England U19s set for first ever full international fixture

England Women Under-19s will play Pakistan in two Twenty20 matches this coming Saturday (Sept 1) - the first time they have played a full international side.

The selectors have chosen a squad of 14 with Essex all-rounder Beth MacGregor named as captain.

The selectors picked the squad on the back of the England Women’s Development Programme U19 (EWDP U19) competition which took place this month.

This competition comprised three teams of the country's best U19 players - 39 in total - and a fourth team which was a Berkshire boys’ county team who were mainly under 15.

Jonathan Finch, Head Coach of the EWDP U19, said the matches with Pakistan were an excellent chance for his young players to showcase their talents.

“Coming off the back of a successful EWDP U19 competition this is a great opportunity for the England U19s to compete against an international side who themselves are preparing for the ICC World Twenty20," he said.

"These matches will provide the players with the opportunity to establish how their game holds up on the international stage and to establish areas of development to fulfil their potential.”

England Women U19 squad:

Beth MacGregor (Captain, Essex)
Amara Carr (Devon)
Deanna Cooper (Kent)
Tash Farrant (Kent)
Georgia Hennessey (Worcestershire)
Amy Jones (Warwickshire)
Raveena Lahktaria (Middlesex)
Beth Langston (Essex)
Sophie Luff (Somerset)
Alice MacLeod (Berkshire)
Fi Morris (Gloucestershire)
Izi Noakes (Sussex)
Hannah Phelps (Sussex)
Jess Watson (Yorkshire)

Sri Lanka finalise T20 world cup squad

From ESPN:

Shashikala Siriwardene will lead Sri Lanka in the ICC Women's World Twenty20 in September. Sri Lanka last played a Twenty20 game in a five-match series in the Caribbean. Dilani Manodara was the captain then, and she is also part of the 14-woman squad. 

Four players who weren't part of the squad picked for the tour of the West Indies but feature in the World T20 squad are Ishani Lokusuriya, Udeshika Prabodini, Maduri Samudrika and Nilakshi Silva.

 

Sri Lanka squad: Shashikala Siriwardene (capt), Sandamani Dolawatte, Dilani Manodara, Chamari Atapattu, Deepika Rasangika, Ishani Lokusuriya, Chamani Seneviratna, Sripali Weerakkody, Udeshika Prabodini, Maduri Samudrika, Inoka Ranaweera, Prasadani Weerakkody, Inoka Galagedara, Nilakshi Silva.

England T20 World Cup squad effectively selected

Selectors have named a 14-player England women's squad to face West Indies in a five-match NatWest Women's T20 Series which commences on September 8 at Emirates Durham ICG, the squad will also remain unchanged for the T20 World Cup in Sri-Lanka

The squad that dominated India in two NatWest Women's T20 matches in June sees just one change, as Somerset’s Anya Shrubsole returns in place of fellow seamer Georgia Elwiss.

The first two matches of the series will be played at Emirates Durham ICG and Old Trafford on September 8 and 10 ahead of the NatWest T20 International matches between England and South Africa, with all games televised live on Sky Sports.

The further three matches of the NatWest Women's T20 Series will be played at Northampton on September 13 followed by back-to-back games at Hove and Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club on September 15 and 16.

Ahead of the series against West Indies, England will play two NatWest International T20 matches against Pakistan followed by an additional Twenty20 fixture against the England Women's Academy, at The National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough, on September 4 and 5 respectively.

The squad will remain unchanged for the ICC World T20 in Sri Lanka in September.

Head of England Women's Cricket Clare Connor said: "This schedule of matches against Pakistan and West Indies is excellent preparation in the immediate build-up to the ICC World Twenty20. After an unbeaten run spanning 17 months in international T20 matches, competition for a place in the starting eleven has never been stronger."

England women's squad for NatWest T20 Series against West Indies:

Charlotte Edwards (Captain, Kent)

Tamsin Beaumont (Kent)
Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
Arran Brindle (Sussex)
Holly Colvin (Sussex)
Lydia Greenway (Kent)
Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire)
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
Heather Knight (Berkshire)
Laura Marsh (Kent)
Susie Rowe (Kent)
Anya Shrubsole (Somerset)
Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
Danielle Wyatt (Staffordshire)

Ebsary in for Millanta: Australia name women's T20 squad

Cricket Australia have announced the squad that will look to defend the Women’s World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka this September.

The women from Oz have been in drawn in Group A with England, India and Pakistan. They start their title challenge against India on September 27.

Australia women’s World Twenty20 squad: Jodie Fields (captain), Alex Blackwell, Jess Cameron, Sarah Coyte, Lauren Ebsary, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Julie Hunter, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Leah Poulton, Lisa Sthalekar

Cricket Australia's chair of selectors Julie Savage said: “There is one change to the squad that travelled to India in March, with South Australian all-rounder Lauren Ebsary coming into the squad at the expense of pace bowler Sharon Millanta."

ICC women's T20 fixtures: http://www.icc-cricket.com/events_and_awards/twenty20/fixtures.php 

Windies Taylor becomes first woman nominated in ICC awards

From ESPN:

West Indies allrounder Stafanie Taylor has become the first woman to be nominated for the ICC Cricketer of the Year award after being included in the 2012 longlist for the ICC's top accolade.

This is the first time the men's and women's voting academy and awards have become fully integrated and puts Taylor, who was named Women's Cricketer of the Year in 2011, in contention for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy along with Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal, South Africa's Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, Australia captain Michael Clarke, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, England's Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad and India's Virat Kohli.

Taylor also features in two new categories of women's awards that will be introduced this year: the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year and ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year.

Ajmal, Amla, Clarke, Sangakkara and Cook lead the nominations for male cricketers, after being featured in three categories - the ICC Cricketer of the Year, ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year longlists.

The shortlists for the awards will be announced towards the end of August and the longlists will be pruned to four per category.

The People's Choice award, though, will retain the current five nominations: Sangakkara, India's Sachin Tendulkar, Philander, South Africa's Jacques Kallis and England's James Anderson.

This year's awards include 11 individual prizes and will also feature the selection of the Test and ODI Teams of the Year. The awards ceremony will be held on 15 September in Colombo ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka

The longlists of nominations were made by a five-man ICC selection panel chaired by former West Indies captain and current chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd.

The panel also included former international players Clare Connor of England, Tom Moody of Australia, West Indies' Carl Hooper and Sri Lanka's Marvan Atapattu.