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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
James Wallace

England v Pakistan: second women’s ODI abandoned due to rain – as it didn’t happen

England Pakistan Cricket Ali Martin Rob Lynch Chris Jordan PCA Taunton
The coves are brought on amid rain at Taunton
The coves are brought on amid rain at Taunton. Photograph: Steven Paston/PA

Knight happy with bowlers' performance

Rishi-Sunak-outside-Downing-Street levels of rain fell at Taunton on Sunday, ensuring that England’s second one-day international against Pakistan was washed out, despite the best efforts of the groundstaff.

Pakistan had won the toss and chosen to bat first, reaching 29 without loss after 6.5 overs before the heavens opened half an hour into the morning, barely letting up until play was abandoned at 3pm.

Despite the lack of wickets from the opening bowlers Kate Cross and Lauren Filer, the captain, Heather Knight, labelled it a “pleasing performance” for the home side.

Knight said: “As a bowling unit the girls were disappointed with the other day. It was a little bit scrappy, not quite up to our best, and we had some good conversations about trying to put it right today. I thought the control that Kate showed and then Lauren at the other end making things happen [was pleasing].”

Seamer Filer – brought into the side as a straight swap for Lauren Bell – sent down three overs, but England’s planned strategy to capitalise on her point-of-difference speed was kiboshed by some less than ideal fielding. An edge from Sadaf Shamas dropped short of the cordon in her first over, while in her second Sophie Ecclestone shelled a simple catch off the bat of Sidra Ameen at first slip.

“There aren’t a huge amount of slip catches in the women’s game,” Knight said. “Lauren is slightly different, you don’t get that pace of bowler very often. They do hit you really hard and sometimes it’s hard to know what distance to stand at.”

The leg-spinner Sarah Glenn is in doubt for the final ODI at Chelmsford on Wednesday with a back injury, while the batter Sophia Dunkley has been added to the squad as cover because of what Knight labelled “a few niggles” in the team.

With the series still on the line, Knight said England would be keen to put in a “perfect performance” in that final match.

“We haven’t done that in our last few ODIs and we want to end this leg of the summer really well,” she said. Raf Nicholson

Time for me to knock this soggy OBO humanely on the head. Join us next week where we will hopefully have less weather and more action in both England v Pakistan series. Have a good afternoon, goodbye!

Updated

Match Abandoned!

Not a big surprise – simply too wet in Somerset. At least it didn’t drag on for another hour or so. The series will be decided on Wednesday at Chelmsford.

Updated

The next/first inspection is now at 3pm. But don’t hold your breath. It is still raining at the moment.

Updated

4:43pm. That’s the cut off. If you’re asking.

Continuing The National’s* soundtrack to this OBO:

“Why are we still out here, holding our coats?”

*For some reason they popped into my head today (everyday)

Weather update: It is raining again.

Now we’re stuck in New York The Cooper Associates, Taunton, and the rain’s coming down.

I don’t feel like we’re going anywhere…”

Updated

This is well worth a look:

Weather update: It’s now bright sunshine in Taunton but it did rain again in the interim so that inspection has been pushed back til 2pm now.

Hmmmm

Updated

If you are hankering after some cricket, a nice turn of phrase and maybe a mystery or two… I’ll just leave this here. Hey, I’m not telling you to click on it am I?

Weather Update: The rain has relented.

For the time being. The super sopper is currently doing the rounds and there is an official inspection due at 1.15pm. That’s if there is no further rain. BIG IF.

Updated

Weather Update: It is Grim

I’ll bring any news as and when we get some, safe to say I’ve got time to put the kettle on. I’ve probably got time to make a full roast dinner.

If you want to keep me company then do drop me a line on email or @Jimbo_Cricket. We may as well start some discussions, share some secrets or compile a rainy day playlist. I’ll start…

Rain in Taunton but plenty of play around the grounds in the County Champo. Join Tanya Aldred on the County blog for all the latest:

I think we might be off for a while even if the rain stops. It is piling it down and will take some sopping up if/when it does abate.

Sky (not the broken one above Taunton) are now showing the highlights of yesterdays men’s T20I from Edgbaston. England gave a decent showing in all departments and Jofra Archer made an impressive comeback after over a year away from the international scene because of injury.

Chris Jordan also impressed, both with his death bowling and, as ever, in the field.

The sky seems to be a bit broken in Taunton – on my TV Charles Dagnall is struggling to make himself heard over the thudding sound of rain drops hitting a portakabin roof.

As the rain falls and we all gather out breath (ahem) – this is a very interesting read from Ali Martin on his chat with departing PCA Chief Rob Lynch:

It’s now a global employment landscape,” says Lynch. “The modern cricketer has more opportunities than ever before. The massive growth area that is not accepted as much as it should be is those players who are just below the England team and the life they can now live through playing cricket in private competitions. I have seen uncapped players jump from five-figure wages to six pretty rapidly in my time.

If we as a game don’t get this next phase of the sport right I believe we will have English-developed players who will look at their calendar and see July and August as the time to lie on a beach in Spain because, right now, the Hundred and the Blast are some of the lower-earning opportunities. We had 79 male players playing overseas last winter and the question is: how do we maintain their interest in English cricket?”

Rain Stops Play

The weather does look particularly bleak at the moment:

I don’t like the look of this radar:

Updated

Pakistan won the toss and chose to have a bat first – they’ve made their way to 29-0 off 6.5 overs before – gah – the heavens have opened above Taunton and they’ve gone off for a rain delay. Couldn’t have done that at 11am to spare our eggy faces eh rain? Well boo to you rain. Double boo in fact.

Updated

Late ramble

Hello and welcome to the second Women’s ODI between England and Pakistan – apologies for the delay in getting this OBO underway – *crossed wires*. Let’s get up to speed…

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