You may have noticed an absence of any Christmas or New Year comment this year. I have been, unusually for someone still in England, so involved in other cricket matters I was simply having to decided whether you'd like to read my latest words (probably not) at a time when you'd be busy yourselves, although possibly having partaken of enough of a suitable beverage might have made them seem more worthwhile than they may appear at the beginning of February! I did write something in the autumn.

 

However 2019 was an interesting (and sad) year. You'll find much of my thoughts for 2020 in a previous 'Ramble'.

 

Did it have any memorable moments? The answer, as in all seasons, has to be 'yes'. Here's one web-site's idea of the top 10. although you'll notice England simply don't feature, at least unless you count being on the wrong end of Lanning and Perry during the ODI section of the Ashes series. Well I suppose I did really.

 

Watching this lady bat for instance (here in a warm-up game in 2019) is always a pleasure.

 

 

 

Meg Lanning is a true artist of the game. Even when trying to acquire runs at a fast rate she never seems to lose the grace that comes with playing as if she'd not just read the coaching manual, but probably written it.

 

As does Ellyse Perry (below) with ball or bat in hand.

 

 

And seeing Meg in whites remind me of one 'gong' I would definitely have handed out during the summer when, having suggested to anyone listening that England should declare behind during the Test Match, the management had the courage of their convictions and did just that.  As mentioned in the Ramble before I know the Australians didn't need to, the Ashes were in the bag with a drawn game, but where was the much vaunted fighting spirit. The Aussies were not prepared to "C'mon" that day, when it would have been easy to take a run at it and put up shop if it looked like going wrong.

 

If I have to pick one moment that stands out for me, or to be more accurate one innings then I have to turn to the last series of the KSL to illustrate one of the finest, possible the finest, that that tournament produced. If you were not at Arundel that day you missed a real treat when Danni Wyatt struck 110, which I also mentioned late last year. Here's a few pics from that day that can't, unfortunately, really capture the electric atmosphere created by this brilliant knock.