all Out Cricket's discussion of the week - Do England's women's team get the credit they deserve?

This week on www.alloutcricket.com you can read England player Heather Knight's first diary entry from New Zealand:

http://www.alloutcricket.com/blogs/comment/heather-knight-england-women-cricket-tour-diary

After another convincing series win, we want to know whether you think that the 'Three Lionesses' get the credit they deserve.

Wow, I imagine this will inspire some debate. I'll add my tuppence worth later this evening.

Well some of them are quite pretty but they should be critisised for not staying at home to look after their children and hard working husbands.

i dont think they do get the credit they deserve...

they are arguably the best side in women's cricket, have won multiple tournaments and series.......they have a fantastic side, are well led by skipper edwards, and have some class players particuarly wyatt

Is there anything they can do to increase their credibility or is it just a case of continuing to win?

All Out Cricket wrote:Is there anything they can do to increase their credibility or is it just a case of continuing to win?

I think continuing to win is the biggie - for too many years the English women lagged behind Aus and NZ, it's good to see them coming back up. Even if it is at the expense of the NZ girls

The NZ team has declined somewhat over the past 2-3 years. The Christchurch earthquake hasn't helped, several of the team had jobs with Canterbury Cricket helping run both the mens' and womens' game in the province.

I think from the people who know about cricket they get the credit they deserve. They have been on top of the world for a number of years now, and we have seen how tough it is to stay the best in the world for an extended period of time in the men's game so that should be applauded. However, I think whilst the standards in the men's game have plateau somewhat e.g. no-one suggests Dale Steyn in much better than Holding and Marshall; he is maybe level with them, the women's game is still improving at I think in the next 5 to ten years the increase in standards will be even bigger still for the women's game and we will see some real, real quality player come through (hopefully from England!) and will make the quality of today's women's games look a little more "average". However, in comparison to their comtemparies this England team is dominant and deserve all the plaudits they get.

Interesting discussion, I remember when they won the WC and then the T20 they were getting quite a bit of coverage, but in general they aren't talked about as much as they should be. Winning an ODI series 4-0 is a fine achievement and yet there's been no mention whatsoever of it on here for instance. Of course India don't have a particularly good women's team and given that's where all the money is it's perhaps not that surprising women's cricket in general doesn't get as much coverage as it should. Then again, this isn't limited to cricket as, tennis aside, I can't think of many mainstream sports where the women attract as much interest as they should do.

JD makes a good point when he says that women's cricket is still very much on an uphill curve, I think there's no doubt it's improving much more steeply than the men's side of the game.

As for the England side in particular, I think they've got some cracking players. I especially like the wicket-keeper Sarah Taylor, who has some really excellent keeping skills which wouldn't be out of place at all in the men's game.

Leaving aside all the sexist patronising nonsense form you lot is it still teh case that they are the only aide largely made up of full time players? I know as part of their contracts they have to undertake coaching and ambassador roles, but they ceratinly used to be far better funded than the vast majority of their rivals.

Yes they keep winning, but whats the opposition actually like?

And yes they may be the best women out there, but they arent close to be being the best cricketers. Lets not get onto the whole philispohical argument about seperating out women just because they arent physical equals. Can they have an England " people with wonky elbows who are crap at cricket team" for me to be in?

As someone whos actively involved in womens sport I see both sides of the coin. I find it very hard to give a toss about womens cricket, sorry.

What about the England Blind Cricket Team?

dont all england womens sporting teams win everything anyway!

My initial reaction would be that they probably don't get enough credit. However I don't watch womens cricket, I keep an eye out on BBC sport etc to see how they're doing though so can't comment in great depth.

There is an achievement which the England men's team have yet to match and that is winning the ODI World Cup tournament, a feat which the England Ladies team have achieved twice I believe. Once in 1993 and another in 2009/2010.

remeber for the current tour the ladies are on, they have rested the likes of brunt, and colvin, so arent even at full strength and are still dominating

mystiroakey wrote:dont all england womens sporting teams win everything anyway!

yeah the tennis ones amazing right?

well i dont really associate individual sports as team sports even if there is the odd team event!

1.Edwards
2.Marsh
3.S.Taylor
4.Greenway
5.Brindle
6.Rowe
7.Gunn
8.Hazzell
9.Wyatt
10.Brunt
11.Shrubsole/Guha

very strong side, and also they have a lot of depth.

Probably not no considering just how prolific they've been!

Remember playing in a pre-season friendly for my local club a few years back against Yorkshire Ladies with Katherine Brunt playing for them. They batted first and got a relatively small total (around 150) on a great batting pitch at our home patch. We were short our usual opener so sent out our young (and pretty gobby) keeper who had peed of Brunt when she was batting and peed of a few of us by saying $&%£. He's a solid batsmen mind.

Naturally he was made to face up first by our captain against Brunt. The first ball of the innings missed his helmet by a whisker and the second sent his of-stump flying with a perfect outswinger. Probably the best two card trick I'd seen for years and certainly a highlight of the season for the look on his face!

We won in the end at 8 wickets down in 40 odd overs with Brunt picking up 5 or 6 for not many from her ten overs and was unlucky not to get more. Very good bowler and a great fun game to play in!

I don't follow the Women's game, but being a big follower of the Mens' game, it's hard not to hear about their successes and how they are the best team at the moment.

Ultimately the sport isn't big enough to get much space in the papers but followers of cricket will know how good they are.

Also, they've been given good mentions at the last few BBC SPOTY awards.