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72-626: Playing kit Western Storm were a women's cricket team that represented South West England and Wales , one of eight regional hubs in English domestic cricket. They primarily played their home matches at the County Ground, Taunton , the County Ground, Bristol and Sophia Gardens . They were captained by Sophie Luff and coached by Trevor Griffin . The team were partnered with Somerset , Gloucestershire , Glamorgan , Devon , Cornwall , Wiltshire and Cricket Wales . Originally formed to compete in

144-673: A cork core layered with tightly wound string. The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire , with the first international matches in the second half of the 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules,

216-456: A public school education who had then gone to one of Cambridge or Oxford University . Society insisted that such people were "officers and gentlemen" whose destiny was to provide leadership. In a purely financial sense, the cricketing amateur would theoretically claim expenses for playing while his professional counterpart played under contract and was paid a wage or match fee; in practice, many amateurs claimed more than actual expenditure, and

288-458: A T20I against Australia . Gibson was born on 30 April 2001 in Cheltenham , Gloucestershire . Gibson made her county debut in 2014, for Gloucestershire against Oxfordshire . She scored a duck and did not bowl. The following season, she hit her List A high score, scoring 73 in a victory over Buckinghamshire , and took 3/17 in the same match. In the 2016 Women's County Championship , she

360-561: A collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long trousers; woolen pullover (if needed); cricket cap (for fielding) or a safety helmet; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white, and this remains the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, team colours are now worn instead. i) A used white ball. White balls are mainly used in limited overs cricket , especially in matches played at night, under floodlights (left). The essence of

432-454: A fence, part of the stands, a rope, a painted line, or a combination of these; the boundary must if possible be marked along its entire length. In the approximate centre of the field is a rectangular pitch (see image, below) on which a wooden target called a wicket is sited at each end; the wickets are placed 22 yards (20 m) apart. The pitch is a flat surface 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, with very short grass that tends to be worn away as

504-598: A highly popular format, putting the longer formats at risk. The new shorter format also introduced franchise cricket, with new tournaments like the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash League . The ICC has selected the T20 format as cricket's growth format, and has introduced a T20 World Cup which is played every two years; T20 cricket has also been increasingly accepted into major events such as

576-452: A key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it is thought, a " wicket gate " through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. The cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "groups" of "club ball" games: the "hockey group", in which the ball is driven to and from between two targets (the goals); the "golf group", in which the ball is driven towards an undefended target (the hole); and

648-557: A professionalised Somerset team. Western Storm were formed in 2016 to compete in the new Women's Cricket Super League , representing the South West. In their inaugural season , they came second in the group stage, meaning they progressed to the semi-final, which they won against Loughborough Lightning . However, they lost in the final by seven wickets to the Southern Vipers . One of Western Storm's overseas players, Stafanie Taylor ,

720-433: A set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours. Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit , but in limited overs cricket , they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by the ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with a slightly raised sewn seam enclosing

792-665: A victory over Essex . She played two matches for Wales in the 2021 Women's Twenty20 Cup , scoring 32 runs and taking 3 wickets. Ahead of the 2023 season, she re-joined Gloucestershire. Gibson was also in the Western Storm squad in the Women's Cricket Super League between 2017 and 2019. Whilst she did not play a match in 2017, in 2018 she was ever-present as her side reached the semi-final. She took 5 wickets at an average of 27.20. She only appeared in one match in 2019 due to injury. In 2020, Gibson continued to play for Western Storm in

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864-402: A wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to the newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being

936-416: A winner or tie.) The wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder behind the batter) and the batters wear protective gear because of the hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and presents a major health and safety concern. Protective clothing includes pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or wicket-keeper's gloves for

1008-449: Is certain that cricket was being played c.  1550 by boys in Surrey . The view that it was originally a children's game is reinforced by Randle Cotgrave 's 1611 English- French dictionary in which he defined the noun " crosse " as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket", and the verb form " crosser " as "to play at cricket". One possible source for the sport's name

1080-423: Is drawn four feet in front of the bowling crease and parallel to it; although it is drawn as a 12 ft (3.7 m) line (six feet on either side of the wicket), it is, in fact, unlimited in length. The return creases are drawn at right angles to the popping crease so that they intersect the ends of the bowling crease; each return crease is drawn as an 8 ft (2.4 m) line, so that it extends four feet behind

1152-635: Is known, through numerous references found in the records of ecclesiastical court cases, to have been proscribed at times by the Puritans before and during the Commonwealth . The problem was nearly always the issue of Sunday play, as the Puritans considered cricket to be "profane" if played on the Sabbath , especially if large crowds or gambling were involved. According to the social historian Derek Birley , there

1224-556: Is the Old English word " cryce " (or " cricc " ) meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson 's Dictionary , he derived cricket from " cryce , Saxon, a stick". In Old French , the word " criquet " seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy ,

1296-460: Is the earliest mention of adult participation in cricket and it was around the same time that the earliest known organised inter-parish or village match was played, at Chevening, Kent . In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall died after he was accidentally struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. Cricket remained a low-key local pursuit for much of the 17th century. It

1368-787: The Laws of Cricket , are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . The sport is followed primarily in South Asia , Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Southern Africa , and the West Indies . Women's cricket , which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia , which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups , more than any other country, and has been

1440-557: The 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . She appeared in one match, scoring 33 * in a victory over Sunrisers . In December 2020, it was announced that Gibson was one of the 41 female cricketers that had signed a full-time domestic contract. She continued playing for Storm in 2021, taking 3 wickets in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and 7 wickets in the Charlotte Edwards Cup . She also played for London Spirit in

1512-567: The Asian Games . The resultant growth has seen cricket's fanbase cross one billion people, with 90% of them in South Asia. T20's success has also spawned even shorter formats , such as 10-over cricket (T10) and 100-ball cricket , though not without controversy. Outside factors have also taken their toll on cricket. For example, the 2008 Mumbai attacks led India and Pakistan to suspend their bilateral series indefinitely. The 2009 attack on

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1584-629: The British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas, and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in Australia , the Caribbean , British India (which includes present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh ), New Zealand , North America and South Africa . In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. The first Australian team to travel overseas consisted of Aboriginal stockmen who toured England in 1868 . In 1876–77, an England team took part in what

1656-461: The Dukes of Richmond , exerted their honour code of noblesse oblige to claim rights of leadership in any sporting contests they took part in, especially as it was necessary for them to play alongside their "social inferiors" if they were to win their bets. In time, a perception took hold that the typical amateur who played in first-class cricket, until 1962 when amateurism was abolished, was someone with

1728-551: The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the newly-formed Twenty20 competition, the Charlotte Edwards Cup . In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy the side finished sixth out of eight teams, winning three of their seven matches, including a one-wicket victory in their opening match against North West Thunder . Storm captain Sophie Luff was the leading run-scorer across the whole tournament with 417 runs, including 157 * made in

1800-526: The Women's Cricket Super League in 2016, Western Storm won the competition twice, in 2017 and 2019 . When women's cricket in England was reformed in 2020, the Western Storm brand was retained, and they competed in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup . At the end of the 2024 season, following reforms to the structure of women's domestic cricket, the team was effectively replaced by

1872-430: The batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats , while one player from the fielding team, the bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of the pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these exchanges. Runs are also scored when

1944-780: The inaugural season of The Hundred , scoring 108 runs at a strike rate of 180.00, as well as taking 3 wickets. She was ever-present for Western Storm in 2022, across the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . She took six wickets in the Charlotte Edwards Cup at an average of 25.66, as well as scoring 96 runs. She was Storm's second-highest run-scorer in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 176 runs including half-centuries against Northern Diamonds and North West Thunder , as well as taking five wickets. She also played every match for London Spirit in The Hundred , scoring 46 runs and taking five wickets. Ahead of

2016-401: The top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in the "club ball" sphere that involve hitting a ball with a hand-held implement. Others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging in the more specific bat-and-ball games category ), golf , hockey , tennis , squash , badminton and table tennis . In cricket's case,

2088-569: The "cricket group", in which "the ball is aimed at a mark (the wicket) and driven away from it". It is generally believed that cricket originated as a children's game in the south-eastern counties of England, sometime during the medieval period . Although there are claims for prior dates, the earliest definite reference to cricket being played comes from evidence given at a court case in Guildford in January 1597 ( Old Style , equating to January 1598 in

2160-570: The 2023 season, she was named as vice-captain of Western Storm, and captained her first game for the side in the absence of regular captain Sophie Luff on 29 April 2023. She played 12 matches for the side that season, across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup , and was the side's leading wicket-taker in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, with eight wickets at an average of 21.25, alongside scoring two half-centuries. She also played six matches for London Spirit in The Hundred , and

2232-458: The 2024 season. Cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field , at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps . Two players from

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2304-571: The Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, " met de (krik ket)sen " ("with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin. Although the main object of the game has always been to score the most runs , the early form of cricket differed from the modern game in certain key technical aspects; the North American variant of cricket known as wicket retained many of these aspects. The ball

2376-424: The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, winning three of their matches. In 2023, they finished sixth out of eight in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and bottom of the group in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . In 2024, the side finished seventh in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and eighth in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . 2024 was the side's final season, with reforms to the structure of domestic cricket in England meaning that

2448-560: The Sri Lankan team during their tour of Pakistan led to Pakistan being unable to host matches until 2019. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations. In cricket, the rules of the game are codified in The Laws of Cricket (hereinafter called "the Laws"), which has a global remit. There are 42 Laws (always written with a capital "L"). The earliest known version of

2520-418: The ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally . The fielding team tries to prevent runs from being scored by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Means of dismissal include being bowled , when the ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting

2592-449: The batting team are on the field at any given time. The order of batters is usually announced just before the match, but it can be varied. The main objective of each team is to score more runs than their opponents, but in some forms of cricket, it is also necessary to dismiss all but one of the opposition batters (making their team 'all out') in their final innings in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn (not ending with

2664-421: The bowling crease, but is also, in fact, unlimited in length. Before a match begins, the team captains (who are also players) toss a coin to decide which team will bat first and so take the first innings . "Innings" is the term used for each phase of play in the match. In each innings, one team bats, attempting to score runs , while the other team bowls and fields the ball , attempting to restrict

2736-479: The code was drafted in 1744, and since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played on a cricket field (see image of cricket pitch and creases) between two teams of eleven players each. The field is usually circular or oval in shape, and the edge of the playing area is marked by a boundary , which may be

2808-503: The competition. Gibson has also played for various England Academy and Development teams, beginning in 2014. In November 2024, Gibson joined Somerset . In January 2023, Gibson was named in an England squad for the first time, as a travelling reserve for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup . In June 2023, she was named in England's squad for their Test match against Australia . She made her T20I debut for England against Australia , on 1 July 2023. She played all three matches in

2880-548: The derisive term "shamateur" was coined to describe the practice. The game underwent major development in the 18th century to become England's national sport . Its success was underwritten by the twin necessities of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and, in the middle years of the century, large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury . The single wicket form of

2952-405: The earliest known contest that is generally considered a First Class match. The patrons and other players from the gentry began to classify themselves as " amateurs " to establish a clear distinction from the professionals, who were invariably members of the working class , even to the point of having separate changing and dining facilities. The gentry, including such high-ranking nobles as

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3024-456: The existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, de facto professional. Grace himself was said to have been paid more money for playing cricket than any professional. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the " Golden Age of cricket ". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from

3096-518: The final for the first time. There, they faced Southern Vipers in a repeat of the first ever WCSL final. Chasing 173 to win, Storm captain Heather Knight scored 78* as her side were victorious with an over to spare. Western Storm therefore ended the WCSL as the most successful team, with two title wins. Bowler Freya Davies was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. In 2020, women's cricket in England

3168-494: The final match against Sunrisers . In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, Storm narrowly missed out on qualifying for Finals Day on Net Run Rate, finishing second in Group B with four wins from their six matches. Storm bowler Nicole Harvey was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 12 wickets at an average of 9.41. Ahead of the 2022 season, it was announced that O'Leary was stepping down from his role as Head Coach. Dan Helesfay

3240-482: The final, and was the tournament's leading run-scorer. In 2018 , Western Storm again reached finals day, finishing third in the group stage, but were defeated by the Surrey Stars in the semi-final. Storm's Smriti Mandhana was the leading run-scorer and player of the tournament. In the final season of the WCSL, 2019 , Western Storm won 9 out of their 10 group stage games, topping the group and progressing straight to

3312-631: The first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975 . Sri Lanka joined the ranks in 1982. Meanwhile, South Africa was banned by the ICC due to apartheid from 1970 until 1992. 1992 also brought about the introduction of the Zimbabwe team . The 21st century brought with it the Bangladesh Team , who made their Test debut in 2000. The game itself also grew, with a new format made up of 20-over innings being created. This format, called T20 cricket , quickly became

3384-450: The game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs , starting with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight leading county clubs formed the official County Championship , which began in 1890. The most famous player of the 19th century was W. G. Grace , who started his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during the career of Grace that the distinction between amateurs and professionals became blurred by

3456-424: The game progresses (cricket can also be played on artificial surfaces, notably matting). Each wicket is made of three wooden stumps topped by two bails . As illustrated, the pitch is marked at each end with four white painted lines: a bowling crease , a popping crease and two return creases . The three stumps are aligned centrally on the bowling crease, which is eight feet eight inches long. The popping crease

3528-432: The game quickly grew from 500 tests in 84 years to 1000 within the next 23. Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative, and the number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971, and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC), seeing its potential, staged

3600-421: The greatest Test batter of all time. To curb his dominance, England employed bodyline tactics during the 1932–33 Ashes series . These involved bowling at the body of the batter and setting a field, resulting in batters having to choose between being hit or risk getting out. This series moved cricket from a game to a matter of national importance , with diplomatic cables being passed between the two countries over

3672-529: The hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batters wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in positions very close to the batter (i.e., if they are alongside or in front of him), but they cannot wear gloves or external leg guards. Subject to certain variations, on-field clothing generally includes

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3744-515: The incident. During this time, the number of Test nations continued to grow, with the West Indies , New Zealand and India being admitted as full Test members within a four-year period from 1928 to 1932. An enforced break during the Second World War stopped Test Cricket for a time, although the Partition of India caused Pakistan to gain Test status in 1952. As teams began to travel more,

3816-413: The modern calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain plot of land, and the court heard the testimony of a 59-year-old coroner , John Derrick , who gave witness that: Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies. Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, and so it

3888-541: The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) " krick " ( -e ), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " , meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church that resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University , "cricket" derives from

3960-412: The scoring and dismiss the batters. When the first innings ends, the teams change roles; there can be two to four innings depending upon the type of match. A match with four scheduled innings is played over three to five days; a match with two scheduled innings is usually completed in a single day. During an innings, all eleven members of the fielding team take the field, but usually only two members of

4032-522: The series, taking two wickets. She was later named in the ODI squad in the same series, but did not play a match. Later that summer, she was named in England's squad for their series against Sri Lanka . She played all three T20Is during the series, taking one wicket and scoring 21 from 15 deliveries in the 3rd T20I. In December 2023, she was awarded her first central contract with England. She played one match during England's tour of India that same month. She

4104-427: The side was effectively replaced by a professionalised Somerset team. Final squad, 2024 season. The Western Storm Academy team played against other regional academies in friendly and festival matches across various formats. The Academy selected players from across the South West and Wales regions, and included some players who are also in the first team squad. Players in the 2023/24 Academy are listed below: As of

4176-443: The sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season . Bowling underwent an evolution around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch (bounce) the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batter. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club

4248-413: The sport is that a bowler delivers (i.e., bowls) the ball from their end of the pitch towards the batter who, armed with a bat , is "on strike" at the other end (see next sub-section: Basic gameplay ). The bat is made of wood, usually Salix alba (white willow), and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide and

4320-631: The total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (97 cm). There is no standard for the weight, which is usually between 2 lb 7 oz and 3 lb (1.1 and 1.4 kg). Danielle Gibson (cricketer) Danielle Rose Gibson (born 30 April 2001) is an English cricketer who currently plays for Somerset , London Spirit . An all-rounder , she plays as a right-arm medium bowler and right-handed batter . She has previously played for Wales , Western Storm and Adelaide Strikers . She made her international debut for England in July 2023, in

4392-523: The war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed. In 1844, the first-ever international match took place between what were essentially club teams, from the United States and Canada , in Toronto ; Canada won. In 1859, a team of English players went to North America on the first overseas tour . Meanwhile,

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4464-651: Was bowled underarm by the bowler and along the ground towards a batter armed with a bat that in shape resembled a hockey stick ; the batter defended a low, two-stump wicket ; and runs were called notches because the scorers recorded them by notching tally sticks. In 1611, the year Cotgrave 's dictionary was published, ecclesiastical court records at Sidlesham in Sussex state that two parishioners, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12 d each and ordered to do penance . This

4536-483: Was Gloucestershire's leading wicket-taker, with 13 wickets at an average of 9.69, with a best of 4/9 from 7 overs against Norfolk . She had another strong season in 2017, especially with the ball, and took her maiden county five-for, 5/17, against Cornwall . Gibson moved to Wales ahead of the 2018 season, and was their joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2018 Women's Twenty20 Cup , with 9 wickets. In 2019, she hit her first half-century for her new side, scoring 57 in

4608-538: Was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration " in 1660. Several members of the court of King Charles II took a strong interest in cricket during that era. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £ 100, which was, in any case, a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with horse racing , as well as prizefighting and other types of blood sport , cricket

4680-407: Was appointed as interim Head Coach for the Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign, with Trevor Griffin , who had coached the side between 2017 and 2019, returning to the club to take the role on a permanent basis ahead of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . The side finished third in their group in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, with three wins from their six matches. They finished fourth in the group of eight in

4752-561: Was both the leading run-scorer and leading wicket-taker, and was subsequently named player of the tournament. In 2017 , Western Storm finished third in the group stage, again progressing to the semi-final, which they won against the Surrey Stars . In a rematch against the Southern Vipers, this time the Storm emerged victorious, winning by seven wickets and claiming their first WCSL title. Western Storm overseas player Rachel Priest scored 72 in

4824-592: Was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket . New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century include the three-stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). The 19th century saw underarm bowling superseded by first roundarm and then overarm bowling . Both developments were controversial. Organisation of

4896-490: Was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport that was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers—the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece",

4968-570: Was played, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . Western Storm won 4 of their 6 games, finishing second in the South Group and therefore failing to progress to the final. At the end of the season, six Storm players were given full-time domestic contracts, the first of their kind in England: Sophie Luff, Danielle Gibson , Fi Morris , Georgia Hennessy , Nat Wraith and Alex Griffiths . The following season, 2021, Western Storm competed in both

5040-470: Was restructured, creating eight new 'regional hub' teams, with the intention of playing both 50-over and 20-over cricket. The Western Storm brand was retained after this restructuring, with some differences to the squad and coaching staff. Sophie Luff was named as captain of the side, whilst Mark O'Leary became the coach. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 season was truncated, and only 50-over cricket

5112-471: Was retrospectively recognised as the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia . The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882, which remains Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The inter-war years were dominated by Australia 's Don Bradman , statistically

5184-417: Was the side's leading run-scorer with 146 runs, alongside four wickets. In 2024, she played seven matches for Western Storm, across the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup , scoring one half-century. In September 2023, she was drafted by Adelaide Strikers for the 2023–24 Women's Big Bash League season . She played 13 matches, scoring 115 runs and taking 10 wickets as her side won

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