The group stage of the 12th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League is now halfway through. Six of the eight teams have played four games, while Adelaide Strikers have played three and Melbourne Stars have played five. This post looks at how the tournament is progressing.
SCORCHERS AND SIXERS SITTING PRETTY
The Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers have each won all four of their matches to date, and there is now a substantial gap between them and the rest.
THE MIDDLE GROUP
Sydney Thunder, Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Renegades and Adelaide Strikers come next in the pecking order. Thunder, Heat and Renegades have all won two and lost two, while Strikers have a match in hand, having won one and lost two. Two of these teams are likely to qualify. My own feeling, although their first win of the season, which I listened to on the radio, took them longer to seal than it should is that Heat are probably the pick of this bunch.
TIME TO PACK YOUR BAGS
Melbourne Stars have one win and four losses from their five games, being second bottom and having played a game more than anyone else at this stage. Hobart Hurricanes have lost all four of their games so far, and defending champions though they are I cannot see them turning things round. They were awful against Heat last time out, defeat with 10 balls remaining being in my reckoning rather better than they merited. Even with a slightly generous four teams out of eight qualifying it is hard to see how either of these two get anywhere near doing so.
20TH AUTIVERSARY
It was in November 2006, then 31 years old, that I was diagnosed as autistic. Twenty years on and secretary of the West Norfolk Autism Group, a charity set up due to disagreements between what was then NAS West Norfolk and the NAS head office (and how right we were to break away from them – in the years since we did so the ever greedy head office has seized all NAS branch funds – moneys donated specifically to help local branches operated) I continue to regard my diagnosis as a hugely important moment in my life, and one I wish to flag up on this blog.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
