World Cup winner's final blog

WINNING the World Cup was an amazing achievement and I think it’s going to take a while before it finally sinks in that we are world champions.

It was a really tense final against New Zealand and it shows how pressure can get to you because usually we would have no problem in chasing down a score of 166. The main thing is we managed to get over the line and it was an amazing feeling lifting the trophy. It completes four years of hard work building up to this.

It felt a bit strange leaving Australia the next day and to be honest I am already having withdrawal symptoms from the girls in the team. I spent so much time with them, as we all shared rooms, so I’m already looking forward to getting back to training.

When we arrived back in London, somebody told us there were cameras waiting for us which was a bit of a surprise. It was quite funny actually, as we were all having a bit of a laugh walking through the airport then we heard about the cameras so we had to make ourselves look presentable. We had a police escort which was a strange thing for us as a team, but it was nice to have a bit of a welcome back when we returned to England.

We then went to Lord’s where there were some more media, but I think it was just nice to get recognised for our achievement.

Our fitness coach has given us a week off training, but then we’ll be back gunning to add to our trophy haul with the ICC Women’s World Twenty20. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind few weeks but we all realise how big a part we play in raising the profile of the women’s game and we certainly won’t be resting on our laurels.

Greed in football knows no boundaries

I IMAGINE it’s been a pretty good week for the top brass at the Premier League. Not only have they got away without the slightest bit of criticism over the Carlos Tevez affair, but they’ve saved themselves a few bob in the process.

West Ham and Sheffield United settled out of court last week with a figure of £20 million over five years believed to be paid to the Blades by the Hammers. In itself it looks like an admission of guilt from West Ham’s hierarchy, but for most football fans after two years of hearing the same story over and over again, it felt like the end, or so they thought.

Now former Blades manager Neil Warnock and his Sheffield United team of the time are threatening to sue West Ham for loss of earnings. There is an argument that they have a case, but where does this end? Surely Sheffield United supporters have a case for missing out on watching Premier League football.

While it appears West Ham were not as forthcoming with the facts about the third party involvement in the signing of Tevez in 2007 as they have led us to believe, they were punished at the time of committing the crime. £5.5 million by the Premier League to be exact. Should they have been docked points at the time which would have certainly seen them relegated? The answer after this week’s out of court settlement appears to be yes.

With West Ham eight points shy of safety when the Premier League made its announcement two years ago, clearly the thinking behind the decision was that the Hammers were already doomed, so a fine would be more appropriate. That was the Premier League’s decision made at the time, right or wrong and as far as they were concerned they paid their dues. The fact Sheffield United failed to stay up was as a result of their own shortfalls over the course of the season, including being unable to beat Wigan Athletic – a team in a similar position – on the last day of the season.

Rather than launching a campaign for compensation – a figure they believed to be in the region of £50 million – from West Ham, why on earth didn’t they put all their efforts into campaigning against the Premier League’s decision. Kevin McCabe and Sheffield United never gave up, and fair play to them for that, but surely their efforts would have been better served in trying to actually regain Premier League status, rather than chasing the pound note.

Will £20 million, at £4 million a year, get them back in the Premier League and will it all be spent on trying to do so? Who knows. But one thing is for sure, the Premier League have got away with making their decision scot-free and allowed one of their clubs to carry the can for it.

What do you think?


Glenn Pearson

Has standard of football dropped this year?

I'VE seen my fair share of Ryman Premier games this season and I have to say the standard of the division doesn't appear to be anything like it was last year.

Dover Athletic are head and shoulders above the rest and deserve to win the league, but what of the rest below? Last season the division was so close, with just a handful of points between the teams battling for the play-offs and those fighting against relegation.

Carshalton flattered to deceive last season, but have improved this campaign and are one of the better footballing sides in the Ryman Premier. Under Terry Yorath, Margate have looked to pass the ball and Maidstone earlier in the season looked a side that could move the ball.

The amount of times you see games in which teams are so wasteful with the ball and with the majority of players looking to play direct, it's not made for good viewing.

It seems these days, despite the wishes of their managers, some players are happy to just get rid of the ball. Perhaps Dover's short time in the division might give other teams something to think about for next season.

What do you think? Are there teams out there playing good football?

Glenn Pearson

Lydia Greenway's KOS Blog - entry six

Wednesday's game against Australia was our last before what will be the biggest one of our lives on Sunday, the World Cup final.

Playing Australia and knowing we were already in the final with them not being in it was a surreal feeling. This feeling did not last long though; this game was never going to be taken lightly by any of us. We wanted to win.

Winning the toss we were in to bat and off to a good start with a four off the first ball. Caroline [Atkins] and Sarah [Taylor] got us to 18, before the first wicket fell. Claire Taylor (Tails) joined Sarah and it wasn't long before the next wicket fell.

Our captain Charlotte [Edwards] came out to join Claire, with myself next in. The crowd was the biggest and noisiest one of the tournament so far (2,214) and I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

Lottie was out and I was in and at 50 for 3 we were struggling. Tails and I knew we had a tough job ahead of us to consolidate but also keep the scoreboard ticking. We managed to do this and got us to 106 - 3 of 30 overs until I was stumped for 22.

I was so disappointed to be out because I felt if Tails and I were still in with 15 overs to go we could look to play more shots and up the run rate. From then on there was a steady fall of wickets and we never got ourselves into the position where we could go on and put the Australian fielders and bowlers under pressure. We finished on 161 all out.

There was no time to dwell on our batting performance and we knew we had to hit the ground running and get early wickets. We also had a change of tactic and opened with Laura Marsh, our off-spin bowler. We felt if we could put pressure on the batters early and force them to play shots against spin we could be in with a chance.

Unfortunately for us this didn't happen and credit to the Australians, they came at us hard and at 60-0 they were in a strong position. We weren't going to give up without a fight and we managed to get a couple of wickets. This however only delayed the time in which they got the runs; the game was won by the Aussies in the 34th over.

This was by far our worst performance of the tournament and with the World Cup final only a couple of days away we are getting our heads down and working on putting things right.

On a personal note I was pleased with the start I got batting but so disappointed in the timing of how I got out. Fielding-wise I was happy with how I fielded and happier still when I got fielder of the day. This is something our Assistant Coach Jack started last summer - whoever he thinks fields the best on the day gets a cuddly toy!! This time it was a boxing kanagaroo!

That evening Beth [Morgan] and I caught up with some friends and went to a lovely Greek restaurant not far from our hotel, although it was a bit posher than we thought and, though we probably didn't fit in with the attire (cocktail dresses and suits!) we went in anyway and the food was lovely.

Now all our focus is on Sunday and I know that our whole squad will be doing everything we can to bring the World Cup back home with us.

FIA decision is backward step

IN my opinion, the new points system introduced by the FIA is another backward step for Formula One which has seen far too many changes in the last few years.

The latest rule change to follow a whole raft for the 2009 season, will see the driver’s title decided by the amount of wins. This is nothing new in many ways. The amount of wins a driver recorded in a season was always used as a tie-breaker if two or more drivers ended the season on the same points. The new rule has sparked once again more controversy, which the sport is becoming more renowned for than the actual racing it is supposed to be about.

Not only has this been sprung upon teams a mere two weeks before the opening round of the season in Australia, but it really does not solve a problem. In fact it seems the FIA have tried to solve a problem, which just isn’t there to begin with.

I admit the current points system does not really work in the sense that a win is not rewarded with enough points - just ten in fact. Drivers, who are consistent seem to reap the rewards as a second place finish earns eight points and third pick up six.

Introducing the wins system means drivers will try harder for victories, but it will hurt smaller teams. Teams who are unlikely to win races may lose out if we have a situation like Brazil 2003 where the Jordan team won a race. The driver would be immediately above the pecking order of other drivers who finish regularly in the points because he has won a race with the new system. With the economic climate as it is, every finish will be crucial for prize money.

However, the situation we could be handed with, which would be a detriment to the sport is this: If one driver is so dominant he may win - let’s say nine races out of the 17 - which would be easily enough for the title. This would mean the driver would not need to try for the remainder of the year contributing to a boring season. Under the old system he would have to keep going right down until he had made the title mathematically safe.

The changes have sparked a mixed reaction from drivers with Williams’ Nico Rosberg labelling the system ‘nonsense’ and Jenson Button has said that once drivers have got enough wins they will stop trying.

If the new system was used last year, Felipe Mass would have won the title and not Lewis Hamilton. The way I look at it is Formula One should be about the racing. The most successful and consistent driver over the season should be the champion.

I for one just can’t understand why a sport has to be tampered with so much so that we have lost the true essence of what Formula One is; man and machine combining to be the best.

Tom Howard

Lydia Greenway's KOS blog - entry five

WITH another convincing win under our belts we were keen to continue to improve our game for our next challenge, Pakistan. Although on paper and past results we should easily beat them we were not going to take any games lightly.

Winning the toss the Pakistan captain elected to bat. Their openers came at us and it would be fair to say we were a bit surprised that they managed to achieve 50-1 off 18 overs. We thought we were in for a tough game. This feeling changed though when the spin twins came on. With the Pakistanis reluctant to use their feet they found it hard to get the ball away, so much so that we put in a short leg, and it was me who was the lucky one who got put under the helmet!

Holly (Colvin) and Boggy (Laura Marsh) gave them nothing and Boggy deservedly finished with five wickets for next to no runs. They were eventually bowled out for 78, something we were all pleased with. Going into bat we felt confident. Ebony (Rainford-Brent) and Sarah (Taylor) opened and got us off to a solid start. The wicket of Sarah brought Lottie (Charlotte Edwards) to the crease who always looked comfortable. The Pakistanis were bowling well and then another wicket fell, which brought me to the crease to join Lottie and I helped her finish the job off. Winning this game meant we went through to the Super Six stage where we play the top three teams from the other group.

With only a day in between games we had a light training session to prepare ourselves as best as we could for what was going to be our biggest game of the World Cup so far. New Zealand are always tough competition and in our team meeting that night their batting order confirmed this.

There was no doubt that all the girls were up for the game and although there were a lot of nerves around there was also a lot of excitement. We won the toss and decided to bat first on a wicket that we thought would deteriorate throughout the day. It became clear that the wicket was a grafting one and this is exactly what Caroline (Atkins) and Charlotte did. Even though we got off to a relatively slow start we set it up so that we still had a lot of wickets in the last 10 overs, which incidentally were brilliant. Jen (Gunn) and Beth (Morgan) hit the ball to all parts of the ground with Jen hitting one of the biggest sixes I have seen for a while. We finished on a score of 201-5, something we were more than happy with. We knew though that this game was only halfway through.

It was important to keep the bowling tight early and create pressure which is what both Nunny (Katherine Brunt )and Isa (Guha) were doing – anything under four runs was good for us. Throughout the whole game we never relaxed or thought the game was won, but with some brilliant bowling again form Holly and Laura the run rate was creeping up and wickets started to fall. We eventually got over the line and the kiwis fell short by 31 runs.

This was definitely our biggest win so far and with news filtering through that the Indians had beaten the Aussies our spirits were lifted even more. The results mean that if we beat the West Indies tomorrow we are definitely in the World Cup final. As exciting as this is though we are still looking to improve and our only focus now is beating the West Indies.

Personally I have been pleased with my own contributions, both batting and fielding-wise, but like the team I still want more. Off the field spirits have been high. My roomie (Beth Morgan) and I have been regular viewers of CSI and seem to have fallen into a bit of a routine – dinner is never complete until we have visited the local 7/11 convenience store where we buy a paddle-pop each (very nice ice-cream). It’s obviously very low in fat and GI! It’s virtually one of our five daily fresh fruit and veg portions – that’s what we keep telling ourselves anyway!

Also Anya Shrubsole is a new woman – we all chipped in $5 for a makeover. The money paid for a haircut and highlights and some of the girls learnt their saloning skills for free! This included eyebrow plucking and make up tips. Jealousy probably isn’t the word but I don’t remember being the youngest member of the squad and having perks like that!

Lydia

Gills draw leaves more questions than answers

IT’S impossible to tell now whether the 2-0 lead Gillingham squandered against Shrewsbury will come back to haunt them come May, but it did bring everyone at Priestfield down to earth with a bump.

The atmosphere was terrific on Tuesday night as Simeon Jackson’s late penalty saw off Darlington. The boot was on the other foot against the Shrews, who scored twice in the last 12 minutes to pinch a point.

A week ago most fans would have probably settled for four points from two games against promotion rivals. The results have after all kept Gills right in the mix – only goal difference is keeping them out of the automatic spots and there is a useful, if fragile, three-point cushion over Bradford just outside the play-offs.

The draw also extended the club’s unbeaten run to seven games, the longest sequence for almost four years.

Yet there is just a nagging feeling that sides destined for automatic promotion do not give away two goal leads at home, regardless of the opposition or the concession of a soft penalty.
Crucially it used up a precious home game. Of the team’s remaining nine fixtures, six are away from home. While the form on their travels is light years better than even six months ago, they have not beaten any of their rivals away from home and there are still trips to Brentford, Wycombe and Rochdale (all in the top four) to come.

Perhaps the biggest problem to come out of the game is injury concerns to Simon King and Andy Barcham. Both are essential to the club’s promotion hopes but had to be substituted after taking knocks to already bodies already struggling after a tough season.

The pair may yet appear at Notts County on Tuesday, but there must now be a genuine worry about their involvement in critical games to come. Gills boss Mark Stimson admitted afterwards every game the influential duo played now was a risk, but one they have to take.

David Pritchard

What we've been up to

IT'S been another busy week for sport around the county as Gillingham head for the business end of the season and Kent exclusively revealed to us their interest in Aussie seamer Stuart Clark.

Not only have we been putting together pages for our Kentish Saturday Observer and Kent on Sunday, our sports team have been out in the field with our video camera.

Here's what we have been up to:



Glenn Pearson

Lydia Greenway's exclusive KOS blog - entry four

AFTER winning convincingly in our first game against Sri Lanka we still felt we had a lot of work to do to get us playing the way we wanted to in our next game against India.

The challenge was set and our coach, Mark Lane, wanted us to improve in all areas of our game. On the morning of the game we were buzzing and really eager to get started. We won the toss and put them in.

After beating them 4-0 in the summer we felt it would be good to put them under pressure straight away. This is exactly what we did as Nunny (Katherine Brunt) and Ish (Isa Guha) put the pressure on from ball one and with some fantastic spin bowling from Holly Colvin in the middle they never got away from us. If it wasn’t for their number 10 batter, Amita Sharma, they would have been all out for 130. But some imaginative shots from her and a record tenth wicket partnership of 43 got them to 169 all out.

We had done a good job, but knew the game was far from over. Shaggy (Caroline Atkins) and Squirt (Sarah Taylor) got us off to a good, solid start and at 40-odd off 10 overs we were looking comfortable. The first wicket of Squirt brought Tails (Claire Taylor) to the crease who was on the back of a very good hundred. When she came in, it looked like she could have scored another ton for us! The girls upped the run rate and the game was won in the 39th over.

On the whole we were very pleased with such a convincing win but we are still keen to keep on improving. Personally I was pleased. Although I didn’t bat, I took three catches so it was good to have made some sort of contribution to the game.

Our next game is against Pakistan who we are not going to take lightly – again we will look to improve and be ruthless.

Off the pitch I have just had a deep massage on my legs to ensure they’re up for tomorrow’s challenge and not too heavy. We all get one at regular intervals throughout the tour to help our muscles recover and keep us in peak condition as the games come thick and fast. I’m already looking forward to the next one.

I also managed a quick cup of tea with my Mum and Dad which was good. They came to the game yesterday and it was good to hear our Barmy Army cheering loudly for us!

England take on Pakistan on Thursday.

If you would like to leave Lydia a good luck message during the World Cup post a comment below.

Who would make your all-time Kent XI?

WE carried a feature in this weekend's Kent on Sunday featuring Henry Blofeld's all-time Kent XI. The BBC Test Match Special commentator told us who would be on his team sheet for a one-off game. You can read his Kent XI by clicking here.

As a cricket fan myself, it got me thinking as to who I would choose if persuaded to do so. Henry's Kent XI is filled with players that will live long in the memory of all Kent fans, but I would have to plump for players that I have actually witnessed playing the game.

I have no doubts it would have been an absolute pleasure to have witnessed Derek Underwood bamboozle the opposition’s batsmen and watch Les Ames and Colin Cowdrey take bowling attacks apart.

I unfortunately missed their era and so have instead plumped for a Kent XI that I have actually witnessed play at St Lawrence.

1) Rob Key (1998-present) If he just misses out on “Blowers’” XI then he fits perfectly in mine. Took to captaincy well and the constant calls for an England return tells of his recent batting form.

2) Mark Benson (1980 – 1996) Known for his ability against the quick bowlers and led Kent well during his spell as skipper.

3) Martin van Jaarsveld (2005-present) The South African has been the one steady batter in the current line-up. Scored more than 1,000 runs in his first two seasons and was named PCA Player of the Year in 2008.

4) Aravinda Da Silva. (1995) Tough choice between ‘Ari’ and Carl Hooper, but the Sri Lankan just gets the nod, maybe just for that sparkling innings of 112 in the 1995 Benson and Hedges Cup final.

5) Trevor Ward (1986-1999) Usually opened the innings for Kent but is brought in to toughen up my middle order. A regular heavy run scorer in the Kent side.

6) Mark Ealham (1989-2004) Ealham snags the all-rounder’s spot in my side. A good medium pace bowler who could nibble it both ways and could demolish any bowling attack in the world when in form.

7) Geraint Jones (2001-present) Tough choice between Jones and Steve Marsh for the wicketkeeper’s spot, but Jones just gets it for his batting.

8)Min Patel (1989-2008) Patel played more than 200 games for the county and for the majority of the time as the club’s number one spinner. Also handy as a late order batsman.

9) Dean Headley (1993-2001): Deano will be long remembered
by all Kent fans for his displays for both the county and England.

10) Richard Ellison (1981-1993) He took 71 wickets in a county season and also claimed ten wickets against Australia in 1985.

11) Duncan Spencer (1993-1994) A controversial inclusion but I witnessed ‘that spell’ against Viv Richards at St Lawrence in 1993 and for the West Indian to describe him as the fastest he has ever faced is good enough for me.

Glenn Pearson

What do you think of these two line-ups? Let us know your thoughts and your Kent all-time XI by leaving a comment below.

Lydia Greenway's exclusive KOS Media blog - entry three

AFTER a convincing final warm-up match against the West Indies we went into our first official World Cup match with confidence and eagerness. We haven’t played Sri Lanka since 2005 when we beat them, so we were looking to do the same again.

They won the toss and put us in, which we were happy with. We were playing down in Canberra which brought back memories for Jen (Gunn), Isa (Guha) and I as it was where we had our first taste of Australia with the England under-19 team. Unfortunately for me though it was also where I dislocated my finger!

Our openers Squirt (Sarah Taylor) and Shaggy (Caroline Atkins) got us off to a good start. The boundary was short and the outfield was fast, both of which we took full advantage of. The score was 80 off 18 before the first wicket fell; this brought Tails (Claire Taylor) to the crease who joined Shaggy and they kept it ticking along nicely.

Our aim was to reach 300 which was well within our capabilities. Shaggy was bowled just after reaching her 50, which brought Lottie (Charlotte Edwards) to the crease. She and Tails looked at ease and were scoring quickly until Lot was trapped lbw for 27. I came in with 15 overs to go and was eager to keep the score kicking along. I took longer than I would have liked to get off the mark but felt good when I got my eye in. I finished on 32 not out which was good but it should have been off less balls at that stage of the game.

Tails batted brilliantly but was unfortunately out for 101. We made 277-7 and before we headed out to field, Lottie set a challenge of keeping them to less than 100. The Sri Lankan openers got their team off to a solid start and played some good shots, however some of their shots didn’t have much power and it was frustrating when they weren’t going to hand. The Sri Lankans made 177-7 off their 50 overs, which, even though we won we were disappointed with. Too often our fielding was sloppy and we lacked energy in the field.

There was some good bowling from Jen (Gunn) and Boggy (Laura Marsh) but on the whole we know we can do much better and need to be tough on ourselves and keep improving. As for me I am going to look to improve my strike rate in every game to ensure I do all I can to get England into a winning position.

Off the field it was great to see more of the “Barmy Army” arrive, aka our families! They all get on really well and when they are at full strength and full volume can give the real Barmy Army a run for their money!

On Tuesday we have India so training on Monday will be intense and we will again be looking to improve all areas of our game.

Gills must beware Accrington

Accrington Stanley may be more famous for a 1980s milk advert than anything they’ve done on a football pitch, but it would be unwise for Gillingham to take them lightly on Saturday.

With potentially huge games at Priestfield against Darlington and Shrewsbury next week it would be easy to dismiss a meeting with one of the division’s minnows as an easy game.

And minnows they are – with average gates only around 200 higher than Dover Athletic in the Ryman Premier. Along with fellow potential strugglers Morecambe, Chester and Barnet, they probably privately rejoiced last summer as points penalties were handed out to three clubs, effectively giving them a free season in League Two, barring a catastrophically-low points haul.

Without those deductions Stanley would be fourth bottom, flirting with a return to non-league. As it is they are maybe only a couple of victories away from ensuring their presence in the division for next season.

They are the division’s joint lowest scorers, averaging less than a goal a game, and are without a win in their last seven games.

Sounds easy for Mark Stimson’s men, who can extend their unbeaten run to a season-long five games if they avoid defeat at the Fraser Eagle Stadium. Despite not playing well in recent weeks they have hauled themselves back into the play-offs and a win against Accrington would set them up nicely ahead of the crunch games next week.

But if Gills have kept an eye on developments elsewhere in League Two over the last few games then they will be wary of even the most benign-looking games. To some extent they are only in the play-off places because of a series of unexpected results affecting their rivals in recent weeks.

Last Saturday not many would have foreseen Shrewsbury to get thumped at lowly Macclesfield last weekend, likewise Bradford at Notts County or Morecambe holding former runaway leaders Wycombe. Tuesday night brought more tales of the unexpected, with Barnet beating Rochdale and Chesterfield winning away at Bury.

The fact is, no team has been consistently good enough to seize the initiative and waltz off towards the League Two title. While many will bemoan the lack of quality, what it does provide is a fantastically unpredictable league where anything is possible.

Gills, or anyone in the division for that matter, are simply not good enough to take anyone lightly and get away with it. Fortunately Gills boss Mark Stimson is aware of that fact:


David Pritchard

Reborn series set to nurture future F1 stars

With motorsport hit hard by the global recession, Brands Hatch provided a light at the end of a dark tunnel with the launch of the reformed Formula Two Championship this week.

Circuit owner Jonathan Palmer unveiled the new F2 car and the series details to the media at Brands Hatch’s season launch. The series was popular during the 70’s and 80’s, with Palmer winning the penultimate drivers’ title, but has a new look for its revival after 25 years.

On paper the car it is not on the same level as the machinery used in GP2, the current Formula One feeder series, but the closer you look at the championship the more it makes sense.

The 24 drivers will compete in an identical car designed by the Williams Formula One team at circuits all over the world. The prize for the champion is an F1 test with Frank Williams’ outfit.

One of the most attractive factors is the cost. To complete a season in the series will take £200,000 which may seem a lot, but in motorsport terms it is peanuts – half that of a full season in Formula 3 and a quarter of the price for a GP2.

The credit crunch has already claimed several victims, including F1’s Super Aguri team, Kawasaki in Moto GP and Subaru’s World Rally team. In the harsh climate the series to be run by Palmer and his MotorSport Vision team could be the saviour of many Formula One hopefuls.

With uncertainty over the length of the current recession, the series could be an extremely clever move by Palmer and he believes it will become the new breeding ground for the next wave of Lewis Hamiltons.

With the first race in Valencia two months away, the championship is certainly something to keep an eye on this season.

Looking ahead to the 2009 season at Brands Hatch the usual suspects are there with the British Superbike Championship, British Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car Championship, A1 Grand Prix and DTM all returning to the Kent circuit.

One notable absentee will be the World Superbike Championship, which ends its 16-year association with the series following a rise in the fee from the organisers.

It will be a shame for Kent fans as it regularly attracted 100,000 through the gates and with local rider Shane Byrne competing this year it has come as a double blow. However, as Murray Walker used to say ‘anything can happen in Motorsport and it usually does’, so do not rule out a comeback in the future.

Tom Howard

Lydia Greenway's exclusive KOS blog

In the second of an exclusive blog, Kent and England all-rounder Lydia Greenway writes from Australia ahead of the ICC Women's World Cup.


After having a convincing win against New South Wales we knew our final warm-up game against Australia was going to be a tough one.

The Aussies are always very competitive but going into the game we felt confident and eager to get amongst it.

Winning the toss we put them in. This is something we have done in the past as we feel confident as a team about chasing down the runs.

Their openers got off to not a bad start but our first breakthrough came from a great caught behind by Squirt (Sarah Taylor) off Isa Guha’s bowling. This brought their captain Karen Rolton to the crease. She didn’t last long as Nunny (Katherine Brunt) was straight on the money and got her first ball LBW.

Next in was Lisa Sthalekar who was run out going for a third run by a magnificent throw from Nicky Shaw from the boundary. Alex Blackwell was the rock of their innings, making 91 not out.

We were pleased to restrict them to 214 with some great bowling in the middle, but also from our spinners, Boggy (Laura Marsh), Hol (Holly Colvin) and Lot (Charlotte Edwards) at the end.

Our batting didn’t get off to the greatest of starts with Squirt getting out first ball of the innings to Emma Sampson. This brought Tails (Claire Taylor) to the crease who rebuilt well with Shaggy (Caroline Atkins) and got us back on track with our chase of just over four an over.

Up until the 30th over we looked comfortable but we fell short by 20-odd runs. The words “frustrated” and “disappointed” were an understatement of what we were all feeling.

There was however no to time to dwell on our mistakes, only time to reflect and move forward in time for our final warm-up game against West Indies. We had training the day after we lost to the Aussies and we all went quietly about our business but with a lot of intent after seriously motivating words from our coach. We beat the West Indies comfortably by 116 runs on Wednesday and now we feel ready to get our World Cup campaign on the road.

Off the field my parents have arrived in Sydney for the World Cup. It’s been great to see them and catch up as I haven’t seen them for ages because I have been playing over here since October. They’re staying out at Coogee so they can go to the beach on a regular basis and we’ve had a couple of catch-up meals together.

It’s been great staying in Sydney as I still get to see all my friends that I have made playing cricket over the past couple of years. We’ve managed to see them pretty much every other evening and now we’ve moved into our new hotel we’re all regulars at the Max Brenners Chocolate café just round the corner!


Lydia Greenway will be exclusively blogging for KOS Media from Australia where the England women’s cricket team are challenging for the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Farbrace in lucky escape

“SOME people believe football is a matter of life and death...I can assure you it's much, much more important than that”, legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once famously said. If you swapped the sport then there are many in cricket-mad Pakistan who would go along with that sentiment, but its folly was brought into sharp focus by events in Lahore this morning.

Former Kent coach Paul Farbrace was caught up in the carnage after the bus he was travelling in was ambushed in a terror attack. The 41-year-old had a hugely lucky escape and it will probably only take days to recover from the shrapnel wound in his arm, but the damage done to the sport in cricket-mad Pakistan will cut far deeper.

The popular figure, who was first a player at Kent before returning to become a coach at the club’s Academy, left in July 2007 to become assistant coach with Sri Lanka. He was accompanying the team as they made their way to the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day of the second Test when the attack happened.

Reports suggest the attack was pre-planned and in retrospect it is astonishing that more people were not killed. Tragically six policemen died in the assault, but the figure easily could have been far higher.

It all had a chilling echo of the Munich Olympics in 1972, where Israeli athletes were specifically targeted. On this occasion fortunately Farbrace and the Sri Lanka team were able to walk away from their ordeal, but Pakistan will be bracing itself for the consequences.

The series was only taking place as a result of India’s decision to pull out of a tour following terror attacks in Mumbai three months ago. Sri Lanka were there as a favour to their hosts, which makes this morning’s events all the more galling.

Security was high but clearly not sufficient and it may be some time before another team dares touring Pakistan. In the immediate aftermath there is talk of banning teams visiting altogether for the foreseeable future, with Pakistan playing their ‘home’ tests in neutral countries – including England.

Longer term the consequences are likely to jeopardise the country’s joint hosting of the World Cup in 2011. Ultimately depriving the people of Pakistan the chance to stage cricket’s biggest event could be the biggest tragedy of all, but contrary to Shankly's view, it is simply not worth the risk.

David Pritchard

Difficult day for Shakey

It must have been an unusual day for Shane Byrne to leave Australia without a single point from the opening round of the World Superbike Championship.

The Sheppey rider dominated the British Superbike Championship last year on his way to his second title. However, last season’s success would have seemed a long time ago, as two crashes on Sunday saw his opening round end prematurely.

After a successful 2008 season, Byrne was rewarded with a ride in the World Championship with Sterilgarda Ducati. Judging by the formbook at the time it seemed to be a good move for Shakey and one that would give him the chance to shine in the series.

However, it was always going to be a tall order for Shakey at the first round in Australia. He went into the meeting on the back foot with his team unable to compete in a three-day test session earlier in the month.

With the World Superbike Championship being won or lost on fractions of seconds, track time is imperative and Byrne had little going into the event.

In many ways I believe the first race was a shock for Byrne as he got to see just how competitive the series is. However, he will probably feel slightly aggrieved to see Leon Haslam, who he beat on many occasions last season in BSB, finish on the rostrum in third place.

With just two races gone this season it is far too early to write off Byrne’s and the Sterilgarda team’s chances. In an official test in Portugal in January, Byrne topped the time sheets, which shows he has the speed and skill to compete at this level and win.

As he settled down in the second race on Sunday you could see glimpses of his class, as he rose up to 11th place, passing five bikes in as many laps, before he retired.

I feel the true form of Byrne will be back, when the series heads to Qatar for the next round on March 14.