England, Kiwi women raring to go

However, the women have always been playing second fiddle to men but in what can be termed as an encouraging sign, women’s cricket has improved by leaps and bounds and the future looks promising too.

While Chennai, a city known for its cricket tradition, had to be content with women’s matches due to an ongoing stands feud, the England women’s team had a first look at the playing conditions on Wednesday, two days ahead of their first qualifier against New Zealand. 

England skipper Charlotte Edwards oozed confidence and said the conditions aren’t alien. “We played here three years ago. This is a country we love playing in. I had a look at the wickets and they look good,” Edwards said. Suzie Bates, captaining New Zealand, concurred with her opposite number and said her team is determined to go all the way. The White Ferns had reached final in the 2009 and 2010 World T20 but could only finish second. 

“It was disappointing on not being able to finish on a high. The recent series we played (against Australia) has been good and the World Cup is always a closely-fought tournament,” Bates said. The captains hinted that the women’s game is evolving for the better. 

“The difference in the last two years has been massive. It is great to see so many teams competing and that makes the game move forward at a rapid rate,” they added. Bates, who played basketball for New Zealand in the 2008 Olympics, said more opportunities lured her to cricket. 

“We have many players in the team who are international hockey players too. We play many sports back in New Zealand and for now, I am truly excited to be a part of women’s cricket due to the immense opportunities it offers,” Bates added. Both the captains said they were looking forward to winning their warm-up match on Saturday