Women’s Ashes 2015: England Women back in Test match mode
Monday 10 August 2015 10:13, UK
Sky Sports blogger Kate Cross looks ahead to the Women's Ashes Test as England seek to overturn a 4-2 deficit...
We’ve all had a chance to recharge our batteries since my last blog.
After leaving Worcester we have spent some time away from the squad environment and put the Royal London One Day series to bed.
Even better it has given me the chance to spend some time with my niece who turned three weeks old this week. She's a little beauty who just sleeps and eats; throw some cricket in there and she's a carbon copy of her Auntie Kate!
I think anyone who plays sport will know that you learn more from the games that you lose than those that you win. My old man has always told me that you shouldn't get too high when you win, or too low when you lose - some wise words from a rugged centre forward back in his day!
But I think he is spot on: we all know there is still a lot to play for in this series and we have taken some big lessons from the games in Bristol and Worcester. Bring on the Kia Women's Test Match!
Final preparations
On Saturday we met up again at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough for a three-day warm-up match against a mixed age Warwickshire lads’ team. It was time to put the whites on again and switch our mind-sets to Test Match mode.
Live Women's Ashes
More importantly it was time to try the new Test match jumpers on - something we were all very excited about as Adidas have decided to go back to an old school woollen number.
We have heard it is due to be pretty warm for the match in Canterbury too, so if you see us all wearing our jumpers in 25 degrees then you'll know it's because we love them and we won't get much opportunity to wear them!
Anyway here’s a quick summary of the game: we batted first and were 229 all out. Warwickshire then declared on 300, we then declared 200 ahead of them and gave them the final session of day three to try and get them. With two overs of the game left Warwickshire were 98-9.
It's quite remarkable how a match that can last for three days can go down to the final six minutes of the game. We didn't manage to get the last wicket but that is the beauty of the longer format, three days of cricket which can end in a draw. Try to explain that to an American!
The mood in camp when we left Loughborough was brilliant, such a contrast from the drive away from Worcester. We now all can't wait to get to Canterbury on Saturday and begin the build-up for the Kia Women's Test match (in our jumpers). Hopefully see you all there!
Parking competition
The ongoing competition for worst parking on tour is being closely fought out between Lauren Winfield...
And a late entry came in this week from Heather Knight...
I will keep you posted on any more entries which come in. Hopefully the next time I blog we will be 6-4 up heading into the Natwest T20s and the men will have regained the Ashes in Trent Bridge. Fingers crossed!
Crossy
England women’s fast bowler, Kate Cross
Coverage of the Women's Ashes continues with the Test match in Canterbury, live on Sky Sports Ashes from 10.30am on Tuesday, August 11.
