2009 ICC Women's World Cup.

[mhara]

The ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier (cricket) is coming up in Lahore, Pakistan, next November.
There’s two slots to play for from eight countries, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea, Bermuda, Ireland, South Africa, Scotland and the Netherlands.
The lucky two who reach those slots will meet defending champions and hosts Australia, plus India, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies women whose teams have all earned automatic qualification for the 2009 event following their top-six finish in 2005 when it was held in Pretoria, South Africa.
Women’s cricket in England is particularly strong at the moment. So although England currently ranks fourth in the world I think we can go higher between now and 2009 and have a good chance at taking the World Cup again.
Here's the current squad.
http://www.webbsoc.demon.co.uk/engsqud.htm

[crazycanuck]

Hey I just noticed this thread, sorry about that!

Do you play cricket?

What are your thoughts on the recent ICC world cup? I was getting rather annoyed as all we heard about for a month(!!!) was Ricky Ponting this, Ricky Ponting that, Australia this, blah blah blah.

DOn't get me wrong, I was happy to watch bits and pieces of the matches and cheer on the Aussies.

What's happened to the English team? I suppose all you heard about was how badly the English team played. I guess after winning the Ashes last year, UK cricket fans would expect more.

Oh, by the way, the barmy army are something aren't they! We were innundated by barmy army folks here in Perth during the Ashes series and you could spot them a mile away! Good to see the barmy army cricket fans are more well behaved than some of the football supporters! :eek:

C

[mhara]

Hi Crazycanukl,
I've never played it properly, just as a kid around the edges of the field while my Dad played for Postals - the club team of the Post & Telecommunications Corporation - in what is now Zimbabwe..

Then when I met my partner in England (she got her cricket half-blues at Oxford - women don't get full blues for cricket there) she took me to the Taunton ground where they play first class cricket and she taught me how to score (kind-of) and what once seemed like a slow sort of game became so fascinating and complex that I could never get all the possible score marks right for more than ten overs at a time. Things happen so fast, even if they do take five days to happen!! And the psychology is so crucial, team and individual. The bowler/batsman duels, the run partnerships.

Latent interest just blossomed.

And now England have gone 3 nil against the West Indies.

OK I know the WI aren't the force they were, but what a pleasure to watch Shivnarine Chanderpaul bat anytime.

Roll on India. They're touring here next. We're not due back for another ashes battle until 2009 I think. By then our spinner Monty will be so damn hot. And the Aussies won't have Warne.......