This article was first written for and published by The Roar.
Tonight the Australian Women’s cricket team re-commence their fight to retain the Ashes when the first (and only) Test begins in Taunton.
Australia head into this Test in a strong position holding a 6-0 lead in the series. For Australia to retain the Ashes, only a draw is required in the Test whereas for England to reclaim the Ashes they need to win the Test – as well as the three T20Is which are still to come.
This article was first written and published for the Roar.
The Australian women’s cricket team have touched down in the United Kingdom ahead of their 2019 Ashes defence, which begins on 2 July.
The Ashes was last contested in 2017, Australia retaining the urn after the series ended in a draw, with both teams finishing on eight points.
Ellyse Perry scoring 213* at North Sydney Oval in the stand-alone Test was the stand-out moment of the series for many.
This article was first written and published for The Roar.
On Monday some announcements were made in the women’s cricket space which will result in the biggest shake up I have seen since I started closely following the game.
Let’s begin with the WBBL where it was announced on Monday that Nicola Carey has signed with the Hobart Hurricanes for WBBL05.
This article was first written and published for The Roar.
Words matter, and this week, Australian cricketer James Faulkner was reminded of just how visible his words are.
On Monday evening, Faulkner shared a post on Instagram where he was photographed with his mum and what has subsequently been revealed to be his roommate.
The caption when it was first shared featured a reference to his “boyfriend” and – for good measure – Faulkner added some love heart emojis in there too.
This article was first written and published for The Roar.
A couple of weeks ago I met someone at a function. From the outset it was clear that we both had a mutual interest in sport, particularly cricket.
He asked me who my favourite Australian cricketer was.
This article was first written and published by the Roar.
This Sunday, the Australian women’s cricket team will play in their final game for the summer when they take on the New Zealand White Ferns in game three of the Rose Bowl series.
It’s been an exceptionally successful series for the Aussie women, who reclaimed the Rose Bowl trophy with their 95-run win over New Zealand last Sunday and continued their dominance over the White Ferns in this format (Australia have held the trophy without interruption since 2000).
While the team has been successful, it would be remiss not to mention some impressive individual performances and milestones.
This article was first written and published for the Roar.
While there are times when our major sporting codes are in competition with each other for fans, sponsorship dollars and media attention, for the most part, I believe that our codes have an opportunity to work together, learn from each other and share ideas to benefit the sports-loving Australian public.
When our codes come together on an issue, it is exceptionally powerful. There was a good example of that this week when 17 of Australia’s leading sporting organisations came together to release a plan about working towards equal pay for elite female athletes.
This article was first written and published for the Roar.
So much of the narrative around men’s sport is centred around the idea of a hero. The men who take the field each week to represent our favourite sporting teams are stereotypically known as tough, brave, physical, confident and are held up as heroes to the next generation of children aspiring to play their chosen sport.
This bravery is always celebrated and idolised the most though when a player plays an important game while injured or being unwell.
This article was first written and published for The Roar.
It’s hard to imagine how the 2019 WBBL04 final between the Brisbane Heat and the Sydney Sixers to be played at 10.10am at Drummoyne Oval this Saturday is going to top the quality of games we saw in the semi-finals last weekend.
However, one thing that has been consistent about the crop of players in the WBBL is that they continue to impress week after week.
The Heat find themselves in the final after defeating the Sydney Thunder by four runs in the first of Saturday’s games. The game came down to the final ball.
This article was first written and published for the Roar.
The WBBL semi-finals are upon us and tomorrow the Brisbane Heat will play the Sydney Thunder followed by the Melbourne Renegades taking on the reigning champions, the Sydney Sixers at Drummoyne Oval.
The winners of each game will meet in the final next Saturday at either Allan Border Field or Drummoyne Oval (depending on which teams are successful on Saturday).
This WBBL finals series is significant in the history of the tournament given that it will be the first time that stand-alone semi-finals have been held.