names in history, and I commend their performance throughout the tournament which was an exhibition of relentless hard work and unmatched determination,” Dr. Shallow said in his commendation.
“With Aaron Jones and Roston Chase playing crucial innings at a decisive moment and Faf Du Plessis’ outstanding leadership, the Kings demonstrated the resilience and skill needed to succeed. This victory also reflects the tireless efforts of Head Coach Daren Sammy, whose knowledge and belief in the team have shaped their journey to this moment,” he added.
President Shallow further extended congratulations to Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and the people of Saint Lucia, who are in the midst of a period of remarkable national pride.
“This victory comes at an exciting time for Saint Lucia, which recently celebrated the homecoming of their Olympic gold medalist and the fastest woman in the world, Julien Alfred. Prime Minister Pierre and his nation have much to celebrate, and Saint Lucia’s sporting achievements are a source of pride for the entire Caribbean.”
The CWI President noted the impact of the emerging players in the tournament and highlighted the wealth of talent the Caribbean continues to produce.
“This edition of CPL stands out with the remarkable impact of the West Indies emerging stars. It has been a historic year with a record number of appearances by Emerging Players. With over 50 appearances and some impressive performances, the talent pool in the Caribbean remains exciting and surely augurs well for the future of West Indies cricket.”
Saint Lucia Kings featured former West Indies Under 19 captain Ackeem Auguste. Other impressive emerging players in the 2024 Republic Bank CPL were Shaqkere Parris for Trinbago Knight Riders and Jewel Andrew for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons who has just been selected for the West Indies Men's ODI team to tour Sri Lanka.
Cricket West Indies remains committed to the partnership with the Caribbean Premier League which continues to play a pivotal role in the advancement of regional cricket.
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