Tonight at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Meg Lanning’s Australian T20 team will be after their fourth world championship on the trot when they take on the West Indies in the final.
There have only been five women’s world tournaments, with Australia finishing third in 2009 – the inaugural year.
Since then Australia has reigned supreme, putting heir male counterparts to shame. The Australian men have reached just one final in six attempts, losing to England by seven wickets.
The Australian team that day was Shane Watson, David Warner, Michael Clarke, David Hussey, Cameron White, Mike Hussey, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes.
Did they learn anything from that game to improve?
Not a dot, and still haven’t.
It’s a combination of selection bungles, irresponsible batting and embarrassing line and length.
The girls obviously haven’t got the power with the bat, but they have the placement while they nag away with far more accurate bowling. The match results prove the point.
So far in the history of world T20 championships, the Australian men have played 29 games and won 16 for 55.17 per cent.
By comparison, the Australian women have played 24 games and won 18 for 77.08 per cent.
Have they been given their rightful recognition?
Most definitely not.
Last night on Sky’s Sportsline, an hour-long show, the panel managed to talk about the Australian team and the final for the very last 55 seconds.
That’s par for the course throughout the media.
But the girls deserve a whole lot more than that.
Tonight there’s a genuine danger in West Indian all-rounder Stafanie Taylor who is second among the run-getters with 187 at 37.40, and third among the wicket-takers with her offies, with eight wickets at 12.
And there’s another West Indian bowler who could be hard to handle in Deandra Doffin, a medium pacer, with seven wickets at 12.71.
Lanning will be Australia’s mainstay with the bat. So far in the tournament the skipper has scored 149 at 49.66 to be fourth among the leading run-getters.
But she will be looking to Alex Blackwell, averaging 32, and Elyse Villani with 29.75 to bolster the Australian total.
A lot will be expected of dual international Ellyse Perry who has had a relatively quiet tournament by her lofty standards, averaging 27 with both bat and ball. But she has always been a big-game player.
Australia will also look to bowlers Megan Schutt and Kristen Beams who have taken seven wickets at 12.14, and five at 21 respectively.
If the Australians win tonight as expected, it’s up to Sportsline and every other media outlet to give the girls their rightful due.
It’s long overdue.
ChrisB
Guest
No you can't give people to like something but you can question why so many people have such a lack of curiosity about them that they don't investigate other areas of their own preferred sport. One poster mentioned something about lack of media coverage, but why should anyone's interests and knowledge be limited to what the media present? There's a whole world of information to explore at your bloody fingertips. For mine it's great to investigate new sports and new competitions within favourite sports. Have developed an appreciation with sports like handball or Gaelic football or Shinty through reading about them or watching them (live while in Scotland for the last), could never understand why more Rugby league fans don't take more interest in English super league or even in developing nations like PNG rather than the stupid over-hyped State of Origin, or even why more don't follow a formerly great Como like the former Brisbane league where historic clubs like East Tigers continue on. Same with cricket. There's a world of interest in women's cricket yet most fans choose to ignore it.
Yawn
Guest
To the author and others like him, you CANNOT force someone to like something. If there's little interest there's not going to be much recognition. Getting all self important and trying to take the high moral ground doesn't mean what you say is right. I did laugh at your references to 'girls' though.
Craig Swanson
Guest
While our men were being humiliated in the Ashes TCL, our women were doing the humiliating against the English women's team in tests and limited overs to take out their own Ashes. Hardly a word was written about that at the time. To defeat the Poms on their soil at any time is a massive feat. Well done to our girls. Sorry it is so belated on this site.
Craig Swanson
Guest
Like the men's game, there is some serious next gen talent in the women's game too. We saw that talent on display ih the WBBL. The selectors have been impressed with two young spinners in Molly Strano and Amanda-Jade Wellington. Strano made the Shooting Stars (U23) last year while the teenage leggie Wellington has made this year's squad. She is presently playing a tri series in Sri Lanka. Adam Gilchrist waxed lyrical over Wellington during the BBL. A pretty good judge of talent I would have thought is Gilly.
Craig Swanson
Guest
I belong to another site David and I can not get any interest in a thread on women's cricket. I still post regardless. We can send up the balloons after tonite's final..perhaps a touch premature now. Australia has two true champions in their side. Both Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry will need to be at their brilliant best against the Windie's girls if the Southern Stars are to reign supreme again.
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
Couldn't agree more, David. I have personally been guilty of ignoring the women's version, though to be fair, T20 doesn't rate too highly with me in general. Media coverage for Women's Cricket is patchy at best (I'm being generous) which certainly doesn't help their cause. Well done to them for reaching the final and best wishes for success! They've certainly shown their male counterparts how to do it, I wonder if they're taking notice?
Chris
Guest
I agree with most of what you say, however part of the problem is people like you referring to them as girls. They're women, calling them girls is essentially perpetuating the issue you're complaining about.