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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 1d

England far from perfect, but hard to go too far wrong if you get Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone near their best.

Imperious and a class apart, Nat Sciver-Brunt shows the way | The Cricketer

England still have their imperfections to iron out at this World Cup, but if Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone are near their best, they won't go far wrong

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 1d

PCA chief exec Daryl Mitchell expecting back-to-back Blast matches to be "significantly reduced rather than completely eradicated" in 2026.

Also says that he's spoken to Alan Fordham about the draft structure for next year, which threw up several issues.

Back-to-back T20 Blast games expected to be significantly reduced in 2026 | The Cricketer

The Professional Cricketers' Association expects to see a significant decrease in the number of T20 Blast matches played by counties on consecutive days in 2026

www.thecricketer.com

Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 1d

Linsey Smith out in the middle for England at No.10, which makes her the first left-handed batter to face a ball at a World Cup for England Women since Lydia Greenway in 2013.

By ending 5*, she becomes England's fifth-highest left-handed run-scorer at Women's World Cups, ever.

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 1d

Some very mediocre third-umpiring at this World Cup so far, but expediting ball-tracker where the ball's pitched outside leg ahead of Ultradge is a long-overdue development.

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Reposted by Nick Friend

The Cricketer @thecricketer.com · 2d

Adi Birrell could be set for a new role in next year's Hundred | @nickfriend.bsky.social

Former Hampshire coach in line for Northern Superchargers women's role | The Cricketer

Adi Birrell could be set for a new role in next year's Hundred, with the former Hampshire head coach expected to lead Northern Superchargers' women's side

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 2d

Always good to chat with Kate Cross, who hasn't yet decided whether to keep playing next year after losing her central contract.

Kate Cross weighing up playing future after losing central contract | The Cricketer

Kate Cross will take her time over the next couple of months to decide whether to continue her playing career, after losing her central contract

www.thecricketer.com

Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 3d

Also in this, per Flintoff news yesterday, Luke Williams not yet sure whether he'll be Southern Brave's head coach in next year's Hundred. Led them to this year's final with a perfect record but depends now on GMR Group.

Luke Williams, the WPL-winning head coach on Charlotte Edwards' backroom staff | The Cricketer

England have turned to Luke Williams, with WBBL and WPL titles to his name as a head coach, as Charlotte Edwards' assistant; the pair have worked with and against each other for the last decade

www.thecricketer.com

Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 3d

Interesting move from England Women. Understand that their two bowling coaches - Matt Mason and Chris Liddle - have effectively swapped jobs.

Mason becomes national fast-bowling lead, while Liddle takes his place as an assistant to Charlotte Edwards.

England Women bowling coaches in job swap | The Cricketer

Matt Mason and Chris Liddle have swapped coaching roles with England Women, The Cricketer understands

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 3d

Has gone under the radar, but Luke Williams is now England Women's assistant coach.

Between him and Charlotte Edwards, as arguably the two leading head coaches on the women's franchise circuit, they've won all three WPLs, two WBBLs & been to four Hundred finals.

Interview:

Luke Williams, the WPL-winning head coach on Charlotte Edwards' backroom staff | The Cricketer

England have turned to Luke Williams, with WBBL and WPL titles to his name as a head coach, as Charlotte Edwards' assistant; the pair have worked with and against each other for the last decade

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 5d

Don't need to be captain to lead from the front. Clutch, tournament batting from Heather Knight:

No longer the captain, Heather Knight continues to lead from the front | The Cricketer

To pull off that knock, after that injury, with sweat pouring down her face and fewer than half her 79 runs coming in boundaries, spoke volumes for Heather Knight's enduring commitment to the cause

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 5d

Heather Knight: 15 off 50, then 64 off 61 with wickets tumbling around her. Serious knock, her first proper hit since May. Still absolutely massive for this England team.

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 6d

Three winters ago, Nathan Sowter was released by Middlesex and thought he was done. Last week, now firmly established as one of the country's best white-ball spinners, he picked up a £75k deal at the ILT20 auction.

Interview about heartening career arc.

Nathan Sowter: Of all the wickets you get, getting dad out in the backyard is still the best of them | The Cricketer

Released by Middlesex in 2022, Nathan Sowter has established himself as one of the country's top white-ball spinners, starred in the Hundred final and earned a £75,000 deal for this winter's ILT20

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 9d

England love Linsey Smith because of the way that she simplifies the game.

Pretty straightforward sport if you just bowl at the stumps. Few in the women's game do it better.

Linsey Smith leads way as brilliant England target the stumps | The Cricketer

While the wickets were shared around, Linsey Smith did the terminal damage as England judged conditions perfectly, with six South Africans bowled and another trapped in front

www.thecricketer.com

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Reposted by Nick Friend

Nadine Batchelor-Hunt @nadinebh.bsky.social · 10d

Bomb proof doors. Barbed wire. Coordinating with police. Community security service. Drilling congregants about the security protocol. Withholding the details of events publicly for security reasons. Always being on high alert. The list goes on.

And it’s still not enough.

What more can we do?

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 11d

I was at Radlett for Thomas Rew's One Day Cup debut in August. Very early days, but you suspect his career will reach grander venues, beginning with a winter Lions tour.

Nice to sit down with him: a wise, level head on extremely talented shoulders.

Thomas Rew, the 17-year-old prodigy going on an England Lions tour | The Cricketer

Thomas Rew has captained England at under-19 level and displayed glimpses of his talent during Somerset's One Day Cup campaign, leading to an early Lions opportunity alongside his older brother

www.thecricketer.com

Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 11d

Kinda weird story, this. Gloucestershire head coach Mark Alleyne has become Marlborough College's head of cricket. The club insist that this basically amounts to a slight reduction in his winter hours, but optically a strange situation.

Gloucestershire head coach Mark Alleyne takes on additional role | The Cricketer

The restructuring of the coaching setup at Gloucestershire, which was already set to include the appointment of a director of cricket, has taken an unexpected turn

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 13d

Henry Cullen hitting the winning runs in the One Day Cup final was a beautiful, poignant thing. He and Josh Baker were best mates, and the last 16 months have been incredibly tough.

It was emotional listening to him. Special guy, who deserved that moment.

Henry Cullen, Worcestershire's One Day Cup hero: It doesn't stop, I think about Josh every day | The Cricketer

The last 16 months have been extremely hard for Henry Cullen since Josh Baker, his best mate, passed away, so it was poetic last Saturday when it fell on him to hit the winning runs for Worcestershire

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 14d

Gloucestershire "almost certainly" in for an overseas quick, plus another domestic seamer, in their attempts to rebuild their bowling attack.

Just 79 of the wickets taken by their bowlers in this season's Champo are set to be at the club in 2026.

Gloucestershire facing busy winter after seamer exodus: We'll have to get more bowlers in | The Cricketer

With at least five seamers leaving Bristol ahead of next season, Gloucestershire have no choice but to rebuild their bowling attack in the coming months

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 14d

Middlesex stepping up plans to offer contracts to players in their tier-two women's team "in the next six to nine months".

The standout team this year's competition, and aiming to force the ECB's hand around tier one promotion.

Middlesex aiming to step up professionalisation of women's team in next six to nine months | The Cricketer

Middlesex dominated the first tier-two season and have long planned to offer professional contracts to their players

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 15d

Final game to finish in the last round of matches. Middlesex got Fletch, their outgoing head of comms, to do the team-talk. As far as late-September dead rubbers go, a very decent game.

Middlesex sign off with win to mark end of domestic summer | The Cricketer

If you're not on the franchise circuit, nor off to Australia – either on an Ashes tour or for a grade winter – then the next time you'll do this is six months away; this is where it ends

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 16d

Expect Dane Vilas to have a good chance of becoming Middlesex's head coach on a permanent basis, but not a guarantee: they're opening applicatons for the role next week.

Dane Vilas among contenders as Middlesex launch head coach search | The Cricketer

Dane Vilas is expected to be a strong favourite to become Middlesex's head coach on a permanent basis after impressing in an interim capacity

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 17d

A day full of grim irony for Gloucestershire: five wickets on a flat pitch for Ajeet Singh Dale in his last appearance before joining Lancs; then two wickets for Zafar Gohar, a quality spinner who played for them until this summer.

Ajeet Singh Dale gives final reminder of what Gloucestershire will miss | The Cricketer

He will become a Lancashire player next month, and Gloucestershire – who play their home games on surfaces like this – will lose a slingy, skiddy quick, with an ever-enhancing, well-founded reputation

www.thecricketer.com

Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 17d

Women's T20 County Cup retained for next year's schedule after this summer's launch. Slight tweak expected - will be played across the summer rather than jammed into May, following various issues with venue availability.

Women's T20 County Cup set for wider berth in 2026 | The Cricketer

The T20 County Cup is set to be played across a greater portion of the summer in 2026, following its trial run earlier this year, The Cricketer understands

www.thecricketer.com

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Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 18d

"Please recognise that our voting against 12-6 was not a vote for the status quo."

Confirmation from Gloucestershire that they would have abstained in the schedule vote if given the option.

On the field, they spent the day chasing Leus du Plooy's 171*.

We would have abstained: County Championship vote adds intrigue to Lord's dead rubber | The Cricketer

While Gloucestershire were being worn down by Leus du Plooy's unbeaten century, their chair, Peter Matthews, put out a nuanced statement reflecting his county's stance on the domestic schedule

www.thecricketer.com

Nick Friend @nickfriend.bsky.social · 18d

A piece about the last few months. What started with consensus for change, ended without consensus for what that change should look like.

How can there be no compromise given everybody agreed it isn't fit for purpose? | The Cricketer

There will be no change to the County Championship structure for next year after several months' discussion and debate failed to provide consensus among the counties when put to a vote

www.thecricketer.com