Strikers Stun Scorchers

A look back at today’s WBBL12 game between Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers, a mention of the state of the table there, and a photo gallery.

This morning UK time the WBBL saw Perth Scorchers taking on Adelaide Strikers at the WACA in Perth. Scorchers had won all five of their matches, a distinction they shared with Sydney Sixers, while Adelaide Strikers had played four matches and had won two and lost two. This post looks at a match that was settled by two extraordinary performances.

THE STRIKERS INNINGS

The Strikers were powered past 200 largely by Laura Wolvaardt. The South African star, possessor of possibly the finest cover drive in contemporary cricket regardless of sex, scored 83 not out from 45 balls. Emma de Broughe, a 26 year old local player who had not played at this level before this season, scored a 50, but was reprieved a number of times along the way. Madeline Penna gave the scoring a late boost with 44 off just 19 balls. In among the carnage young fast bowler Chloe Ainsworth somehow took 1-23 from her four overs, conceding at about half the rate that her team mates did.

THE SCORCHERS RESPONSE

The spotlight passed from one southern African cricketer to another. Anesu Mushangwe, a 30 year old leg spinner from Zimbabwe, dominated this innings, starting in the fourth over in the course of which she claimed the two biggest threats in the Scorchers line up, Beth Mooney caught by Bouchier for 7 and Sophie Devine caught by Wolvaardt for a duck. That was 24-2. The first ball of the sixth over beat and bowled Katie Mack for 14 to make it 33-3. Freya Kemp and Mikayla Friday now made a bit of a stand, ended when Kemp was caught by keeper Ellie Johnston off Tahlia McGrath for 28. Chloe Piparo provided Friday with further support, contributing 10 to a fifth stand of 37. Veteran seamer Megan Schutt accounted for Friday for 41 with the aid of a catch by Penna. Alana King became Mushangwe’s fourth victim of the innings, clean bowled for 7 to make it 127-7. Fatima Sana now joined Chloe Ainsworth, and they added 14 together before Sana was caught and bowled by Amanda-Jade Wellington. Four balls later Ainsworth was headed the same way, caught by Ella Wilson off Mushangwe to give the Zimbabwean her fifth wicket. A sixth scalp would have put her all time top of the Strikers innings figures, but she was denied that. She ended with 5-11, the fourth best ever for the Strikers behind Schutt’s 6-19 and two hauls of 5-8 taken by Wellington. Lilly Mills and Amy Edgar (who at one time batted eight places higher than her current number 11 slot) played out time with the score 151-9. Strikers won by 51 runs, and Mushangwe was named Player of the Match, for me the right decision since in this format five-fors are somewhat rarer than individual 80s (though neither can be called commonplace). Scorecard here.

THE TABLE

Today’s result has dropped Scorchers below Sydney Sixers and the latter have a game in hand as well (though both are virtually certain to qualify). Brisbane Heat with four wins and two losses sit third, and Strikers, now with an overall winning record sit fourth, and in the last qualifying slot. Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades still have some hope of qualifying, though I reckon you would generous odds from a bookie, while Melbourne Stars with one win and five losses and Hobart Hurricanes with six straight losses are definitely not qualifying for the knockouts.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

On Monday I treated myself to a day out in Norwich, largely to visit the Millennium library.
A caterpillar spotted this afternoon.

WBBL12: A Tripartite Table

A look at what is going on in WBBL12, a mention of my 20th autiversary and a photo gallery.

The group stage of the 12th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League is now halfway through. Six of the eight teams have played four games, while Adelaide Strikers have played three and Melbourne Stars have played five. This post looks at how the tournament is progressing.

SCORCHERS AND SIXERS SITTING PRETTY

The Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers have each won all four of their matches to date, and there is now a substantial gap between them and the rest.

THE MIDDLE GROUP

Sydney Thunder, Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Renegades and Adelaide Strikers come next in the pecking order. Thunder, Heat and Renegades have all won two and lost two, while Strikers have a match in hand, having won one and lost two. Two of these teams are likely to qualify. My own feeling, although their first win of the season, which I listened to on the radio, took them longer to seal than it should is that Heat are probably the pick of this bunch.

TIME TO PACK YOUR BAGS

Melbourne Stars have one win and four losses from their five games, being second bottom and having played a game more than anyone else at this stage. Hobart Hurricanes have lost all four of their games so far, and defending champions though they are I cannot see them turning things round. They were awful against Heat last time out, defeat with 10 balls remaining being in my reckoning rather better than they merited. Even with a slightly generous four teams out of eight qualifying it is hard to see how either of these two get anywhere near doing so.

20TH AUTIVERSARY

It was in November 2006, then 31 years old, that I was diagnosed as autistic. Twenty years on and secretary of the West Norfolk Autism Group, a charity set up due to disagreements between what was then NAS West Norfolk and the NAS head office (and how right we were to break away from them – in the years since we did so the ever greedy head office has seized all NAS branch funds – moneys donated specifically to help local branches operated) I continue to regard my diagnosis as a hugely important moment in my life, and one I wish to flag up on this blog.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

A grey squirrel looks out at the world from a vantage point in the branches of a large tree.
At the recently refurbished Pizza Express for a pizza making session this morning.

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous

A look at a fabulous WBBL match that should have been even more so, a brief mention of news from across the Atlantic and a large photo gallery.

The Women’s Big Bash League 2026 is underway in Australia. This morning UK time Hobart Hurricanes played host to Melbourne Renegades in a match that was great and should have been greater.

THE FIRST 39.5 OVERS

Hobart Hurricanes tallied 154-7 from their 20 overs. Nicola Carey scored a superb 62, and Chinelle Henry provided some late impetus with an 18 ball 36. Sophie Molineux starred with the ball, claiming 4-22. At 99-1 in response the Renegades looked poised for a huge win, but then three wickets fell quickly, including Hayley Matthews, who had been bossing the innings until she was bowled by Heather Graham for 59. Georgia Wareham played fluently, but neither Sophie Molineux nor Nicole Faltum found peak form. Deandra Dottin, held back until number eight, kept her side in the contest. The final over began with eight needed for the win. With two balls to go that was down to five. Dottin hit the penultimate ball for four to level the scores…

IT WAS THE BEST OF FINISHES, IT WAS THE WORST OF FINISHES

Nicola Carey, who had followed her fine innings with two wickets, rose to the occasion, and the final delivery was a dot, Dottin not getting bat to it and wicket keeper Lizelle Lee taking it. However, with everyone preparing for a super over, the TV replay umpire was busy looking at replays, and he established to his own satisfaction, but probably not to that of anyone else (even the Melbourne Renegades players if they are honest) that Lee had taken the ball fractionally in front of the stumps, which technically meant that delivery had to be called no-ball, and rather than the super over that the game deserved the Renegades were winners by four wickets with one ball to spare. It was a fabulous match, but what a shame that it was settled by the TV replay umpire and not out on the field.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Just before my usual sign off a brief mention of events across the Atlantic, which have left the USA with the lamest of lame duck presidents (both houses of Congress now have comfortable Democratic majorities, and there have been some other momentous results). Now for the gallery…

The first of ten rainbow pictures, taken on Monday.

It is Never Over Until the Fat Lady Sings

A look back at an extraordinary match that took place today at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore between England and Pakistan, a mention of a quiz night on Thursday and a photo gallery.

Today saw England and Pakistan face off at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore in the latest instalment of an ODI tri-series involving these two sides and Sri Lanka. England were badly in need of a win after losing each of their first two matches, and after failing to defend a score of 429 in their previous outing against Sri Lanka (a match I missed since I a combination of commitments kept me out and about for 14 hours that day) they had opted to strengthen their bowling, meaning that Sam Curran was scheduled to bat at number six. The stage was set for a crucial contest…

THE ENGLAND INNINGS

England started atrociously, losing three wickets in five overs. Just as they seemed to be mounting a recovery Jordan Cox suffered a truly horrendous dismissal, walking straight into a glaringly obvious trap set by Haris Rauf to present Babar Azam with a catch and make it 52-4. Sam Curran joined Ben Duckett in a fifth wicket stand that raised 90, and Duckett went on to a fine century. However, he and Liam Dawson were both out with the score at 187. When Overton was ninth out at 201, bringing debutant Henry Crocombe in to join Gus Atkinson it looked poor for England. The last wicket pair scored a further 40 between them, Atkinson ending unbeaten on 36. The task facing Pakistan did not look overly daunting….

THE PAKISTAN RESPONSE

The required run rate was not a problem for Pakistan, but wickets soon did become one, and when Babar Azam was bowled by Atkinson to make it 31-3 things looked interesting. A combination of good England bowling and Pakistan freezing under the pressure being applied saw more than 15 overs pass without a single boundary at one stage of the innings. Some of the Pakistanis got themselves out through being unable to cope with the fact that they weren’t hitting boundaries. At 103-6 Pakistan looked in deep trouble, and 154-9, with Haris Rauf joining Shadab Khan and 88 still needed it appeared that the fat lady was having a last gargle before taking to the stage.

Then things took a dramatic turn, as Shadab Khan started to bat very well indeed, Haris Rauf, who Shadab was doing a good job of shielding, did all that was asked of him and England found that last wicket hard to come by. As the target came down and down impossible moved to improbable. With Pakistan 20 adrift it looked like the fat lady was finally getting her moment, as Atkinson had Shadab Khan given LBW for 97 (already 11 more than his previous ODI career best), but a review taken simply because it was there to be taken (hands were being shaken and Shadab was walking past the umpire when he made the T sign) led to a tiny edge on to the pad being detected on the replay and the action resumed. Then came a near run out during which Rauf suffered a groin strain, which fortunately cleared up very quickly. Shadab Khan moved from 99 to 103 with a four off the second ball of the 47th over. He celebrated by hitting the next ball for four more, and the ask was down to nine. The next two balls were tight and accurate and dots went into the scorebook. The sixth ball of the over was full and straight, and foregoing any attempt to secure the strike, Shadab Khan launched it down the ground for the fifth six of his innings to reduce the target to a mere three. At this point, even though the far more experienced Curran was still available to bowl, Brook decided to hand the ball to the debutant Crocombe for the 48th over of the innings. Haris Rauf, at that point on 3 not out in a partnership worth 85, drilled the first ball of the over straight down the ground for four and Pakistan’s great escape was complete. There is almost certainly some bizarre mathematical scenario by which England can still qualify for Saturday’s final, but in practice, especially given what a massive body blow losing from the position they were in when the ninth Pakistan wicket fell is, their tournament is over and they have only themselves to blame. For the record Shadab Khan scored 113 not out from 96 balls with 13 fours and five sixes. As damaging a result as it was for England, it was an unforgettable finish, and one I am very glad to have followed live, albeit from afar, and a classic proof of the appositeness of the title line “It is Never Over Until the Fat Lady Sings” to cricket in particular – the many spectators who left the Gaddafi when the ninth Pakistan wicket fell must be feeling right Charlies at seeing what they missed by doing so. Scorecard here.

A QUIZ NIGHT AT THE TOWN HALL

Fraser Dawbarns hosted a charity quiz night at King’s Lynn Town Hall on Thursday, and since WNAG were one of the charities benefitting from this I was there as part of the WNAG team (the categories were not very suitable for me, which is one reason why we had a midtable finish).

The frontage of King’s Lynn town hall, taken in daylight the morning after the quiz night

Here is my quiz night gallery…

The big front window of the Town Hall from inside.
Many individual panes of the big window have writing cut into them, and I photographed a good few.
The latest development in the campaign against the attempt to despoil the West Norfolk countryside with a monster data centre. https://www.change.org/p/stop-longmarsh-energy-protect-rural-west-norfolk-from-6-000-acre-ai-data-centre-project?
The outside view of the big window from the following morning.

PHOTOGRAPHS

I also have one of my regular photo galleries (reminder, to view pictures at larger size click on one)…

Two gulls were fighting over this crab, and dropped it, and then flew their separate ways. It was still alive, and deeming it the best chance of keeping it so, I picked it up and deposited it into the Great Ouse – I did not think it climb the concrete unaided or that it would survive in the road.

An Important Petition and an Image Gallery

A link to a petition against the building of a monster data centre in rural west Norfolk and a photo gallery.

Just a brief post today…

PETITION AGAINST THE BUILDING OF A GIANT DATA CENTRE IN NORFOLK

Longmarsh Green Energy are planning to build a behemoth of a data centre in rural west Norfolk. To give you an idea of just how vast this data centre will be if its allowed to be built, it would occupy an area not just larger than entire village of Watlington which it would adjoin, but a larger area than the nearest town to Watlington, Downham Market. I cannot imagine anywhere that would actually be improved by the construction of something like this, but rural west Norfolk would suffer even more from this than many locations. A petition is running against this, which you can sign and share by clicking here.

PHOTOGRAPHS

As always I include a photo gallery…

The first 13 images of this gallery are an entire gallery for one lot, featuring ads and general content.
On the left side of this composite is an advert that was a vertical half page, while on the right was a square advert that occupied about two-thirds of the page on which it appeared. This is a standalone selection from another lot.

Describing and Imaging Ephemera

A brief look at some of my recent work at James and Sons, including photos, and a regular photo gallery.

One of the things I have been doing recently at James and Sons is describing an imaging a large collection of old newspapers and magazines. This post looks at that process.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The condition has to be assessed – even if the item is very old one cannot expect imperfections to be overlooked. In the oldest stuff (1850s-1870s in this context) there are rarely any adverts, so it is purely about general content. From the tail-end of the Victorian era onwards ads play a much bigger role, and while genuinely interesting content should be noted it is often the ads that are the main selling point. Once the descriptions have been typed in the image gallery then has to back them up. I have some sample images to show to end this section.

We start with three full page ads from different lots.
With this one there were few ads because it was wartime, but there was an abundance of very interesting general content, themed on looking to the future.
A full page ad from another lot.
This item had some incredible advertisements.
The 1962 Chevrolet got not just an advert, but a multipage advertising feature – one full page and two double page spreads.
There were three double page spreads advertising Ford products in various parts of the magazine.
This was a double page plus a mini booklet.
The feature article was beautifully presented.
This was just the start of a superb historical feature.

PHOTOGRAPHS

I end with one of my regular galleries…

Not a perfect V – the two birds on the bottom left are out of true – but not that far off.
This was hovering high overhead as I headed on to the footpath along the east bank of the Great Ouse on my way home from today’s WNAG committee meeting.

Autumnal Photos

A photo gallery featuring many birds and insects, including three species of butterfly.

Here is my latest gallery (late yesterday and today) featuring among other things three different species of Butterfly…

A painted lady on a buddleia head overlooking the upper Purfleet.
A woodland brown on a leaf that still has its green colour
A red admiral on a leaf that has gone red
A red admiral with a background of greenery.
A curious looking bug on the exposed underside of a green leaf.

A New Find

A look at a series of books I have just discovered, by Steve Higgs. Also an autumnal photo gallery featuring animals, plants and fungi.

I have recently found a highly readable series of detective novels by Steve Higgs (I have read a number of them, and will be on the lookout for more). This post looks at this series.

THE BASIC STORY

A long retired detective superintendent, Albert Smith, sets out on a round Britain trip with the intention of learning how to cook all his favourite foods. His constant companion is a former police dog, who has allegedly been disposed of because of his bad attitude, but another hypothesis emerges as the series progresses: he has been got rid of because he makes his handlers look bad.

Smith’s visits are invariably interrupted by crimes which he and his dog then help to investigate. As the series progresses it becomes clear that the crimes are all linked, and in the some of the later volumes we see things from the side of the perpetrator, moving the books on from simple whodunnits to questions of will he get away with it? Smith’s three children are all themselves serving police officers, and they reluctantly come to see that he is on to something, and discreetly provide him with assistance.

I highly recommend these books.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…

A riot of autumn colour in Kettlewell Lane Park this morning.
An unusual sight this late in the year – a red admiral.

An Autumnal Photo Gallery

An autumnal photo gallery for you to enjoy.

I am a little short on inspiration right now, so just to keep the blog active I am producing a gallery of my latest hobby photos. To view photos at large size just click on one.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Here we are…

The grey colouring says that this is technically still a cygnet, but it is pretty much the same size as its parents.
One smallish leaf, three larvae. The larvae on the left and right probably belong to the same species, but the one in the middle is clearly different.
This looks quite similar to a squirrel, but its movements were bouncier than any squirrel I have ever seen, and where a squirrel would have a bushy tail pretty much as long as the rest of its body this creature just has a tiny tuft of tail.
One fully developed insect (the reverse video ladybird – black with red spots rather than the usual way round) and one larva sharing a leaf.

England Finish Season in Style

A look back at the last day of the 2026 English cricket season, headlined by an ODI series decider between England and Sri Lanka. Also a large photo gallery.

Yesterday saw the last knockings of the 2026 English cricket season, including the third and final ODI of a series between the England and Sri Lankan men’s sides, which this post looks back at.

THE PRELIMINARIES

Sri Lanka had levelled the series by winning the second match back on Thursday. Also in that match Jos Buttler had picked up an injury while batting and retired hurt, and he was absent from this match, his place as keeper being taken by Jordan Cox. England had a slightly less deep batting order than sometimes, but the presence of Gus Atkinson, with an international century to his name, at number nine is hardly indicative of a long tail. England won the toss and although the pitch was fairly green they opted to bat first, having realized that the layer of grass had been left in place because it was a fundamentally very dry surface and needed the presence of the grass to keep it together…

THE ENGLAND INNINGS

Ben Duckett floundered to a five ball duck, finally being beaten all ends up and bowled by a superb ball from Madushanka (it was also a poor shot by Duckett but that should not detract from a fine piece of bowling). Joe Root was never in great form either, but he hung around for a time in support of Tom Banton who was batting magnificently. Harry Brook came in at number four, and now England had in form batters together at the crease. Banton reached his first international hundred. Brook fell at 218, having scored a fluent 77, which brought Jordan Cox to the crease. Banton was fourth out at 242, having scored 126 from 105 balls. Will Jacks and Jamie Overton each provided useful support to Cox who batted brilliantly. Asitha Fernando ended the innings on a personal high, bowling Cox for 76 (52) and then Dawson for a first ball duck with the last two balls of the innings, but the damage was well and truly done by then, with England posting 355-7 from their 50 overs.

THE SRI LANKA INNINGS

Sri Lanka never looked like getting anywhere near the huge total they had been set. Kusal Mendis, century maker in the second match of the series, produced a fluent 35, but once he was out to the last ball of the ninth over to make it 53-3 no one did a great deal. The run out of Rathnayake by Archer, which caused a deal of confusion because Cox had actually dislodged a bail before the ball arrived, stood because Archer’s throw actually removed a stump from the ground. That was 77-4, and with Charith Asalanka and Dunith Wellalage following in short order it was soon 82-6. Sachindu Colombage and Janith Liyanage also one after the other, 104-6 becoming 106-8. None of Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando or Dilshan Madushanka, the three remaining Sri Lankan batters, have any batting pedigree whatsoever, and imagining that they might some score 250 between the three of them would have been fanciful to say the least. Malinga actually did reach double figures, a feat beyond the other two, who managed 8 between them. The match ended when Eshan Malinga swept at Will Jacks and Joe Root, soon to be named as England’s ODI player of the season, pouched a sharp catch at leg slip. The margin was 232 runs. Scorecard here.

Shortly before that Somerset and Surrey had shaken hands on a draw at Taunton, with Surrey five down in their second innings and almost 200 adrift. Somerset had built a first innings of 309 – 731 against 422, and had hoped that Leach and Vaughan could spin through Surrey’s second innings, but a couple of interruptions put paid to that. Tom Abell had scored 307 for Somerset, beaten among Somerset natives only by a 310 from Harold Gimblett many decades ago, although overseas stars Justin Langer and Viv Richards have also recorded higher scores for the county.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My usual sign off…