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BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Yorkshire dump Glamorgan out of T20 Blast
Vitality Blast Women League 2 - Semi-finalGlamorgan 124-9 (20 overs): Bethan Ellis 41, L Parfitt 29; O Thomas 3-29Yorkshire 130-3 (17.3 overs): Boyce 38, Winfield-Hill 35; Tulloch 2-29Yorkshire beat Glamorgan by 7 wicketsMatch scorecard Yorkshire raced to a seven-wicket win over Glamorgan with England batter Lauren Winfield-Hill and fellow opener Georgie Boyce leading the way after a disciplined bowling performance restricted the Welsh side to started well with captain Lauren Parfitt making 29 off 26 and fellow opener Bethan Ellis hitting 41 off 38, reaching 87 before the second wicket young spinners Olivia Thomas (3-29) and Claudie Cooper (2-25) made sure Glamorgan were unable to accelerate as wickets (35) and Boyce (38) put Yorkshire in charge but Glamorgan kept fighting with the ball, Poppy Tulloch claiming two wickets, but they did not have enough to defend and Ami Campbell (26 not out) finished the game match reflected Yorkshire's unbeaten progress through the Northern group and their plans to move to Tier One next season, a year before Glamorgan. Glamorgan's start was mostly solid rather than spectacular with the outfield slow from earlier rain, but Lauren Parfitt and Bethan Ellis picked off any poor deliveries to rack up 66 before skipper Parfitt was bowled by left-arm seamer Rachel Slater for 29 off 26 in the 10th teenager Niamh Holland threatened briefly before being caught behind by Maddie Ward off Olivia Thomas for 13 to start a Glamorgan Ellis hammered a straight drive back to Claudie Cooper and Bethan Gammon (11) was caught behind off Ria Fackrell as all Ward's bowling changes paid Tulloch (14) was the only other Glamorgan batter in double figures, providing Winfield-Hill with her third catch and former England all-rounder Beth Langston with her second dominated the strike and the scoring, showing her class as Yorkshire rattled up 68 without loss in the first half of their drove Poppy Walker (1-21) to Gammon at long-off, while seamer Tulloch sent back Dutch star Sterre Kalis for one and had Boyce caught Ward (21 not out) hit successive fours off Walker to ease the pressure and a flurry of boundaries from Campbell saw Yorkshire through to the final against Women now turn their attention back to the One Day Cup, where they have three wins out of four ahead of hosting Leicestershire at Neath on Saturday 2 with the same record, entertain Middlesex on the same date.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lord's to host three England Tests in 2026
Lord's will host three England Tests next summer - its first women's Test and men's matches against New Zealand and Pakistan. The first men's Test against Pakistan at Headingley in August will be the only Test played north of Nottingham. England's men begin their summer at Lord's on 4 June with the first of three Tests against New Zealand. They play five T20s and three one-day internationals against India in July, followed by a three-Test series against Pakistan before T20s and ODIs against Sri Lanka in September. The second and third men's Tests and the first two India T20s will clash with the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, which will be held in England. England's women warm up for that tournament with three ODIs and five T20s against New Zealand, followed by three more T20s against India. The landmark women's Test at Lord's, which was announced last year and was a recommendation of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report in 2023, will be a four-day affair starting on 10 July. It will be England's first home women's Test since the 2023 Ashes. With the men's Test series being played from 19 August, The Hundred will move forward a week from its position in 2025 to avoid a clash. After the Hundred, England's women play three ODIs against Ireland in September. Including the World Cup, England women will play a minimum of 18 matches at home next summer. Their first match of the summer on 10 May at Chester-le-Street and a World Cup fixture at Leeds are the only occasions they play north of Derby. None of the Ashes Tests in 2027 will be played in the north, a decision questioned by Yorkshire chief executive Sanjay Patel this month. Old Trafford will host a Test in early 2027 before the Ashes. The Oval will host the last of those matches as it takes the final white-ball match of the summer, rather than its traditional concluding Test. The last Test of the summer will be played at Edgbaston from 9 September. England 2026 fixtures in full All times BST England women v New Zealand 10 May: First ODI, Durham, 11:00 13 May: Second ODI, Northampton, 13:00 16 May: Third ODI, Cardiff, 11:00 20 May: First T20, Derby, 18:30 23 May: Second T20, Canterbury, 14:30 25 May: Third T20, Hove, TBC England women v India 28 May: First T20, Chelmsford, 18:30 30 May: Second T20, Bristol, TBC 2 June: Third T20, Taunton, 18:30 10 July: One-off Test, Lord's 11:00 England women v Ireland 1 September: First ODI, Leicester, 13:00 3 September: Second ODI, Derby 13:00 6 September: Third ODI, Worcester, 11:00 England men v New Zealand 4 June: First Test, Lord's, 11:00 17 June: Second Test, Kia Oval 11:00 25 June: Third Test, Nottingham, 11:00 England men v India 1 July: First T20, Chester-le-Street, 18:30 4 July: Second T20, Manchester, 14:30 7 July: Third T20, Nottingham, 18:30 9 July: Fourth T20, Bristol, 18:30 11 July: Fifth T20, Southampton, 18:30 14 July: First ODI, Birmingham, 13:00 16 July: Second ODI, Cardiff, 13:00 19 July: Third ODI, Lord's, 11:00 England men v Pakistan 19 August: First Test, Leeds, 11:00 27 August: Second Test, Lord's, 11:00 9 September: Third Test, Birmingham, 11:00 England men v Sri Lanka 15 September: First T20, Southampton, 18:30 17 September: Second T20, Cardiff, 18:30 19 September: Third T20, Manchester, TBC 22 September: First ODI, Chester-le-Street, 12:30 24 September: Second ODI, Leeds, 12:30 27 September: Third ODI, Kia Oval, 10:30 Get cricket news sent straight to your phone
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lord's to host three England Tests in 2026
Lord's will hosts three England Tests next summer - its first women's Test and men's matches against New Zealand and first men's Test against Pakistan at Headingley in August will be the only Test played north of men begin their summer at Lord's on 4 June with the first of three Tests against New play five T20s and three one-day internationals against India in July, followed by a three-Test series against Pakistan before T20s and ODIs against Sri Lanka in second and third men's Tests and the first two India T20s will clash with the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, which will be held in England. England's women warm up for that tournament with three ODIs and five T20s against New Zealand, followed by three more T20s against landmark women's Test at Lord's, which was announced last year and was a recommendation of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report in 2023, will be a four-day affair starting on 10 July. It will be England's first home women's Test since the 2023 the men's Test series being played from 19 August, The Hundred will move forward a week from its position in 2025 to avoid a the Hundred, England's women play three ODIs against Ireland in September. Including the World Cup, England women will play a minimum of 18 matches at home next first match of the summer on 10 May at Chester-le-Street and a World Cup fixture at Leeds are the only occasions they play north of of the Ashes Tests in 2027 will be played in the north, a decision questioned by Yorkshire chief executive Sanjay Patel this month. Old Trafford will host a Test in early 2027 before the Oval will host the last of those matches as it takes the final white-ball match of the summer, rather than its traditional concluding last Test of the summer will be played at Edgbaston from 9 September. England 2026 fixtures in full All times BSTEngland women v New Zealand10 May: First ODI, Durham, 11:0013 May: Second ODI, Northampton, 13:0016 May: Third ODI, Cardiff, 11:0020 May: First T20, Derby, 18:3023 May: Second T20, Canterbury, 14:3025 May: Third T20, Hove, TBCEngland women v India28 May: First T20, Chelmsford, 18:3030 May: Second T20, Bristol, TBC2 June: Third T20, Taunton, 18:3010 July: One-off Test, Lord's 11:00England women v Ireland1 September: First ODI, Leicester, 13:00 3 September: Second ODI, Derby 13:006 September: Third ODI, Worcester, 11:00England men v New Zealand4 June: First Test, Lord's, 11:0017 June: Second Test, Kia Oval 11:0025 June: Third Test, Nottingham, 11:00England men v India1 July: First T20, Chester-le-Street, 18:304 July: Second T20, Manchester, 14:307 July: Third T20, Nottingham, 18:309 July: Fourth T20, Bristol, 18:3011 July: Fifth T20, Southampton, 18:3014 July: First ODI, Birmingham, 13:0016 July: Second ODI, Cardiff, 13:0019 July: Third ODI, Lord's, 11:00England men v Pakistan19 August: First Test, Leeds, 11:0027 August: Second Test, Lord's, 11:009 September: Third Test, Birmingham, 11:00England men v Sri Lanka15 September: First T20, Southampton, 18:3017 September: Second T20, Cardiff, 18:3019 September: Third T20, Manchester, TBC22 September: First ODI, Chester-le-Street, 12:3024 September: Second ODI, Leeds, 12:3027 September: Third ODI, Kia Oval, 10:30
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How women's cricket has developed in India
India's women have just won a T20 series on English soil for the first time. A 50-over World Cup on their home turf is imminent, which could take the sport to fever pitch in a country that already boasts the lucrative Women's Premier League, the second most valuable women's sports league in the world. For former captain Mithali Raj, the opportunities and financial rewards available to the country's top female cricketers in 2025 are a world away from when she broke into the India team in 1999, aged 16. "I was pretty much emptying my dad's pocket to play for India," she explains during a trip to England that saw her honoured by ringing the five-minute bell at Lord's during the third men's Test. "There was absolutely no payment. We had to buy our own equipment and try to organise our own training sessions. There were times when we'd train on matting wickets, and then we'd get a week to practice on the turf [before a match]." Cultural and socio-economic challenges were also prevalent among many families, who did not want their daughters playing cricket, either because it was deemed a men's game or they needed their daughter to be working and earning money. Raj debuted for India seven years before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took over the administration, following a merger with the Women's Cricket Association of India. She witnessed the start of a slow transformation, as the women's game began to be better resourced with match fees introduced and access to top facilities. "I got injured in 2005 just before the World Cup," she says. "It took me years to get through it. When we came under the BCCI, we had access to the National Cricket Academy, which had the best physios and trainers. You stayed there, it was residential and you got through your rehab. We were educated in what to do pre-season, how to do rehab, how to do strength work. So we got better." In order to earn a living, India's national players had to have jobs, most with Indian Railways, as they were "the only institution that gave jobs to women cricketers in India". The next game-changing moment for Raj and her compatriots was the announcement of BCCI retainer contracts for the top 11 players in 2015. Raj was nearly 33. "If you are from an affluent family, you can manage to play for however long, because you do not really have to think about how you are going to run your house," she says. "But if you are not, you would think, what next? Where am I going to earn money? "Contracts gave that safety for the national players. They know, 'OK, I can play and I can earn'. That was huge for us." The rise of women's cricket in India with Mithali Raj Sloppy England beaten by India in first ODI The impact of the 2017 World Cup final Raj identifies India's participation in the 2017 World Cup final against England at Lord's as a seminal moment. It was only the third World Cup staged under the auspices of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the first time every match of a Women's World Cup was visible either via live streaming or on TV. The ICC's digital and social media channels received a record 100 million video views. "Until then, we really did not have that sort of coverage," says Raj. "Digital media was relatively new in 2017. It really doubled up the sort of coverage that women's cricket needed." India lost to the hosts but it was a ground-breaking match. It was sold out, and according to India's Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) the final generated 19.53 million impressions in India, making it the most watched female sports event in the country, beating the badminton final at the Rio Olympics between PV Sindhu and Carolina Marin. After that final, the pay for contracted top-tier international players rose from a reported 15 lakh to 50 lakh. By 2020, Star Sports were broadcasting India's matches at the Women's T20 World Cup in five different languages. India's defeat by Australia in the final was watched in India by a record live average audience of 9.02 million according to the ICC. After reaching, and losing, another final, this time in front of a record crowd of 86,174 at the MCG, the BCCI raised women's international match fees to be equal with men's in 2022. Advent of the Women's Premier League The women's cricket world had long been waiting for the women's version of the Indian Premier League (IPL). When it finally arrived in 2023 it exploded onto the scene with five teams bought for £465m and Viacom buying the media rights for £96m over five years. Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive player, bought for a jaw-dropping £340,000 by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The competition turned a profit and contributed around 3.9% of the BCCI's revenue in the 2023-24 financial year. That is over-shadowed by the IPL's contribution of 59.10%, but it is vindication of the BCCI waiting until the market was right. The WPL offers potentially life-changing sums for up to 90 players (up to 30 of which could be overseas). Outside of the WPL however, there are no contracts for domestic cricketers in India, only match fees. One BCCI official has said players who don't have a WPL deal "fend for themselves". If they are lucky, they may have a personal sponsor, mentor or advocate who supports them financially. Some players may have jobs in the same way that Raj was employed by Railways. This is the same structure that exists in the men's domestic game across India, with no contracts at state level. The number of women's retainers has increased marginally, with 16 women awarded in 2024-25. These contracts require annual renewal, and don't offer maternity clauses. There are 34 BCCI retainers available to men. In a country of 1.4 billion, where the BCCI's Under-15s girls' competition alone sees 36 teams and potentially 540 players competing (numbers replicated at U19 and U23 level), WPL pay packets reach the few rather than the many. But the money to be chased has changed attitudes around girls' cricket. "Now it is not looked down upon," says a smiling Raj. "Cricket is a profession, it's a sport, and everybody is keen to get their girls to play cricket. That's a huge, huge shift." The crowds and media attention on the WPL has helped to accustom domestic players to big-stage cricket before they play for the national side. The tournament also helps enormously with talent scouting. "India is a very big country, so the selectors cannot go to every state and identify players," says Raj. "The franchises have scouts they send to every part of the country. They pick players who are raw, who have been not seen before, and they get an opportunity." What of the future? A clear pathway exists to the women's national team, through club, district, state, zone, India A then India. However, barriers still remain. "There is a lot of raw talent in the districts and in the villages," says Raj. "It's just that they don't have the facilities if a young girl in the interiors wants to start playing cricket. "The society in the villages - it still needs to progress. And the financial barrier is huge. I'm associated with Andhra Cricket Association and I went into these districts and there were a few girls who did not have money for three meals in a day. The associations have to make an effort to get into these places and give them basic facilities. "But otherwise, to play cricket in India now, it's far more open and easier than before. She concludes: "The next step is to add a couple more teams to WPL, because there are many good players who get left out with just five teams. "And of course winning the World Cup." However, as Raj sees it, the prize that would propel the Indian game forward exponentially would be Olympic gold, with cricket in LA 2028. "It's a chance to get a medal for the country. I know we have the World Cups, but the medal in the Olympics is a huge thing back at home. "The Olympics is the ultimate." Get cricket news sent straight to your phone
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
How women's cricket has developed in India
India's women have just won a T20 series on English soil for the first time. A 50-over World Cup on their home turf is imminent, which could take the sport to fever pitch in a country that already boasts the lucrative Women's Premier League, the second most valuable women's sports league in the former captain Mithali Raj, the opportunities and financial rewards available to the country's top female cricketers in 2025 are a world away from when she broke into the India team in 1999, aged 16."I was pretty much emptying my dad's pocket to play for India," she explains during a trip to England that saw her honoured by ringing the five-minute bell at Lord's during the third men's Test."There was absolutely no payment. We had to buy our own equipment and try to organise our own training sessions. There were times when we'd train on matting wickets, and then we'd get a week to practice on the turf [before a match]."Cultural and socio-economic challenges were also prevalent among many families, who did not want their daughters playing cricket, either because it was deemed a men's game or they needed their daughter to be working and earning debuted for India seven years before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took over the administration, following a merger with the Women's Cricket Association of witnessed the start of a slow transformation, as the women's game began to be better resourced with match fees introduced and access to top facilities."I got injured in 2005 just before the World Cup," she says. "It took me years to get through it. When we came under the BCCI, we had access to the National Cricket Academy, which had the best physios and trainers. You stayed there, it was residential and you got through your rehab. We were educated in what to do pre-season, how to do rehab, how to do strength work. So we got better."In order to earn a living, India's national players had to have jobs, most with Indian Railways, as they were "the only institution that gave jobs to women cricketers in India". The next game-changing moment for Raj and her compatriots was the announcement of BCCI retainer contracts for the top 11 players in 2015. Raj was nearly 33."If you are from an affluent family, you can manage to play for however long, because you do not really have to think about how you are going to run your house," she says. "But if you are not, you would think, what next? Where am I going to earn money?"Contracts gave that safety for the national players. They know, 'OK, I can play and I can earn'. That was huge for us." The impact of the 2017 World Cup final Raj identifies India's participation in the 2017 World Cup final against England at Lord's as a seminal was only the third World Cup staged under the auspices of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the first time every match of a Women's World Cup was visible either via live streaming or on ICC's digital and social media channels received a record 100 million video views."Until then, we really did not have that sort of coverage," says Raj. "Digital media was relatively new in 2017. It really doubled up the sort of coverage that women's cricket needed."India lost to the hosts but it was a ground-breaking match. It was sold out, and according to India's Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) the final generated 19.53 million impressions in India, making it the most watched female sports event in the country, beating the badminton final at the Rio Olympics between PV Sindhu and Carolina that final, the pay for contracted top-tier international players rose from a reported 15 lakh to 50 2020, Star Sports were broadcasting India's matches at the Women's T20 World Cup in five different languages. India's defeat by Australia in the final was watched in India by a record live average audience of 9.02 million according to the reaching, and losing, another final, this time in front of a record crowd of 86,174 at the MCG, the BCCI raised women's international match fees to be equal with men's in 2022. Advent of the Women's Premier League The women's cricket world had long been waiting for the women's version of the Indian Premier League (IPL). When it finally arrived in 2023 it exploded onto the scene with five teams bought for £465m and Viacom buying the media rights for £96m over five Mandhana was the most expensive player, bought for a jaw-dropping £340,000 by Royal Challengers competition turned a profit and contributed around 3.9%, external of the BCCI's revenue in the 2023-24 financial year. That is over-shadowed by the IPL's contribution of 59.10%, but it is vindication of the BCCI waiting until the market was WPL offers potentially life-changing sums for up to 90 players (up to 30 of which could be overseas). Outside of the WPL however, there are no contracts for domestic cricketers in India, only match BCCI official has said players who don't have a WPL deal "fend for themselves". If they are lucky, they may have a personal sponsor, mentor or advocate who supports them financially. Some players may have jobs in the same way that Raj was employed by is the same structure that exists in the men's domestic game across India, with no contracts at state number of women's retainers has increased marginally, with 16 women awarded in 2024-25. These contracts require annual renewal, and don't offer maternity clauses. There are 34 BCCI retainers available to a country of 1.4 billion, where the BCCI's Under-15s girls' competition alone sees 36 teams and potentially 540 players competing (numbers replicated at U19 and U23 level), WPL pay packets reach the few rather than the many. But the money to be chased has changed attitudes around girls' cricket."Now it is not looked down upon," says a smiling Raj. "Cricket is a profession, it's a sport, and everybody is keen to get their girls to play cricket. That's a huge, huge shift."The crowds and media attention on the WPL has helped to accustom domestic players to big-stage cricket before they play for the national tournament also helps enormously with talent scouting."India is a very big country, so the selectors cannot go to every state and identify players," says Raj. "The franchises have scouts they send to every part of the country. They pick players who are raw, who have been not seen before, and they get an opportunity." What of the future? A clear pathway exists to the women's national team, through club, district, state, zone, India A then India. However, barriers still remain."There is a lot of raw talent in the districts and in the villages," says Raj. "It's just that they don't have the facilities if a young girl in the interiors wants to start playing cricket."The society in the villages - it still needs to progress. And the financial barrier is huge. I'm associated with Andhra Cricket Association and I went into these districts and there were a few girls who did not have money for three meals in a day. The associations have to make an effort to get into these places and give them basic facilities."But otherwise, to play cricket in India now, it's far more open and easier than concludes: "The next step is to add a couple more teams to WPL, because there are many good players who get left out with just five teams."And of course winning the World Cup."However, as Raj sees it, the prize that would propel the Indian game forward exponentially would be Olympic gold, with cricket in LA 2028."It's a chance to get a medal for the country. I know we have the World Cups, but the medal in the Olympics is a huge thing back at home."The Olympics is the ultimate."
