The longest journey starts with a single step, or four

Call me a philistine, but until a week ago I was unaware that our international women’s cricketers played almost solely for the love of the game. I assumed there would be a sizeable gap in remuneration between the men’s and women’s squads but for a country that prides itself on gender equality, I didn’t expect New Zealand would be languishing so far behind many of the game’s other nations, given we were the first country to offer a professional contract to a female cricketer more than 15 years ago.

Among a myriad of public relations bungles and the on-going, and developing, John Parker saga, New Zealand Cricket finally caught my attention for a win off the field. The announcement of ground-breaking contracts for four of our women’s cricketers should be celebrated – captain Suzie Bates, Sian Ruck, Sophie Devine and Sara McGlashan the first recipients.

My cricketing wish list for 2013

There’s nothing unique in penning one’s hopes for the year ahead though each list is distinctive. Different formats, numerous countries, international versus domestic – cricket has it all.  My hopes are simple; there are few dreams of grandeur. That’s not to say they’re achievable, but long-term change always needs a first step – or a catch, a wicket or a determined innings.

1. New Zealand Cricket acts like a significant national organisation not a Mum and Dad business
Many ardent New Zealand fans pinned their final hopes for NZC on the shoulders of David White – his ascension to the role previously held by Justin Vaughan was seen as a significant step forward in the corridors of cricketing power. If the diabolical handling of the change in captaincy is any guide, a number of the game’s faithful may now be looking for another summer pastime.

At the wicket with Anna Peterson

Teapots - this?

Anna Peterson is living the dream – a lifestyle many of us imagined as young children hitting a taped-up tennis ball in the backyard. She may not be the Malcolm Marshall or Martin Crowe figures we had “dibs” on as we wiled away long into the summer sun, but she lives and breathes cricket – at work, play and recreation.

To have debuted wearing the hallowed silver fern of your country would suffice for most, but “Wolfy” is working hard to add to her international caps. She is carving out a strong record for herself as part of the Northern Spirit, juggling her time between a congested domestic season and her operational role with Waikato Valley Cricket. Anna has also found time to edit a magazine for her association – spreading the word on our great game in her local community.

Or this?

Anna talks to a cricketing Buddha about what she needs to do to regain her spot in the White Ferns, her work with young girls wanting to give cricket a go, and ascension of a woman to the coach’s job (that plug should help with the first point…) . She also enlightens us about her love of teapots - there’s far more to the young Hamiltonian than just cricket.

At the wicket with Morna Nielsen

22 year old Morna Nielsen’s game has undergone a major transformation. Entering New Zealand’s domestic game as a wide-eyed 17 year old medium pacer, she is now carving out a niche as one of New Zealand’s premier limited overs’ bowlers – as a left arm spinner. 

(Courtesy of BlackCaps.co.nz)

In her third year in the White Ferns, Nielsen has been a shining light with the ball in the two opening matches of the Rose Bowl series against Australia – some of the game’s most destructive batters struggling with her guile and accuracy. Though she battled against the power of Meg Lanning in the third match, her returns in the fourth match will likely have a large influence on the final series result.

Leading her Northern Spirit side from the front, Nielsen has a long future in our domestic game. New Zealand cricket fans need to all cross their fingers that her cricketing future isn’t cut short by a “real” career or the draw of a family, as is the case with so many of our promising female cricketers.

A Spirited conversation with Kerryanne Tomlinson

Name: Kerryanne Tomlinson
Age: 22
Nickname: Kerry, Kez, Kezza
Club: Melville
Reside: Hamilton
Other teams: Netherlands, Wellington Women’s, Central District Women’s
Occupation: Student
Playing role: All rounder
Batting style: RH opener
Bowling style: RH fast-medium, leg spin, off spin

What was you first cricket experience?
Playing with the yellow cricket sets in primary school with the boys.

A Spirited conversation with Nicola Browne

Name: Nicola Browne

Age: Experienced
Nickname: Manty
Club: Melville
Reside: Hamilton
Other teams: White Ferns
Occupation: Project Manager
Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: RH batter
Bowling style: RH medium-fast
Twitter handle: @njbrowne

What was you first cricket experience?
Playing at Simpsons Beach in Whitianga on holiday most summers.

A Spirited conversation with Natalie Dodd

Name: Natalie Dodd
Age: 19
Nickname: Doddy
Club: Melville
Born: Hamilton
Reside: Te Kowhai, Hamilton
Other teams: NZ Emerging
Occupation: Student
Playing role: Batter, wicketkeeper
Batting style: RH opening bat
Bowling style: RH off spin

What was you first cricket experience?
Playing backyard with Dad.

A Spirited conversation with Morna Nielsen

Name: Morna Nielsen
Age: 22
Nickname: Mornface, Mornana
Club: East Shirley (Christchurch), Melville (Hamilton)
Born: Tauranga
Reside: Christchurch/Hamilton
Other teams: White Ferns, NZ Emerging players
Occupation: Studying civil engineering
Playing role: Bowler
Batting style: RH middle/lower order
Bowling style: LH orthodox
Twitter handle: @mornface

What was you first cricket experience?
Playing on the field at primary school – I don’t really remember too much more than that, far too old.

A Spirited conversation with Katie Johnson

Name: Katie Johnson
Age: 19
Nickname: KTJ
Club: Papatoetoe
Reside: West Auckland
Occupation: University student
Playing role: Batter
Batting style: RH opener
Bowling style: RH medium

What was you first cricket experience?
Probably in a pram, or on my bike watching my sister play cricket for Baradene College, or Auckland.

A Spirited conversation with Jacinta Coleman

Name: Jacinta Coleman
Age: 18
Nickname: Jay
Reside: Tauranga
Other teams: Bay of Plenty Women’s
Occupation: Student
Playing role: Fielder, batswoman
Batting style: Lower order

What was you first cricket experience?
Back yard cricket with my family.

A Spirited conversation with Felicity Leydon-Davis

Name: Felicity Leydon-Davis

Age: 18
Nickname: Floss
Club: Melville Cricket Club
Born: Hamilton
Reside: Hamilton
Other teams: Melville Green, NZ Emerging players
Occupation: Student
Playing role: Bowling all-rounder
Batting style: RH lower order
Bowling style: RH medium
Twitter handle: @Felicity_floss 

What was your first cricket experience?
Watching my older brother play at primary school, later joining in practice in the back yard cricket with him and Dad. First memorable exciting coaching session I experienced was when the Marshall brothers came to my primary school, inspiring me to be a great cricketer.

A Spirited conversation with Brooke Kirkbride

Name: Brooke Kirkbride
Age: 19
Nickname: Brooko
Club: Melville
Reside: Cambridge
Other teams: New Zealand Emerging Players
Occupation: Student
Playing role: Pace bowler
Batting style: RH lower order
Bowling style: RH medium

What was you first cricket experience?
My first real experience was actually my brother winning a backyard bash with the Knights. So I got to have a bowl and bat with people like Daryl Tuffey and Scott Styris.

A Spirited conversation with Anna Peterson

Name: Anna Peterson
Age: 22
Nickname: Wolfy
Club: Melville
Born: Auckland
Reside: Hamilton
Other teams: White Ferns, NZ Emerging and Bay of Plenty
Occupation: Cricket administration/Boss
Playing role: Batting and a bit of spin
Batting style: RH Top order
Bowling style: RH Off-spin
Twitter handle: @AnnaPeterson06 

What was you first cricket experience?
Dad made me and my brother, when we were about two and three, our first ever cricket bats - Alex (my brother) got a Batman sticker on his, and I got Donald Duck.

At the wicket with George Dobell

In the first interview featured on Donning the whites, George Dobell was kind enough to answer a few questions from a cricketing Buddha.

Since his first article in The Cricketer, George has written for SPIN – the Cricket magazine, The Guardian, The Times, and The Birmingham Post. He is now a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo and has developed a following as one of the preeminent scribes on the County Championship.

He talks to a cricketing Buddha about his start in the business, an affinity with the Windies and gives a reasoned account of a number of the issues facing our great game. He also answers the age old question of the origin of the humble pavlova.

Cricket's better half

I've spent the larger part of the past two weeks with my two favourite ladies - my wife has just given birth to a beautiful little princess and I've had the chance to watch the two of them bond - priceless! It's given me the opportunity to reflect on the part women play in all our lives every day, and the influence they have at every turn.

Do we pay them the same reverence in cricketing circles? In the male dominated corridors of our great game (thanks, cricketsjk) has the old boys' network shown them the requisite respect?

No longer do we live in the male dominated societies of the 1920s and '30s. A woman's place is not in the kitchen or typing the dictated notes of her male superior - many would say they're on a surge. Why should cricket be any different?

Whilst I grew up enthralled by the deeds of Crowe, Hadlee, Cairns and Jones, and lapped up every snippet of the all-conquering Windies though the 1980s and '90s, there was another less fancied but perennial constant. Debbie Hockley was a cricketing pioneer; a world class batter who dominated the women's game. Through 21 years Hockley dismantled all comers at international level and was part of New Zealand's World Cup winning White Ferns in 2000 - she still holds the record for World Cup runs with 1501. She was a fantastic cricketer - gender is not important.

Lesley Murdoch, a dual New Zealand cricket and hockey international, was one of, if not, the first woman to commentate on men's cricket on our airwaves. She still commentates on a number of first class matches every season and it's a delight to listen to her views on New Zealand Cricket and the issues facing our game. Murdoch has no need to compete with her male peers; she is simply a commentator bringing our summer game to life.

Most of my private life is just that, but I met my wife because of her love of cricket, so women in cricket hold a special place in my heart. One of my work colleagues, a young South African, sums up what I love about women and cricket. Unlike many of my mates who become emotive, and irrational, when discussing players and issues, she tends to consider her response before jumping in with both feet - she is as knowledgeable and passionate as anyone I debate cricket with. She doesn't conform to the negative, and misguided, stereotype that women trivialise players on their physical attributes - the only attributes discussed are how Kallis struggled to complete his action when he bulked up or how Steyn positions his wrist behind the ball for different deliveries. Watching her discount the snide comments of her peers with cricketing knowledge and insight, not cutting personal remarks, is a thing of beauty.

I don't raise these examples to illustrate that the occasional woman has cricketing nous; I do so because they are real examples that gender need not come into our game - women are not islands in the sea.

Others? Really? They're Women's Internationals

I know men (or boys, in actuality) who won't even read cricket pieces by women because they're women - Philistines! My advice would be to take a minute to read their thoughts and judge them if you will but judge them against their peers, cricketing writers, not as a separate species. And a quick note to ESPNCricinfo – women’s fixtures are not Others, they are Women’s Internationals!

I'm new to the world of Twitter but have been amazed at the number of women writing, and tweeting, on our great game. These are some of the best - follow them on Twitter and have a read of their blogs:

@FirdoseM – Firdose Moonda is the real deal! She is ESPNCricinfo’s South African correspondent and a guaranteed great read. She doesn’t blog, she writes for a living.

@mspr1nt - Ant Sims is a fantastic South African blogger, and a self-described ‘female cricket disciple’. You can read her thoughts on WicketMaiden, a website that promotes the tagline – balls to the wall and no balls at all.  Like me, the Windies hold a special place in her heart – if you’re ever looking for comment, just mention Chris Gayle. For those who like statistics, Ant’s infographics are well worth a look.

@lemayol - an obsessive follower of Northern Districts and the Somerset CCC, she will discuss Kane Williamson at any opportunity, with aplomb. @lemayol has just launched a new cricketing agony aunt column, Miss Cricket, on Alternative Cricket - email her for all the answers to your cricketing dilemmas.

@legsidelizzy  – with over 5,000 Twitter followers Lizzy is everywhere cricket is. A freelance writer for both The Mirror (UK) and SPIN cricket magazine, and a guest commentator on Test Match Sofa, Lizzy describes herself as ‘part-time cricket writer. Full-time cricket tragic.’ She offers great insights with an English spin – you can read her thoughts at legsidelizzy.com.

@fayeb07 – a self-professed lover of English cricket, Faye is a more recent convert but her writing shows a cricketing maturity that belies that. Her blog – Caught at Slip, provides her thoughts on the English game including coverage of the England Women.

To the women who have read this, I sincerely hope it hasn't come across as condescending; it's meant as the complete opposite. I love the work of the female scribes - not due to their gender but because I appreciate their writing and views.

Don't get me wrong; I'm sure there are women who do go the cricket to see their white knight, just as some men use it as a chance to get lagered and hurl vitriol at the combatants - sport simply reflects life.

No-one should judge coverage and comment by the gender of the writer but by the quality and insight of the writing. If you don't like a piece, comment and tell the author - we all love feedback. For many of us it's the reason we write, for the interaction with those who love our great game as we all do - woman or man.

If you know of other female scribes, please let me know - make a comment or tweet me @aotearoaxi.