I doubt Middx will be the only club that starts paying their players over the next couple of years in the hope of joining T1. Will 2029 be a repeat of when the Regions started? The ECB will have their 10/12 pro teams and the rest will be forgotten about.

Is this Middx stirring the pot to get ECB to come forward with plans for T2 funding? Middx want to pay their players but they don’t yet know how they will do it. I thought money was too tight to mention at Middx?
Bar 2, all T2 teams put bids in for T1. Four years is a long time in women’s cricket!

It may be staying, but there is still plenty of county cricket going on, which means you don’t have to drag yourself into one of the cities. The men’s One Day Cup has been very popular and the women’s Tier 2 is now at the semi final stage. I much prefer 50 overs than 100 balls.

In the parallel world of women’s county cricket, Yorkshire lost again (that’s two on the bounce), Middlesex maintain their unbeaten run, and Glamorgan and Northants keep their places in the top four. It’s going to be a good run in over the next few weeks.

One spat their dummy out and the other is the only team in Wales. That’s the reason Yorkshire and Glamorgan are being promoted.

Yorkshire are the only professional squad in an amateur league. Of course they have won most of their matches. It’s hardly earning their place though. It would have only been earned if it was a level playing field, and it’s not.

The only professional team in Tier 2 lost the final. Oh dear, what a pity, never mind.

Is this just affecting Yorkshire players? I’ve not heard of any other Tier 2 team loaning players to Tier 1. It ‘s weird having a professional team playing in what is ,at best, a semi-professional competition.

Really good innings. She coped well with the bowling!

It looks like they might struggle this year as well!

It would be very funny if they fail to win Tier 2, being a professional team in a semi-professional league.

Why would I be talking about the men’s team? Australia are way ahead and India would fancy their chances against England. I think Clare Connor and Jonathan Finch are getting away very lightly at the moment.

I think Clare Connor has to carry a lot of the responsibility. She has overseen the England team for a long time now, which has not kept up with the other top teams.

When to say the ECB have only themselves to blame, should anyone else be considering their position now the coach and captain have gone? Clare Connor?

I agree with reducing the number of central contracts, it would increase competition for places.
I can’t see the coach surviving after this series - it’s been so bad in so many ways.

My highlight of 2024: Watching Hertfordshire women top their ECB T20 group and then beat Hampshire and Warwickshire at the finals weekend. They lost out to Derbyshire in the final match.

It may be Tier 2, but all scheduled T20 and 50 over matches for Northants Women are at the county ground.

There will be added pressure, but women’s county cricket has made a great deal of progress in the regional era. Tier 2 counties have held trials to strength there squads.
There will be a difference in quality as it’s pro against amateur. It will be interesting to see how Tier 2 can close that gap.