The forecast is bad for Sunday but that can change quickly, and both teams are determined not to be distracted by the weather

Alex Malcolm12-Nov-2022In 1992, the same year England and Pakistan last met in a World Cup final, Australian-based New Zealand band Crowded House released one of their most famous songs, Four Seasons in One Day.It was an ode to Melbourne’s unpredictable weather, featuring the line, “it doesn’t pay to make predictions.”It is a lesson the current England and Pakistan teams have heeded 30 years on, ahead of Sunday’s T20 World Cup final in Melbourne, with horrendous weather predicted.Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting 100% chance of rain with 10-20mm expected including “the chance of a thunderstorm, possibly severe with heavy falls.”But nothing is ever guaranteed in Melbourne when it comes to the weather. England risked failing to reach the knockouts, after focusing on Melbourne’s unpredictable weather too much earlier in the tournament in the shock loss to Ireland at the MCG.Related

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“Obviously, the Ireland match is a big disappointment for us as a team throughout this tournament, but certainly feels a long time ago now,” England captain Jos Buttler said on Saturday. “Being able to sit in this position on the eve of the World Cup final, I think we will have learned quite a few lessons throughout that game and actually, the lead-up into the game.”The weather around Melbourne was dominating the whole tournament at that stage and was definitely a distraction at times.”It was a blunt admission from Buttler and perhaps in part explained why England had bowled so poorly at the start of that game against Ireland.The irony is, as much as they were distracted by the weather in the lead-up to that loss, they freely admit too they didn’t pay enough attention to the radar during the game itself, when they fell five runs short of the DLS par score as the rain began to fall.”We know the areas we were short,” Buttler said. “That definitely hurt us. And I think we’ve seen a reaction to that game in the rest of the cricket we’ve played so far.”Pakistan had their own experience with Melbourne’s weather in the lead-up to their epic clash against India, with fears the game would be washed out without a ball being bowled due to another foreboding forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology. But in the end, not a drop of rain fell that night during Melbourne’s wettest October for half a century, and the teams duked it out in one of the best T20 internationals ever played.Pakistan were not distracted by the weather against India, having outplayed their opponents for much of the night before losing the game in the final eight deliveries.Again, ahead of the final, they are unperturbed by the forecast.”We discuss the weather situation of course, but we don’t focus on it,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said. “We’re focused on getting a full game in. It’s a World Cup final, so getting a part-game in or not getting one at all would be disappointing. We’re aiming to execute regardless of how long it is, but I’m really looking forward to getting a full game in.”Pakistan’s vibes-over-tactics mindset has served them well to this point and gives them great comfort.England too will take comfort from the knowledge that they have played a rain-shortened game in this tournament. They also played another in the lead-up to the event, against Australia in Canberra, giving them added recent experience of both setting and chasing in rain-shortened matches should the game be reduced to a 10-over affair, the minimum length needed for a result in the final.But as Crowded House front man Neil Finn wrote, “finding out wherever there is comfort there is pain, only one step away, like four seasons in one day.”

Zakir Hasan gets a maiden call-up after scoring 173 in a four-day game against India A last week

Mohammad Isam08-Dec-2022Mushfiqur Rahim, Yasir Ali and Taskin Ahmed have returned to Bangladesh’s squad for the first Test against India starting in Chattogram on December 14, while left-hand batter Zakir Hasan has been given his maiden call-up.Mushfiqur had missed Bangladesh’s previous Test series in West Indies to perform Hajj, while Yasir and Taskin were injured.Zakir, 24, made it to the 17-member side after scoring 173 for Bangladesh A in the first four-day game against India A in Cox’s Bazar last week. His innings helped Bangladesh A draw the game despite being nine down and on the verge of an innings defeat. Zakir, a top-order batter who keeps wickets, was also the highest run-scorer – 442 at 56.25 – in this season’s National Cricket League, Bangladesh’s first-class competition.”Zakir has been on our radar for the last five years,” Bangladesh’s chief selector Minhajul Abedin said. “He was in the High Performance unit for four of those years, and this season he was the highest scorer in first-class cricket. He played a good knock against India A last week. It saved the game. Selector Abdur Razzak, with the Bangladesh A side, witnessed the game and it seems Zakir is prepared for the highest level.”Tamim Iqbal, who missed the ODI series with a groin injury, Mosaddek Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman were the high-profile names missing from the Test squad, which will be led by Shakib Al Hasan. It is understood that Tamim’s recovery could take until December 22, which could put him in doubt for the second Test starting on December 22 in Mirpur.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mushfiqur’s return, however, is a huge boost for Bangladesh, while Yasir comes back to the Test format after a long layoff following the injury he suffered during the tour of South Africa in March and April. The hosts have picked five fast bowlers in their squad, along with the regulation three spinners in Shakib, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam.The real battle, however, will be for top-order spots. Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mominul Haque are out of form, while Najmul Hossain Shanto’s spot is also shaky after scoring just one half-century this year. The middle order looks stable with Mushfiqur, Shakib and Litton taking their usual places.While the series is a crucial one for India from the point of view of their qualification for the World Test Championship, Bangladesh will hope to cause an upset after defeating the visitors in the ODI series. Bangladesh have never won a Test match against India, having lost nine and drawn two out of 11 games.Test squad: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Yasir Ali, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Litton Das, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Zakir Hasan, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Anamul Haque

Lara will work with the men’s international teams and with the board’s academy, while also serving as head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2023Cricket West Indies (CWI) has roped in Brian Lara as a performance mentor to work with the West Indies international teams across formats and with the board’s academy.Lara will be supporting the various head coaches “in providing players with tactical advice and improving their game sense, as well as working closely with the Director of Cricket [Jimmy Adams] on ICC World Cup Tournament strategic planning,” a CWI press statement said.”Having spent time with the players and coaches in Australia and in discussions with CWI, I really believe that I can help the players with their mental approach to the game and with their tactics to be more successful,” Lara said. His first assignment will be with the West Indies Test squad, which he has already joined in Zimbabwe. He will help in the preparations ahead of the first Test starting February 4 in Bulawayo. Before the Test, West Indies will also play a four-day warm-up game, starting Saturday in Bulawayo.”I am really looking forward to Brian making a significant contribution to our cricket system by providing invaluable guidance and advice to our players and coaches,” Adams said. “We are confident that Brian will help to improve our high-performance mindset and strategic culture that will bring us more success on the field across all formats. Everyone is excited to have Brian involved in supporting our players.”West Indies’ last Test series was in Australia last month, where they were swept 2-0, not long after they had crashed out in the first round of the T20 World Cup. Nicholas Pooran stepped down as the white-ball captain later, in November.Lara was also on the review panel which CWI had appointed to look into West Indies’ poor performance at the T20 World Cup.Even though CWI did not specify for how long Lara would work with the various teams going forward, he came in with under ten months to go for the ODI World Cup in India and around 18 months before the T20 World Cup in the USA and Caribbean next year.In between, of course, Lara will also be engaged with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2023 IPL as their head coach, having taken over from Tom Moody in September last year.

Lamichhane is currently out on bail, facing charges of sexual coercion

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2023Scotland’s players refused to shake hands with Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane after their three-wicket loss in Kirtipur on Friday, a silent protest to the spinner’s continued presence and participation in the ICC’s Cricket World Cup League 2 series. The team shook hands with every other Nepal player after the game, but pointedly refused to do so with Lamichhane.Lamichhane is currently out on bail, facing charges of sexual coercion. He was cleared to play in the series which also involves Namibia, after CAN (Cricket Association Nepal) lifted a suspension on the granting of his bail. The refusal to shake hands is the culmination of simmering tension among Scotland and Namibia’s players over Lamichhane’s presence. In an earlier game, Namibia’s players had chosen to fist-bump Nepal’s players – including Lamichhane – but refused to shake hands post-game.Related

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• Sandeep Lamichhane named in Nepal squad for Scotland, Namibia tri-series

Though there is understood to be anger among the players in those two teams, their boards – Cricket Scotland and Cricket Namibia – have only issued generic statements condemning gender-based violence before the tri-series began, also acknowledging that Nepal’s selection was not their concern. The ICC has not commented publicly on his selection.Scotland decided to keep their hands down for Lamichhane, believing that this would be a more powerful statement. It is believed Lamichhane had been made aware of the protest beforehand.Lamichhane took 3 for 27 in the win, as Nepal recovered from 77 for 5 and then 177 for 6 to chase down 275 with three overs to spare. In Tuesday’s opening game against Namibia, Lamichhane took 3 for 66 in a two-wicket win.Lamichhane’s presence at the pre-series training camp drew protests from fans in the country, as well as on social media. He was arrested last October on return to Kathmandu after an arrest warrant had been issued in his name while he was at the Caribbean Premier League. He has denied the allegations in a post on Facebook. Nepal next play against Namibia on Saturday.

Batter added to long-list for Hundred draft, which takes place on Thursday

Matt Roller22-Mar-2023Laurie Evans has had his provisional suspension from all cricket lifted after a positive test for a banned substance caused him to miss the English winter.Evans denied any wrongdoing after failing a routine anti-doping test while playing for Manchester Originals in the Hundred last year, saying he was “shocked” at his positive result.But he was unable to fulfil his contracts in the Abu Dhabi T10 and the Big Bash last winter while charges hung over him, and has not played competitively since September 3.ESPNcricinfo understands that his suspension was raised in a ruling on Tuesday evening. Evans has not been absolved of the charges and will face a hearing later this year, but he is free to resume his career.He is on a white-ball-only deal with his county Surrey and could make his competitive comeback in the Vitality Blast in late May.Evans’ name has also been added to a revised longlist of players available in Thursday’s Hundred draft, which was circulated to teams on Wednesday afternoon.An ECB spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo: “The National Anti-Doping Panel has ruled that a Provisional Suspension imposed on Laurie Evans on 1 November 2022, in respect of an alleged anti-doping rule violation under the ECB Anti-Doping Rules, is lifted with effect from 21 March 2023.”Consequently, Mr Evans is eligible for The Hundred Draft tomorrow and to play cricket pending the conclusion of the anti-doping proceedings against him.”As a short-form specialist, he could also make himself available for the inaugural season of Major League Cricket in the US.Surrey declined to comment.March 22, 2023, 1635 GMT – This story was updated to include comment from the ECB.

The pace bowler joins New South Wales while McDermott returns to Queensland

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2023Jackson Bird and Ben McDermott will both return to their home states in significant off-season departures from Tasmania.Bird, the 36-year-old pace bowler who played nine Tests for Australia, has joined New South Wales on a two-year deal while top-order batter McDermott heads back to Queensland where he made his first-class and one-day debuts in 2014.Bird, who was born in Sydney but has played his entire Australian first-class career with Tasmania, joins a NSW side looking rebuild after a horror season which saw them finish bottom of the Sheffield Shield. He brings with him a first-class record of 455 wickets at 24.89. During the 2020-21 campaign, Bird took his career-best 7 for 18 against New South Wales as they were skittled for 32.Related

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Bird is the most prolific active bowler in the Sheffield Shieldwith 350 competition wickets having overtaken the now-retired Trent Copeland during last season.”I played all my junior cricket in NSW and like any other aspiring professional in the state I wanted to pull on a Baggy Blue,” he said. “My career took a different path and I am very grateful to Cricket Tasmania and everyone that I have played with and worked with down there for what has been an amazing experience, both professionally and personally.”Now it’s a fresh start in a place I am familiar with, and I am looking forward to being able to contribute on the field and also around the playing group. The Blues have some very talented young bowlers and I hope I can offer them some guidance if they need it.”Meanwhile, McDermott returns to the state where the family name is part of cricket folklore after the career of his father, Craig.Ben McDermott struggled last season after a promising tour of Pakistan•AFP/Getty Images

He will be looking to rebound from a poor 2022-23 season where he lost his place in the Shield side having averaged 18.30 and managed two fifties at 25.14 in the Marsh Cup.Those numbers have stymied his international ambitions after a promising series against Pakistan in early 2022 which brought a maiden ODI hundred. Overall he has played five ODIs and 23 T20Is.”We’re very keen to work with Ben to help him realise his playing goals and no doubt his experience and skills will be welcomed by the playing group,” Bennett King, Queensland Cricket’s general manager of high performance, said. “He’s a seasoned player who has performed in all formats for Tasmania and Australia, and so it will be exciting to see him progress in the future.”McDermott joins what is a strong Queensland top-order when at full-strength although they are often hit by international call-ups. With the ODI World Cup in October and November they are unlikely to see much of Marnus Labuschagne although should get good service from Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw who are not in Australia’s white-ball set-up.

Ireland captain disappointed but phlegmatic about decision to host key contest in Chelmsford

Andrew Miller08-May-2023Andrew Balbirnie, Ireland’s captain, says that the return of Josh Little from IPL duty is a good indicator of the importance of their three-match World Cup Super League clash with Bangladesh, which gets underway in Chelmsford on Tuesday.Little, Ireland’s outstanding left-arm seamer, has been a mainstay of Gujarat Titans’ table-topping outfit in the ongoing IPL, claiming six wickets in the tournament to date including a Player-of-the-Match-winning haul of 2 for 25 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens last week.But, with Ireland needing a clean-sweep of their three-match series to have any chance of displacing South Africa in eighth place in the World Cup Super League standings, and thereby secure automatic qualification for the main event in India this year, Little has linked back up with his Ireland team-mates for the first time since the tour of Zimbabwe in January.Related

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“It’s a huge boost,” Balbirnie said on the eve of the first ODI. “He has become a world-class operator, and we’re very grateful to have him back into the squad for these games. He’s obviously had a really good time of it at the IPL, so to have him throughout this week for these games is a great boost for us as a group, and obviously for the bowlers as well, and the learnings that they take from him. Hopefully, from our point of view, he can have a good week performance-wise and have an impact for us.”There’s a lot of talk, and plenty being written and said about it,” Balbirnie added, referencing the ongoing debate about the future of international cricket amid the proliferation of T20 leagues. “But we’re just happy that [Josh] is playing for us. He’s very close with the group, and grew up with a lot of us, and there’s no angst about him not playing for us in certain games. We’re just delighted with the progress he’s made.”He’s on the world stage and performing, and that’s something that has proven to a lot of the group that it can be done, with hard work and discipline. Having only bowled four-over spells over a period of time, to come in and bowl ten overs will maybe be a bit taxing on him. But he’s a pretty fit guy and he’s just a really good player for us now. We’re just very lucky to have him for the week.”The challenge of the making the switch from a spin-friendly surface in Jaipur, the scene of his most recent IPL outing on Friday, to an overcast Chelmsford will be a tough one for Little. However, several of his team-mates – Balbirnie included – are faced with a similar adjustment, following their most recent Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, in which they lost by an innings despite posting an impressive 492 in their first innings.Josh Little claimed a hat-trick for Ireland against New Zealand in the recent T20 World Cup•AFP/Getty Images

Balbirnie himself made scores of 95 and 46 in the Test, with Paul Stirling and Curtis Campher both posting centuries, and despite the disappointment in the final result, Ireland’s captain was happy to take the positives from the performance.”Going from Galle to Chelmsford, it’s certainly two different ends of the spectrum, but when you’re just looking at it as a bat-versus-ball contest, it is nice to know that you’ve got a bit of form in the bank over the last couple of weeks. So hopefully, us as batters can take that forward into this week”I can only speak for myself, but batting is batting, no matter what the format is. You’re going to be confident because you’ve got runs, albeit on a very, very good wicket, it gives confidence that you can do it for a long period of time against good bowling.”Given the importance of the series, and the potential reward if Ireland can achieve their aim of a 3-0 clean-sweep, Balbirnie admitted it was a disappointment not to be playing their home series on home soil. However, he added that he accepted the logistical constraints – a combination of poor weather prospects and Cricket Ireland’s costly overheads for setting up temporary facilities – and backed his players to put their best foot forward regardless.”I’m not going to sit here and say that we want to be here necessarily,” he said. “Essex have been really good at facilitating us, they’ve made us feel as home as possible, but certainly as an Irish cricketer, you want to play your home games in Ireland and you want to play in front of your crowd that are really passionate about the game, and friends and family and stuff.”So it’s slightly disappointing but, at the same time, we’ve got to just get on with it. We don’t make those decisions, and I don’t want to dwell too much on it, because we are here and it’s not going to change. We try to win games of cricket for Ireland and hopefully some people make the trip over this week.”The likelihood, however, is that Bangladesh’s wealth of UK-based support – not least the communities in East London for whom Chelmsford is a half-hour commute – will flock to the three games to create an atmosphere that rather favours the visitors.”To be honest, I think no matter where we play in the world, there’ll probably be more Bangladeshi people there than Irish. Even if we’re playing in Dublin, there’d be a big Bangladeshi crowd here. We want to play in front of a lot of people, we want to showcase our skills and make our game bigger. So if we can put in performances against a hostile Bangladesh crowd, then great. But I do hope to see a bit of Irish colour in the crowd as well. Naturally, we want to play in front of our people and hopefully put on a good show.”

Former ICC umpire says “hypocrisy and lack of consistency from some people and groups is quite interesting”

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-20232:08

Has the Bairstow dismissal been blown out of proportion?

Simon Taufel, the former ICC elite umpire who is presently a member of the MCC laws sub-committee, has suggested Australia had not breached the Spirit of Cricket when Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow on the fifth day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.”Was Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal at Lords a breach of the Spirit of Cricket?” Taufel wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “This is a question I have been inundated with, so I thought it best to share my thoughts publicly by asking everyone a question or eight to consider …

• “Have you seen any umpire tell a fielding side that the keeper standing back is not allowed to attempt a stumping?
• “Was there a complaint from anyone when Bairstow tried to stump Marnus exactly the same way in the first innings?
• “What has Jonny Bairstow said about his dismissal? He has been very quiet. Why?
• “My experience is when people don’t like a dismissal under the Laws of Cricket, they cite the Spirit of Cricket to support their view.
• “Which part of the codified Preamble (the Spirit of Cricket) was breached by the fielding side?
• “What did the fielding side do in effecting a legitimate dismissal that unfairly impacted the ability of the batter in their attempt not to be dismissed? (Did they run into him or distract him or prevent him making good his ground?)
• “Should a batter be immune from dismissal as per the Laws by simply being negligent (and leaving his ground too early)?
• “Did England retire Ben Duckett when they disagreed with the Starc catch decision as per the Laws and umpires’ decision?

“The hypocrisy and lack of consistency from some people and groups is quite interesting and concerning for the future of our game. Maybe I am the odd one out here? The good news is that we are actively engaged with Test cricket, the best form of the game,” he ended.

Preamble to the Laws: Spirit of Cricket

Cricket owes much of its appeal and enjoyment to the fact that it should be played not only according to the Laws, but also within the Spirit of Cricket. The major responsibility for ensuring fair play rests with the captains, but extends to all players, match officials and, especially in junior cricket, teachers, coaches and parents.
Respect is central to the Spirit of Cricket.
Respect your captain, team-mates, opponents and the authority of the umpires.
Play hard and play fair.
Accept the umpire’s decision.
Create a positive atmosphere by your own conduct, and encourage others to do likewise.
Show self-discipline, even when things go against you.
Congratulate the opposition on their successes, and enjoy those of your own team.
Thank the officials and your opposition at the end of the match, whatever the result.
Cricket is an exciting game that encourages leadership, friendship and teamwork, which brings together people from different nationalities, cultures and religions, especially when played within the Spirit of Cricket.

Bairstow’s dismissal took place when England were five down and needed a further 178 runs to win at Lord’s. He ducked underneath a short ball from Cameron Green, scratched the crease with his boot and walked down the pitch towards his partner Ben Stokes at the non-striker’s end.Before Bairstow had begun to leave his ground, wicketkeeper Carey had gathered the ball on the bounce and, in one motion, under-armed a throw at stumps at the striker’s end. The on-field umpires referred the decision to TV umpire Marais Erasmus, who gave the batter out – and the dismissal was recorded as stumped. Bairstow glared at the Australian huddle as he walked off and boos rang out around Lord’s. The crowd – who were largely subdued throughout the first four days of this Test – then chanted repeatedly: “Same old Aussies, always cheating.” And as the Australian players walked through the Lord’s Long Room at the lunch interval, they were booed and abused by some MCC members.Australia went on to win the Lord’s Test by 43 runs and took a 2-0 lead in the Ashes, but the furore over Bairstow’s dismissal has only snowballed as the series moves to Headingley on Thursday.While Australia captain Pat Cummins defended his decision to appeal for the wicket, his England counterpart Ben Stokes said he wouldn’t want to win that way. England’s coach Brendon McCullum said the teams wouldn’t be sharing a beer any time soon, and that the nature of the dismissal would galvanise England for the rest of the series.The prime ministers of the two countries – Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese – have also got involved, taking their teams’ sides.

Australia star misses out on third Test century after entertaining duel with debutant Filer

Andrew Miller22-Jun-2023Ellyse Perry conceded that getting out for 99 was “a bit of a bummer”, but she wasn’t about to let that dent her enjoyment of a compelling first day of the Women’s Ashes at Trent Bridge.Perry’s dismissal, caught in the gully off the high-octane debutant Lauren Filer, was the key moment of the contest so far, as England battled back from a daunting post-lunch scoreline of 202 for 2 to reduce Australia to 238 for 6, following a lengthy rain delay.Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland then demonstrated Australia’s formidable batting depth in a seventh-wicket stand of 77, but when Lauren Bell’s first delivery with the new ball prised out Gardner for 40, the teams went to the close evenly matched on 328 for 7.”It was just a great tussle,” Perry said at the close. “Importantly, it was a nice way for us to finish at the end there, after a pretty tricky session after the rain delay.”If both teams look at it, I think they’d be pretty happy with today in different areas, and then there’s probably other areas where one team got the upper hand over the other. So yeah, I think that’s a great day of Test cricket, if it looks like that.”For much of her 153-ball stay, it was business as usual in Ashes Tests for Perry, who compiled a career-best 213 not out against England at Sydney in November 2017, before bossing their most recent Test in England, at Taunton in 2019, with twin scores of 116 and 76 not out.One player, however, caused her more bother than the rest of England’s attack. Filer touched speeds in excess of 75mph on debut after her coach, Jon Lewis, had said before the match that she was bowling “with more pace than probably anyone else in the country”. And she seemed to have snagged a fairytale first-ball wicket when Perry, on 10, was pinned on the pads and given out lbw, only for Perry’s review to confirm a big inside-edge.Related

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She wouldn’t be denied that maiden wicket for long, however, inducing a slash to gully from Beth Mooney at the end of her third over. And when she returned in the afternoon for her third spell, Filer landed the big fish. Perry, looking for her hundred, was lured into the drive and hurried by some extra lift and bounce. Nat Sciver-Brunt at gully made no mistake.Asked if the landmark had been playing on her mind, Perry insisted that she’d been thinking about “nothing in particular”.”Like every other ball, it’s just an opportunity at a particular moment in time, and I’d had a really great tussle with Filer the whole time. I thought she was extremely impressive today on debut and brought the game alive at different points.”So that ball just had my measure, which is totally fine. It’s a number, and one that we talk about a lot in cricket, but the whole experience out there today was so much fun. I’ve loved every opportunity. Sometimes things just go that way. It’s hard to be disappointed.””It was nice to contribute,” she added. “It was nice to be a part of a few really good partnerships, particularly that one with TMac [McGrath]. It’s just like any other time to get out. It’s a bit of a bummer, but gosh, the game definitely goes on, and life goes on for sure.”With the contest coming hot on the heels of the epic final day of the opening Men’s Ashes Test at Edgbaston, a healthy crowd of 5,545 turned out at Trent Bridge as the Women’s Test returned to a major venue for the first time since 2001, with Hove, Worcester, Wormsley, Canterbury and Taunton having hosted Ashes contests in the intervening two decades.”I really enjoyed today, to be out there and to be a part of it,” Perry said. “To have a great atmosphere with the crowd, which just shows how much the game’s come along, and how much quality there was in the game today, with bat and ball, was just awesome.”Much of that quality was provided by England’s Sophie Ecclestone, who bowled 28 consecutive overs either side of the rain break, to claim the day’s best figures of 3 for 71 in 31 overs. That included the crucial wicket of McGrath, bowled by a beauty for 61 to end her daunting century stand with Perry, then two more in three balls as Jess Jonassen and Alyssa Healy joined a mini-collapse.”It’s probably quite unique, if I think about the Tests that I played in over the years, to just have one frontline spinner in the bowling attack, and that probably just speaks volumes of how incredibly good Sophie Ecclestone is,” Perry said. “She’s the pre-eminent spinner in the world, really.”

Self-belief is coursing through an England side which has come a long way since 2019

Valkerie Baynes14-Jul-2023″We don’t want to be pushovers any more,” declared Tammy Beaumont when explaining the importance of self-belief to her England side’s remarkable Ashes push from 6-0 down to all square with two matches to play.And it was another declaration, back in July 2019, that started it all. Back then with the Ashes lost again Clare Connor, then the ECB’s managing director, announced that there would be a complete revamp of domestic women’s cricket in England to avoid another chastening defeat at the hands of Australia, whom she recognised had set the standard for how things should be done. With England 12-2 down in that series, it felt like a seminal moment, and it was.England secured a consolation win in the final match of the series but, much more than that, the ECB followed up Connor’s announcement with action, introducing a new regional structure, a new head coach – which has since changed again – and greater investment in the women’s game. All this we know but, even though it has taken four years, there is a strong sense now that the sea-change is complete.On Friday, ahead of the penultimate match in the series, Beaumont drew parallels with the revival of England’s men’s team following their 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia in 2021-22. Now both teams stand on the cusp of extraordinary achievements. England Women must win their remaining two ODIs if they are to win back the Ashes held by Australia since 2015, while their male counterparts trail Australia 1-2 and must win the last two Tests to win do likewise.”It’s really important,” Beaumont said of her team’s never-say-die attitude, which has come to the fore in this series. “You’re seeing that with the men’s Ashes as well, they’ve gone two-nil down, but we don’t want to be pushovers anymore.”That’s probably why this series has been so captivating to everyone. I am a massive cricket badger, but I feel like Ashes fever is everywhere for both the men and the women and it’s great to see. British culture has always loved an underdog so I think it’s probably helped that we’re taking on such a great team in Australia. I personally love that feeling of trying to overcome a bit of difficulty.”Related

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• Alyssa Healy admits: 'The Ashes are on the line, proper' after Bristol cliffhanger

• Death, taxes and Kate Cross nailing the scoop

Beaumont, the opener whose record innings of 208 gave her side a strong chance in the Test which opened the series and was ultimately won by Australia, was overlooked for the T20I leg of the series, having lost her place in the squad for the shortest format last summer. England won the second two T20Is with Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley at the top of the order to turn the series and so she admits she “can’t be too hard done by” despite making no secret of the fact she’s “desperate” to try and break back into the T20I side.Beaumont did, however, return for the first ODI in Bristol, in which she set up England’s highest ever 50-over run chase with 47 from 42 balls before Heather Knight’s unbeaten 75 and Kate Cross’s priceless 19 not out from No. 10 saw them home.”I just feel like there’s such great trust in everyone at every situation,” Beaumont said. “At Bristol the other day, there was no doubt in my mind that Kate Cross could bat like that. Every single one of us on the sideline felt completely at ease knowing that Kate had the skills to do it. Everybody just backs each other’s abilities and their decision-making. It’s a great feeling to have.”That that wasn’t always the case, Beaumont says, especially against an opposition with as formidable a reputation as Australia, who went into Bristol unbeaten in 15 ODIs.”In the past, if we’d lost the first two Ashes games, maybe wouldn’t have had that belief as much,” she said. “So from our way of looking at it, externally to them, we have kind of got that belief and a little bit of taking that aura away.”For Australia, however, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen said there was no sense of panic, given her team needs to win just one of the remaining two games to retain the Ashes.”Definitely not,” Jonassen said. “This side has won a lot of games of cricket over a number of years and the fact that the last three haven’t really gone our way is no cause to panic.”The scores are level. We haven’t played our best cricket, which is probably the thing that we’re focusing on the most. England still need to win two, but equally, we’re trying to win the last two as well. There’s two high-quality sides and if you’re not on on any given day, then the opposition is going to take the game away from you.”Even though the losses we’ve had have been really, really tight and really close, we feel that it’s been our own undoing in a way, that we’ve been a bit sloppy in certain areas and lacked a little bit of discipline at times in terms of extras, misfields and what have you. But the positive is that’s all in our control.”Whatever happens from this point, however, there is no denying now that the gap, identified so starkly four years ago, is closing.