Raf Nicholson
@rafnicholson.bsky.social
Women’s cricket historian & journalist. Sports Journalism lecturer at Bournemouth University & writer for Guardian Sport. Vice Chair of The Cricket Society.
12 years ago today: Australia employ a very tall, dark-haired net bowler during the 2014 Women’s Ashes. Wonder whatever happened to him?
Photo by me (hence why it’s so blurry) 😂
Photo by me (hence why it’s so blurry) 😂
January 31, 2026 at 8:46 AM
12 years ago today: Australia employ a very tall, dark-haired net bowler during the 2014 Women’s Ashes. Wonder whatever happened to him?
Photo by me (hence why it’s so blurry) 😂
Photo by me (hence why it’s so blurry) 😂
Apropos nothing… an idea for brand maximisation in #WPL (we definitely need more of them)
“The Dr Fixit Fix of the Match”
“The Dr Fixit Fix of the Match”
bob the builder is holding a hammer and asking can we fix it ?
Alt: bob the builder is holding a hammer and asking can we fix it?
media.tenor.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Apropos nothing… an idea for brand maximisation in #WPL (we definitely need more of them)
“The Dr Fixit Fix of the Match”
“The Dr Fixit Fix of the Match”
A major milestone yesterday: I submitted the manuscript of The Women in Whites 🍾🥳
This book has been years in the making - I started writing it during lockdown - so it feels surreal to actually have it off my desk!
Due out in May. Publisher: Pitch Publishing.
This book has been years in the making - I started writing it during lockdown - so it feels surreal to actually have it off my desk!
Due out in May. Publisher: Pitch Publishing.
January 30, 2026 at 12:20 PM
A major milestone yesterday: I submitted the manuscript of The Women in Whites 🍾🥳
This book has been years in the making - I started writing it during lockdown - so it feels surreal to actually have it off my desk!
Due out in May. Publisher: Pitch Publishing.
This book has been years in the making - I started writing it during lockdown - so it feels surreal to actually have it off my desk!
Due out in May. Publisher: Pitch Publishing.
Reposted by Raf Nicholson
Trying to make cricket 🏏 more appealing to women & girls...
We at Sparsholt CC are trying to refurb our facilities. 🤞 it works.
@hampshirecricket.bsky.social #Hampshire Read about it (& donate?!?) on thehawk.counterpress.media/features/par...
We at Sparsholt CC are trying to refurb our facilities. 🤞 it works.
@hampshirecricket.bsky.social #Hampshire Read about it (& donate?!?) on thehawk.counterpress.media/features/par...
Participation rates in girls and womens' cricket are soaring - but Hampshire club cricket's infrastructure and facilities are struggling to keep pace. • The Hawk on CounterPress • Hampshire Cricket in...
Participation rates in girls and womens' cricket are soaring - but Hampshire club cricket's infrastructure and facilities are struggling to keep pace.
thehawk.counterpress.media
January 28, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Trying to make cricket 🏏 more appealing to women & girls...
We at Sparsholt CC are trying to refurb our facilities. 🤞 it works.
@hampshirecricket.bsky.social #Hampshire Read about it (& donate?!?) on thehawk.counterpress.media/features/par...
We at Sparsholt CC are trying to refurb our facilities. 🤞 it works.
@hampshirecricket.bsky.social #Hampshire Read about it (& donate?!?) on thehawk.counterpress.media/features/par...
I was delighted to chair this session. Lots to enjoy and some thought-provoking reflections on how to engage with communities to co-create sports history. Plus some moving poems. Give it a listen!
For those unable to join us last night at our @ihr.bsky.social seminar last night, you can now listen to the event with @fionaskillen.bsky.social, @juliemcneillwrites.bsky.social & Karen Fraser discussing their 2024 book, A most beautiful game
Available now ⬇️
open.spotify.com/episode/6jVS1v…
Available now ⬇️
open.spotify.com/episode/6jVS1v…
January 29, 2026 at 10:36 AM
I was delighted to chair this session. Lots to enjoy and some thought-provoking reflections on how to engage with communities to co-create sports history. Plus some moving poems. Give it a listen!
Wow. This is, um, a left-field choice. It would be the equivalent of England making Freya Kemp captain. It does beg the question, what is so wrong with T-Mac & Gardner that CA are forced to turn to a player who is not even an automatic selection (plus often injured!)?
January 28, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Wow. This is, um, a left-field choice. It would be the equivalent of England making Freya Kemp captain. It does beg the question, what is so wrong with T-Mac & Gardner that CA are forced to turn to a player who is not even an automatic selection (plus often injured!)?
In this video from Sunday you can watch me complaining about the ridiculous number of decisions referred which should be down to the on-field umpires.
That last over was a case in point: infuriating and silly. #WPL
That last over was a case in point: infuriating and silly. #WPL
The CRICKETher Weekly – Episode 305: Sharma Drama at WPL; DRS Foibles; Hundred Signings & Brands
YouTube video by CRICKETher
youtu.be
January 27, 2026 at 5:50 PM
In this video from Sunday you can watch me complaining about the ridiculous number of decisions referred which should be down to the on-field umpires.
That last over was a case in point: infuriating and silly. #WPL
That last over was a case in point: infuriating and silly. #WPL
Anya Shrubsole always speaks so wisely. In this case, her points about player use of social media and (near the end) about what makes a good coach are spot on.
Hopefully we do manage to keep her in the game in some form or another.
(The Anya portion of the podcast starts at 18.44)
Hopefully we do manage to keep her in the game in some form or another.
(The Anya portion of the podcast starts at 18.44)
Women's Weekly: Dramatic WPL finishes and a chat with England legend Anya Shrubsole
open.spotify.com
January 16, 2026 at 10:02 AM
Anya Shrubsole always speaks so wisely. In this case, her points about player use of social media and (near the end) about what makes a good coach are spot on.
Hopefully we do manage to keep her in the game in some form or another.
(The Anya portion of the podcast starts at 18.44)
Hopefully we do manage to keep her in the game in some form or another.
(The Anya portion of the podcast starts at 18.44)
Refreshing to actually hear someone admit this.
Coaching women is not the same as coaching men!
Nobody quite seems to make the logical leap that coaching roles shouldn’t be handed out to men who haven’t ever coached women though… funny that.
www.espncricinfo.com/story/wpl-up...
Coaching women is not the same as coaching men!
Nobody quite seems to make the logical leap that coaching roles shouldn’t be handed out to men who haven’t ever coached women though… funny that.
www.espncricinfo.com/story/wpl-up...
Coaching women has 'not been easy' - Nayar learns on the job at UP Warriorz
"In women's cricket, I think the attention to detail is a little more," Abhishek Nayar, who is coaching a women's team for the first time, says
www.espncricinfo.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:55 AM
Refreshing to actually hear someone admit this.
Coaching women is not the same as coaching men!
Nobody quite seems to make the logical leap that coaching roles shouldn’t be handed out to men who haven’t ever coached women though… funny that.
www.espncricinfo.com/story/wpl-up...
Coaching women is not the same as coaching men!
Nobody quite seems to make the logical leap that coaching roles shouldn’t be handed out to men who haven’t ever coached women though… funny that.
www.espncricinfo.com/story/wpl-up...
Reposted by Raf Nicholson
Our next webinar is TODAY at 1pm GMT:
Media Coverage, Marketing and Sponsorship in Cricket: Rights, Revenue and Governance - Archit Vyas (Gujarat National Law University)
DM us for the link!
Media Coverage, Marketing and Sponsorship in Cricket: Rights, Revenue and Governance - Archit Vyas (Gujarat National Law University)
DM us for the link!
January 15, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Our next webinar is TODAY at 1pm GMT:
Media Coverage, Marketing and Sponsorship in Cricket: Rights, Revenue and Governance - Archit Vyas (Gujarat National Law University)
DM us for the link!
Media Coverage, Marketing and Sponsorship in Cricket: Rights, Revenue and Governance - Archit Vyas (Gujarat National Law University)
DM us for the link!
Reposted by Raf Nicholson
Great article in @theguardian.com today focused on CRN committee member Michael Collins’s work into Windrush cricket:
Windrush and the rise of wandering Caribbean cricket clubs that fuelled talent in English game
Their history was in danger of being lost but a new book and project has put together an archive documenting such vibrant contributions to the game
www.theguardian.com
January 14, 2026 at 8:30 AM
Great article in @theguardian.com today focused on CRN committee member Michael Collins’s work into Windrush cricket:
Who will I ironically boo now?? 😭
Hands, gob, heals
The brilliant Alyssa Healy vowed to
www.thecricketmonthly.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Who will I ironically boo now?? 😭
“Successful woman replaced by man with no track record in women’s game”
Sunrisers Leeds have named their new women's and men's head coaches.
Sunrisers Leeds keep head coach appointments in the Sunrisers family | The Cricketer
Sunrisers Leeds have named Adi Birrell and Daniel Vettori as their new women's and men's head coaches, respectively, for the next edition of The Hundred
www.thecricketer.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:56 PM
“Successful woman replaced by man with no track record in women’s game”
It’s a year to the day since @syd-e13.bsky.social and I flew Down Under for the Ashes.
This photo now is like one of those pictures of Britain in 1913: they didn’t know what was about to hit them.
This photo now is like one of those pictures of Britain in 1913: they didn’t know what was about to hit them.
January 9, 2026 at 9:08 AM
It’s a year to the day since @syd-e13.bsky.social and I flew Down Under for the Ashes.
This photo now is like one of those pictures of Britain in 1913: they didn’t know what was about to hit them.
This photo now is like one of those pictures of Britain in 1913: they didn’t know what was about to hit them.
We had the hottest summer on record. How come it’s always raining in #thetraitors?!!
a woman with a surprised look on her face is holding a piece of paper in front of a purple background .
ALT: a woman with a surprised look on her face is holding a piece of paper in front of a purple background .
media.tenor.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:29 PM
We had the hottest summer on record. How come it’s always raining in #thetraitors?!!
Reposted by Raf Nicholson
There are still some tickets left for our conference in February in Cambridge. We'd love to see you there - you can register here: www.cricketsociety.org.uk/events/crick...
January 5, 2026 at 10:37 AM
There are still some tickets left for our conference in February in Cambridge. We'd love to see you there - you can register here: www.cricketsociety.org.uk/events/crick...
Well, these 2 have just gone up in my estimation. Not sure why this hasn't been more widely talked about (unless I missed it in the mainstream media).
From the Cricket community on Reddit: Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope met members of the the Afghan Women's Refugee team at the SCG - The England team have made a generous donation to the Pitch Our Future p...
Explore this post and more from the Cricket community
www.reddit.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:03 AM
Well, these 2 have just gone up in my estimation. Not sure why this hasn't been more widely talked about (unless I missed it in the mainstream media).
First long run of the year ✅
Bushy Park was gorgeous this morning - but very cold! 🥶
Bushy Park was gorgeous this morning - but very cold! 🥶
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
First long run of the year ✅
Bushy Park was gorgeous this morning - but very cold! 🥶
Bushy Park was gorgeous this morning - but very cold! 🥶
“A generation of Afghan Australians no longer see themselves reflected on Australia’s biggest cricket stage.”
Mate, try being a woman. 🤦🏼♀️
Mate, try being a woman. 🤦🏼♀️
Australia’s stance on Afghan cricket is flawed – and deeply painful for people like me. There is another path | Shadi Khan Saif
When I arrived in Australia after the fall of Kabul, seeing Rashid Khan in the BBL eased my grief and reminded me that pride and belonging were possible
www.theguardian.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:33 PM
“A generation of Afghan Australians no longer see themselves reflected on Australia’s biggest cricket stage.”
Mate, try being a woman. 🤦🏼♀️
Mate, try being a woman. 🤦🏼♀️
That was really strange continuity - “we imagine what would happen if…”. So is this bit not #thearchers cannon then??
January 1, 2026 at 7:19 PM
That was really strange continuity - “we imagine what would happen if…”. So is this bit not #thearchers cannon then??
I really, really disagree with this.
If 2-day Tests are “no less of a Test”, why is anyone bothering to argue for the importance of 5-day or even 4-day cricket?
If 2-day Tests are “no less of a Test”, why is anyone bothering to argue for the importance of 5-day or even 4-day cricket?
Stephan Shemilt Ashes column: Why MCG's two-dayer was no less of a Test
BBC Sport chief cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt reflects on the chaos of the Boxing Day Test, which England won inside two days.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 27, 2025 at 6:41 PM
I really, really disagree with this.
If 2-day Tests are “no less of a Test”, why is anyone bothering to argue for the importance of 5-day or even 4-day cricket?
If 2-day Tests are “no less of a Test”, why is anyone bothering to argue for the importance of 5-day or even 4-day cricket?
My Christmas present to you all - it’s my annual Women’s Team of the Year for @theguardian.com!
What do you reckon - did I get it right?
What do you reckon - did I get it right?
The Spin | Women’s cricket team of the year: from Jemimah Rodrigues to Alana King
The Spin’s annual selection marks a special World Cup win for India, and work to do for England
www.theguardian.com
December 24, 2025 at 11:34 AM
My Christmas present to you all - it’s my annual Women’s Team of the Year for @theguardian.com!
What do you reckon - did I get it right?
What do you reckon - did I get it right?
Official confirmation that Kirstie Gordon WILL be representing Scotland in 2026!
She is still recovering from injury, so won’t feature in January’s qualifier, but hopefully there will be a “home” World Cup for her next summer. I’m delighted for her and for Scotland! 🏴 🏏
She is still recovering from injury, so won’t feature in January’s qualifier, but hopefully there will be a “home” World Cup for her next summer. I’m delighted for her and for Scotland! 🏴 🏏
If I was Kirstie Gordon, watching Tilly Corteen-Coleman bowling today, I’d be getting on the phone to Cricket Scotland.
It’s not too late for her to play in the 2026 World Cup at “home” 🏴
It’s not too late for her to play in the 2026 World Cup at “home” 🏴
December 23, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Official confirmation that Kirstie Gordon WILL be representing Scotland in 2026!
She is still recovering from injury, so won’t feature in January’s qualifier, but hopefully there will be a “home” World Cup for her next summer. I’m delighted for her and for Scotland! 🏴 🏏
She is still recovering from injury, so won’t feature in January’s qualifier, but hopefully there will be a “home” World Cup for her next summer. I’m delighted for her and for Scotland! 🏴 🏏