Kia Super League 2018 Review

KSL 2018 REVIEW

The Kia Super League 2018 was the biggest yet! It was bigger and better than ever. The competition brought a new dynamic to the women’s game, with different teams and different players stepping up and delivering each game as compared to previous years. It also saw a new winner of the competition, the Surrey Stars, who, in the final, showed exactly why they were worthy winners of this year’s competition. Again though, Western Storm were dominant throughout and reached finals day for the third year running. It was this year though that saw Loughborough Lightning catapult up the league table and establish themselves as one of the leading performers of the tournament. Disappointingly for the Southern Vipers, after winning the first year and coming runners up last year, they failed to establish any consistency in their performances that saw them finish last in the table. Although Yorkshire Diamonds were considerably far from qualifying for finals day, Lancashire Thunder missed out by just three points after a good tournament.

The tournament was not just significant for its exciting matches and sky coverage but also for the tournament debut of two of the world’s greatest cricketers: Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, both of India. Their appearances in the competition brought a lot of coverage and expectation and they certainly did not disappoint! Mandhana was awarded ‘player of the tournament’ having scored 48, 37, 52*, 43*, 102 and 56 in her first six innings. This meant that Mandhana was also the highest run-scorer in the tournament.

This year was also the first year that one of my best friend’s Danielle Gibson made her full debut for Western Storm. Having played with Dani for seven years with Gloucestershire, it was a very proud moment to watch her make her debut against Yorkshire Diamonds at the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton.

I asked Dani some questions about her time in the KSL and this is what she said:

What have you learnt during your time with Western Storm in the KSL?

Being around the KSL environment and Western Storm taught me a lot naturally and I have a lot to take away on and off the pitch. Especially off the pitch it taught me how to cook and do my washing!

How important has the experience with international players been for your development?

It has been so good to see it first hand and experience things like team talks and training sessions. They have helped with lots of different aspects of my development as a player.

How do you deal with the high pressure game situations? Such as games on TV, semi-final

For the first game of the season I was nervous and felt pressured but I just had to think I’m here for a reason and it’s a good time to show what I can do. Also, as the competition went on I learnt to deal with it quite easily and just made sure I was relaxed and enjoying it.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

I would say make the most of everything you get now which could help you later on. I think if you want it you can get it if you put the effort and work in. Take every chance of learning something new such as advice or knowledge or just an opportunity. Also, play as much as you can for more experience.

Who was the hardest batter to bowl against?

The hardest batter I bowled against was Sarah Taylor. It got to a point where I didn’t know what to bowl to her as she just had so many shots.

What was your favourite wicket that you took?

My favourite wicket would have to be Natalie Sciver as she’s one of the biggest names in international cricket. However, it was frustrating that it didn’t help the game though.

What did you do to overcome difficult moments in the matches?

When I come across difficult moments when I’m bowling I just walk back to my crease and think 'that balls gone, just do your best and relax'. 

5 TOP TIPS FOR TRAVELLING IN CHINA – BEIJING AND SHANGHAI

5 TOP TIPS FOR TRAVELLING IN CHINA – BEIJING AND SHANGHAI

1.       BE SAFETY AWARE ALL THE TIME

·       Many of the cars don’t stop on ‘zebra’ crossings.

·       Don’t drink the water from the taps. Make sure you buy lots of bottled water, especially in the hottest seasons but make sure the bottles are sealed properly.

2.       WRITE DOWN YOUR DESTINATIONS IN CHINESE

·       This helps when booking trains, taking taxis etc, as communicating where you want to go can sometimes be difficult. English isn’t widely spoken so it makes your life and their life easier!

3.       USE THE METRO AS YOUR MODE OF TRANSPORT

·       The metro in both Beijing and Shanghai is very cheap, safe and organised. Tickets were approximately 50p for a 3-5 stop inner city journey. The metro maps were very easy to interpret and were in English as well as Mandarin. Also, every station had a security screening where you had to put your bags through a scanner which made you feel very safe.

4.       TAKE A GUIDED TOUR

·       Having a tour guide allowed us to experience so much more of Beijing as our tour guide organised and facilitated our visits to the tourist destinations. Having a tour guide also removed the problem of the language barrier which again made the experience easier.

5.       TIPPING

·       Tipping was difficult as we had no idea how much to give/what was respectful as we had never been to Beijing and had a tour guide before. It is very important to note that tipping is expected in most places and not giving a certain amount can be highly disrespectful and can be assumed that you were dissatisfied with the service. Therefore, as we were not 100% sure of what was the correct amount to give, we realised soon after that what we had given was very generous!! It is advised to give approximately £8 a day for 2 people for a tour guide and £4 for a driver. In restaurants, it is typical to give a tip of about 10-15% of the bill.

What to do in Pula, Croatia!

What to do in Pula, Croatia!

I’d never been to Croatia before, let alone Pula, so I didn’t really know what to expect. The only prior knowledge I had came from some YouTube videos and so I was excited to see what Pula had to offer. Safe to say I wasn’t disappointed, there was plenty to see and do, both during the day and at night.

Daytime

WHERE TO VISIT

Felsen Strand – this beach was our ‘go to’ as it had perfect places to sunbathe, swim, cliff jump and kayak. Although busier on the weekend, there were always spaces to sunbathe and enjoy the view. I spent most of my time on the rocks, reading and listening to music, but some of my friends took advantage of the nearby cliffs to go cliff jumping and explored the caves. There were also places to hire kayaks and pedalo boats along with huge inflatable slides in the sea. Food and drink was also readily available from a restaurant that became our favourite. Located right by the bus stop, it serves very well priced food, our particular favourites being the ice cream for seven kuna (80p) and a portion of chips for fourteen kuna (£1.70). The waiters were very friendly and remembered us each time we visited! Overall it was a beautiful beach with lots to do and I would highly recommend a visit.

Verudela – we arrived at this beach by ‘accident’, by this I mean we got on the wrong bus! However, it was a worthwhile ‘accident’ as we loved our time there. Similar to Felsen Strand, Verudela beach had plenty of spots to chill and sunbathe. The only thing to watch out for is the sea urchins on the rocks as you enter the sea!

Getting to the beaches was also really easy. We took the bus from the main bus station everyday and it only cost 11 kuna (£1.30). The journey took approximately 25 minutes.

Amphitheatre – located in the centre of Pula, it is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers and is one of the most popular attractions in Pula. Our only experience of the amphitheatre was on the day of the World Cup Final. It was packed full of Croatian fans which more than filled the 5000 people capacity. The atmosphere was incredible and was made even more special with the surroundings of the amphitheatre.  

Night-time

NIGHTCLUBS

Whilst there are not loads of nightclubs in Pula, there are some good ones! During our time we went to two clubs and one bar. The atmosphere at every place was really good and the drinks were very cheap.

Uljanik – this was the first club that we went to and it certainly did not disappoint! It was very different to clubs in England, but I loved it. It had an outside space where there was a foam party and inside there were different stages to get up and dance on. The music was also really good as there were lots of remixes. The drinks were also very cheap, with cocktails 40 kuna (£5) and beers 18 kuna (£2.25).

Pietas Julia – this club was most similar to clubs in England and we went there several times. Located right by the harbour front, Pietas Julia was full most nights and like Uljanik, the music was really good. I particularly liked that the club sold pizza and for only 15 kuna (£1.80)! I’d love for the clubs in England to take notice and start selling pizza too!

Old City Bar – this bar is located close to the centre of Pula and once again the atmosphere was great! The drinks were very reasonably priced and I had a fun time there.

Women's Kia Super League 2018 Preview

Kia Women’s Super League Preview

With the third Kia Women’s Super League approaching I thought I’d preview the teams for this year and have a look at the players to look out for. After Western Storm’s victory at finals day last year there is no doubt that they will be keen to retain their title. The most exciting aspect about the KSL is how open the competition is, every team has a strong chance of winning as each time is full of world class, experienced international players. Not only that but the KSL always gives opportunities for younger players to gain experience and develop their game whilst being surrounded by the world’s best. Most encouraging of all is the support that the KSL has received, from all ages and all genders. It has been the perfect competition to raise the profile of the women’s game and along with England’s world cup win last year, there is no better time to be involved in women’s cricket.

WESTERN STORM

Last year’s winners, Western Storm again have a team more than capable of retaining their KSL title. With a mix of youth and experience, their victory last year shows the great balance they have in their side. An incredibly exciting signing for them this year is India’s Smriti Mandhana who, at just twenty-one years old, already has a wealth of international experience. She has scored over 800 runs in 40 IT20s with a high score of 76 and 1464 runs in 41 ODIs with an average of 37.53 and a high score of 135. Her continuing growth on the international scene follows the growth of the India women’s national team after they reached the world cup final at Lords last year. Mandhana is also very experienced in T20 competitions over the world as she has already competed in the Big Bash for Brisbane Heat. Very recently too she captained the IPL Trailblazers in the Women’s T20 challenge in India ahead of IPL Qualifier One. Excitingly for the KSL and its growth, Mandhana is the first Indian player to play in the KSL and this marks an opportunity for more Indian women to be involved in a competition that is growing from strength to strength.

LANCASHIRE THUNDER

After a disappointing 2017 KSL in which they lost all five games, Lancashire Thunder will be looking to bounce back in this year’s competition. They are a team full of promising young players combined with some world class international players such as New Zealand top order batsman Amy Satterthwaite. Satterthwaite has captained Thunder from the start of the KSL and has been the leading run scorer in both seasons. Therefore, if Thunder are to come back stronger this year, it’s crucial that Satterthwaite continues her great form in the competition. The player I am most excited to see this summer for Thunder is Sophie Ecclestone. Known for her economical bowling and ability to take wickets at key moments, Ecclestone will be a huge threat in this year’s KSL. After two years with Thunder, there are high expectations of a successful season for her.

SOUTHERN VIPERS

The Southern Vipers have been very impressive in both KSL seasons. In 2016 they won the competition after beating Western Storm by seven wickets in the final, and they were runners-up in last year’s competition after losing to Western Storm. The Vipers were strong in every game last season, winning four out of five games, and have been the KSL’s most consistent performers. It will be interesting to see how the team adapts to the new dynamic without the experience of Charlotte Edwards as Suzie Bates replaces her as captain for this year’s competition. The player to watch for the Vipers is Bates who not only has twelve years’ international experience but also is a hard hitting batter who is a consistent run scorer. Her consistency at the top of the order will be vital to ensuring the Vipers continue the success that they have had over the past two years of the competition.

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING

Loughborough lightning have shown great promise in the last two KSLs and will hope this year to build on the momentum they have created to compete for this year’s title. Again, with a good mix of experience and youth, Lightning have a good team dynamic and this is helped greatly by the experience of established international players such as Sophie Devine. They also have spinners Kirstie Gordon and Linsey Smith who will be hoping to put some strong performances in to push for places on the international scene. The lightning will be hoping it's third year lucky and get closer to winning this year’s competition.  

YORKSHIRE DIAMONDS

The Yorkshire Diamonds have been in a similar position to Loughborough Lightning over the past two years of the KSL, lots of potential but results on the day not going their way. Therefore, they’ll hope this year that the experience they’ve gained from two years of the competition will ensure they are more than ready to compete for the title this year. The player to look out for is one of England’s leading pace bowlers, Katherine Brunt. Her ability to bring out variations in her bowling and her reliability as a wicket taker will be crucial to the Yorkshire Diamonds gaining greater ground in this year’s competition.

SURREY STARS

Surrey Stars have performed strongly in both KSL seasons’ but have yet managed to reach the final of the competition. They’ll have high aspirations for this season and their squad has been greatly strengthened with the arrival of Sarah Taylor, having made the swap from Lancashire Thunder with spinner Alex Hartley making the move the other way. The Stars have also lost England opening batsman Tammy Beaumont as she has completed a move to last year’s beaten finalists Southern Vipers. However, the Stars have strengths in many areas especially with England all-rounded Natalie Sciver. She is not only a dynamic batter (and even has invented her own shot the ‘natmeg’) but she is also a consistent bowler and strong fielder. The experience she has gained from her years with England will greatly support the Stars and their aspirations for their first KSL title this season.

Overall, with the KSL being bigger than ever this year, with each team playing each other home and away, it will be very exciting to see the competition gain further momentum in raising the awareness of the women’s game.