If you wish to contact me, either leave a comment below, or send me a message on Twitter:
@RafNicholson
Once described by Len Hutton as "absurd, just like a man trying to knit", women in cricket have not received the recognition they deserve. This blog seeks to rectify that. I am currently researching a PhD in the history of women's cricket, and as the subject is still in its infancy, that therefore (as far as I am aware) makes me the leading historian of the sport in Britain.
Hi Raf
ReplyDeleteThoroughly enjoyed your Cricinfo article! As a fan of 20 years (well come this summer anyway)I have argued with many that women's cricket is a different sport from the men's and well worth watching. Not being able to rely on brawn, the best in the game rely on technique rather more heavily than the guys. For me this makes a more interesting watch.
I become particularly frustrated when men coaching women's teams can't spot the differences and you can watch tactics and particularly the setting of fields that don't reflect the difference.
I'll put a link to your blog on www.womenscricket.net and follow your future offerings with interest.
Perhaps we'll meet on a boundary somewhere.
Don
Hi Don,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the cricinfo article. It's always good to encounter other fans of the women's game and I have of course frequently perused your website - it's great.
And yes - as I tried to argue on cricinfo, women's cricket does require different techniques. It's interesting that the WCA in its early days weren't keen on using male coaches - perhaps for that very reason.
Thanks for putting the link up to my blog.
Raf
Hi Raf,
ReplyDeleteFeeling lucky to come across your blog. It's fun and very informative. Please add a "follow me by mail" gadget in your blog so that i can keep myself updated with your article. Just like you i too am is a women cricket fan and Mithali Raj.
Thanks,
Ragini
Hi, I've added your blog to my followed list. Its brilliant, funny and very informative, and required reading at the moment given how exciting the World Cup is getting.
ReplyDeleteHi Ms Nicholson
ReplyDeleteOver the last ten years or so we've tried really hard to revive women's cricket at Wanstead.
You are absolutely right: nomenclature is a problem. The game remains "Ladies' Cricket" to most (especially among those who actually play it!) (I have my own gender/race theories to try and understand why).
But we are now one of the best clubs in London, I'm sure.
www.wanstead.hitscricket.com , if that's of any academic (or social or sporting) interest to you.
Hi Raf,
ReplyDeleteI am the editor of a new online cricket magazine called www.thecricketmagazine.com. I am currently looking for excellent writers to contribute on a semi-regular basis to a high quality website featuring some brilliant bloggers and cricket writers.
The website is still under construction but you can see the style that we are trying to achieve - have a look and let me know your thoughts by e-mailing me at thecricketmagazine@yahoo.co.uk.
I look forward to hearing from you soon!
All the best,
Alex
Hello Raf,
ReplyDeleteI'm a 15 year old girl from India, who's a die-hard Cricket fan.
Cricket is my passion, my love for it grew since the past few months.
I want to join coaching classes as soon as possible, and will not hesitate to let go my studies for the love of my game.
During the ICC Women's World Cup, I actually came to know about the Talent that all of the women cricketers have got.
I knew My country's team captain, Mithali Raj, but didn't know much about the other members of Team India, or any other team.
Now I know and love most of the cricketers and also consider them as my idols. I want to become like them.
Mithali Raj, Suzie Bates, Deandra Dottin, Sana Mir, Eshani Kaushalya, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jhulan Goswami, Belinda Clark, Ellyse Perry, all are some of my favourites.
I always try to get the scores of any match going on between any countries. I feel women's cricket must progress, and even we must get as famous and as popular as our male counterparts.
I hope women's cricket gets good recognition soon, and many youngsters in India, and all over the world take up cricket as their career.
And thanks to someone like you, who is working hard enough to make sure that Women's Cricket gets good recognition.
Thank You so much!
Love,
Amulya.
Hi Raf,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed your latest cricinfo article, "A Question of Confidence", where I think you hit the nail squarely on the head in an accurate and eloquent way.
Your PhD topic sounds fascinating, but I think that you too may be an accidental victim of too much self-effacement - your twitter tagline reads "Supposedly doing a PhD but often just watching Neighbours". Do you think maybe comments like this are also representative of a general trend for female self-effacement creating lower female confidence? I agree with you entirely when you write that the confidence gap is (one of the many things) holding women's cricket back; I hope that the same confidence gap doesn't have similar adverse effects on your research.
I think your PhD topic is interesting and essential, and your writing for cricinfo is excellent and perceptive. Judging from the comments across cricinfo and this blog, many people think the same; I hope that you do too.
Thanks so much for your comment. It's always great to hear that people read and enjoy anything I've written.
DeleteI completely agree that I myself am often a victim of self-effacement - it's something I struggle against all the time, and infuriates the feminist in me! The twitter profile is supposed to be mildly humorous, but I see your point, and I absolutely think that there is a broader general trend for female self-deprecation which has terrible effects on our confidence. I try very hard not to succumb to this, but it can be very difficult sometimes.
However, part of the reason why I started the blog is because I consider that my research is of vital importance and needs to be shared with the world - so hopefully that is one area where I'm not hugely self-effacing!
But as I say it is always nice to have its value affirmed by others, so thank you.
Hello Raf,
ReplyDeleteI don't know why it's took me this long, but today was the first time I've looked through your blog. I just wanted to say how impressive it is. The whole idea of doing a PhD in "The history of womens cricket" is fascinating. Your blog has given me a broader look on the womens game. I did think I knew my fair about the womens game, but your insight into it has made me realise that I have hardly even scratched the surface. I'm a fairly recent, yet huge fan of the womens form of cricket. Its only really been the last 3/4 years that I have really taken a keen interest in the game. I have been fortunate enough to watch 4 games so far, 2 of them being at Lords. It was a genuine pleasure to see the women playing the game for the love of sport and without all the hype that surrounds the mens game.
I look forward to reading and hopefully discussing more of your blogs when the up and coming ashes series comes around :):):)
Scott Rollings
Hi Raf. Love the show. As father to cricket obsessed daughters it is great to read about the women's game. More to the point for the moment, I am a historian by background myself and am compiling a list of historians (Modern Historians as they would be described at my old place, not cricket historians) and cricket related anecdotes or connections for my blog. Not doing well. Any help greatly appreciated! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Raf
ReplyDeleteI have recently been elected onto the committee of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS- http://acscricket.com/) and am attempting to start a women’s cricket annual next year, covering the 2014 domestic season. As I am more into history than statistics, I wonder whether you would be interested in contributing a short article putting the current women’s domestic scene into recent historical context? As yet this is all just theoretical, but I thought I would sound you out first. If you think you might want to get involved, perhaps you could email me on gphillips@camre.ac.uk
Many thanks
Giles Phillips
Hi Raf
ReplyDeleteI am a third year university student doing a dissertation on the advancements of women's cricket since 1945, including a case study on a family member. I was wondering if you had any useful resources that you could recommend? I have read your journal article and found some very useful information. My e-mail is: 12011989@stu.mmu.ac.uk
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Kind Regards
Beth Smith
HI,
ReplyDeleteFor all cricket fans try out t20 cricket games. It is a unique and innovative platform that enables users to showcase their cricket knowledge and skill to win cash daily in their fantasy leagues.
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Hi
ReplyDeleteWould love to discuss girls cricket with you. We have over 150 girls signed up for the summer at spencer and I suspect it will top 200. I think we are worth a look!
Thanks
Step parikian
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI'm currently part of the YouTube channel management team for Lord's Cricket Ground, dealing with the socialising and digital promotion of their videos.
We've recently produced a video involving the MCC Women taking part in the catching challenge that we're running across the channel. Similar videos include Men's England professionals as well as Sky Sports News presenter Hayley McQueen.
I am just reaching out to you to see if you would be interested in sharing the video with your audience. With the recent success of the Women's national football team and the Women's Ashes taking place with England winning the first ODI, now is the perfect time to really push for a wider sense of recognition for female athletes and to get young girls engaged in the possibilities of sport.
I've shared the link below and looking forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Peter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa-__aGmK1o
Dear Raf,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Michael McCann, and I am a freelance cricket, rugby and football journalist that wanted to speak to you about a new idea regarding broadcast coverage of Women's cricket.
If at all possible it would be fantastic to chat on the phone at any time that suits you - my twitter is @MLMC_123 , phone number is 07850307209 and e-mail is michaelmccann1993@hotmail.co.uk and I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
Best wishes,
Michael Lewis McCann
Dear Dr Nicholson, I am currently doing a literature review for my PhD Thesis on the Gender Gap in Primary School Cricket. There seems to be a terrible dearth in research done on women in cricket. I would really appreciate your thoughts on what I have done thus far. my email address is shalendra.mohanlall@adcorpgroup.com. Would appreciate getting in contact with you.
ReplyDelete