Day 96: Welcome back Sarah Taylor

 There is not much surprises me about Sarah Taylor, the former England Wicketkeeper and World Cup winner who has achieved everything in the game. When you consider the issues she has had with anxiety, then it is all the more remarkable.

When she was announced as Sussex wicketkeeper coach, it was the next logical step. She is world-class in her field, and for some of her knowledge and skills to be shared made sense. It has also seen a pattern of Sussex inviting former players with a passion for the county to fill the coaching spots.

There was always the prospect that Taylor may play again as she was only officially retired from international cricket a few appearances for Sussex may have been on the cards.

To see Taylor named in the Welsh Fire squad for the Hundred is pleasing. With Matthew Mott captaining and the likes of Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney, on the same side, will be exciting for the team that will be playing their home games at Sophia Gardens this year.

Days until the start of a new season

There is a buzz around for the start of the County Championship; on Thursday, 18 teams have a chance of winning the top prize in county cricket.

By the end of that first day, we will start to form a picture of who will stand up and be counted. It will be early days; there will be groups of fans from one or two county seasons that will lower expectations.

I’m hoping for a few surprise packages this season. With the two-division format rested until at least next year, a few of the less fancied counties could prove a point or two. I would, of course, like to see Sussex play well. I don’t think they have a chance of winning the whole thing, but I like how the club is being run on the field and would love to see that represented in results.

Day 94: The fantastic four

 

After defeat in the 2017 World Cup semi-final, there was some deep thinking in the Australian women's camp. It was clear that while they had world-class players at their disposal, there was still something not right about the team's balance.

With the Women's Big Bash League in its early stages, there were some signs that the depth in which Australia would start to dominate the ODI format in the last few years. That they have gone on to break the record of consecutive wins are testament to the set-up and captaincy of Meg Lanning and the coaching of Matthew Mott.

Four players have played in all 22 games of Australia's unbeaten run they are.

Alyssa Healy

Healy has been one of the top keepers in the game for a while now. With her aggressive batting at the top of the order, she allows her side to make consistent starts. Before the 2017 Ashes, she said she would "bring the bitch back." Part of the fall out from the World Cup earlier that year was that Australia was getting too soft as a team.

Rachael Haynes

At the 2017 World Cup, Haynes only made the team when Lanning was injured and found herself in the side as replacement captain. Since then, Haynes has been part of the side with merit. A reliable middle-order batter and fantastic fielder, Haynes is irreplaceable.

Ash Gardner

A big-hitting all-rounder Gardner is the type of player that every side in the world wants. She hits the ball a long way and can be destructive on her day; add in her spin bowling, and you have a player for every occasion.

Given how often she has suffered from concussions, it is remarkable she has played a part in every game of this run.

Beth Mooney

Mooney is a player that has taken the game away from you without you realising. A consistent and unfussy player who plays fantastic cricket shots. Mooney is also an excellent wicketkeeper, and if not for Healy being in the side would have been behind the stumps.

Day 92: Hopefully see you soon

 

I don’t know what it is about cricket grounds, but you get a certain feeling at a great venue. It could be history, knowing that you are following in the footsteps of great players. Having played at Queens Park, Chesterfield, you realise how much of a privilege knowing that the likes of WG Grace, Don Bradman and Dominic Cork have all played there.

It may be how each stand has been built separately and over different periods of times, whereas with other sporting stadia like football grounds, there is a more uniform approach. Knowing that Brammall Lane used to host test cricket always intrigued me, and I wish I could have seen it in action as a cricket ground.

The closest you get these days to a cricket match being played in a football ground is at Burnley, where the grounds are next to each other.

At Headingley, I have made a mistake on more than one occasion of nearly walking into the rugby ground. I’m not sure if that is possible these days, though, with the new stand at that end of the ground.

I like to wander around a new venue or an old one, for that matter. To see the crowds fill in, find a second-hand book table or just get a feel for the place. They are places where I feel at home. However, I have had the pleasure of calling them the office on occasion. Which again, I know how grateful I am.

I cannot wait until I can enter a ground with fans in. They make sporting events so interesting, as there are genuine characters amongst them; in particular, cricket loses something when there is no one to see it—the gentle hum of background chatter or the smarting of applause for a moment of brilliance.

Hopefully, that won’t be too far away.

Day 91: April is here!

April is here. It means that there is only a week until the cricket season starts. To say I can’t wait is an understatement. I have my copy of Wisden and The Cricketers’ Who’s Who. I plan the games I would like to be at and the players I want to see in action. That, I guess, is still up in the air as we don’t know when we can be back.

I want to write about it, which means I have some serious research to do in anticipation of the first round of County Championship games next week. I want to get to know the players who I will be writing about. I want to know their stats when they scored their last century or took a load of wickets. Maybe find out what they average against each team and how that can encourage their side on to victory.

This all adds to a larger picture. If I can get that across in the space of 500 words, then all the better. It won’t be easy, but I will be working hard to write entertainingly. I have always had nagging doubts about whether I am good enough to write for many people.

I have always wondered how players can perform to large numbers of people, which seems more straightforward. I have played in front of tens of people and that is easy to focus out most of the time; you get lost in the moment, and I would imagine that in the middle, where 25,000 are all cheering, it is easier to focus out the individual calls.

If I take the approach of is this something to read? Then I can’t go too far wrong. If no one reads, that is okay, but it will make the road easier if they do.