*Official* Women's Cricket discussion thread

[indiaholic]

If I am watching women's cricket on youtube, I speed it up to 1.25x... And yeah early 120s seems to be the speed for the quickest bowlers but that is unlikely to improve much through skill improvements.

 

[social]

Years ago a woman who was generally regarded as being the fastest and amongst the best bowlers in world cricket trained with our club.

I'd put her at lower grade standard.

Whilst I don't doubt that things have improved, I'd be surprised if many women would be good A graders

 

[Fred Tetanus]

Women's cricket basically lacks any appeal at all for a number of reasons, number one being most of them are crap. Now I don't say that to be nasty but it's just a reality that the gulf in ability between the men's and women's game makes the Grand Canyon look like a tiny crack. If you enjoy watching high school 3rd XI cricket then you might also enjoy watching women's internationals but be aware that no one at the dinner table that night will be interested in hearing your summary of the day's play.

 

[indiaholic]

People watch women's tennis don't they? And Serena wouldn't be able to beat any man in the top 100.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

People watch women's tennis don't they? And Serena wouldn't be able to beat any man in the top 100.

They don't watch women's tennis in anywhere near the numbers that they do the men's game. Look at the crowd for a men's match and then watch it become half empty for the women's match that follows. Tennis is probably the sport that comes closest in terms of popularity of the two ***es but even then it's still a wide gulf.

 

[S.Kennedy]

At Wimbledon a woman's match will sell out just as frequently as a man's match.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

At Wimbledon a woman's match will sell out just as frequently as a man's match.

I'm not sure you are actually aware of how ticketing for tennis tournaments works. You buy a ticket for a session which includes multiple matches. The only time you might get only women's or only men's matches is at the pointy end. So to say a women's match sells out just as often is not true simply because they are not sold that way.

But regardless, that's a grand slam. Take a look at what happens at every other tournament where they run both men's and women's events. Half the crowd leaves for the women's game. That's an undeniable fact.

 

[indiaholic]

Doesn't have to be equally popular so that someone at the dinner table that night will be interested in hearing your summary of the day's play.

 

[Zinzan]

I've heard a few people say women's tennis can be more entertaining since them not being quite as powerful can lend itself to better relays, depending on the surface.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I'm not sure you are actually aware of how ticketing for tennis tournaments works. You buy a ticket for a session which includes multiple matches. The only time you might get only women's or only men's matches is at the pointy end. So to say a women's match sells out just as often is not true simply because they are not sold that way.

But regardless, that's a grand slam. Take a look at what happens at every other tournament where they run both men's and women's events. Half the crowd leaves for the women's game. That's an undeniable fact.

Allow me to rephrase: there is as many at Wimbledon watching the women's as there is the men's. I believe it is similar at the French. In fact to be honest, I've never ever seen empty tennis venues during female matches and I religiously watch Wimbledon and the French Open!! Maybe for the earlier rounds in the smaller courts but that is the same for the men also.

 

[indiaholic]

Hopefully women's cricket can develop a group of bowlers who can swing it both ways at 120. That would be fun to watch.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

Allow me to rephrase: there is as many at Wimbledon watching the women's as there is the men's. I believe it is similar at the French. In fact to be honest, I've never ever seen empty tennis venues during female matches and I religiously watch Wimbledon and the French Open!! Maybe for the earlier rounds in the smaller courts but that is the same for the men also.

As I said, that is the grand slam tournaments where everyone goes because it is a huge event. Tune in to the tournament at Indian Wells in a couple of weeks and compare the crowd. It will be chalk and cheese. Even better, go watch a tournament where there is no men's event. Virtually no one will be there. Crowds are half the size = fact.

 

[S.Kennedy]

As I said, that is the grand slam tournaments where everyone goes because it is a huge event. Tune in to the tournament at Indian Wells in a couple of weeks and compare the crowd. It will be chalk and cheese. Even better, go watch a tournament where there is no men's event. Virtually no one will be there. Crowds are half the size = fact.

The four Slams are the fulcrum of the tennis calendar though.

 

[indiaholic]

How does it matter anyway.. His argument was that women's sport can never be popular because they are not that good. That is clearly wrong. They may not be as popular as the men's sport but that doesn't even matter.

 

[indiaholic]

Ftr if it was a Serena Sharapova final and the other one was Djokovic and Raonic, then I would expect more people to watch the Serena game.

 

[S.Kennedy]

The top seeded women are as well known as the top seeded men really. You would probably rank the Williams sisters about equal in renown with the top four men (Federer would be top of course), It has always been that way really; Billy Jean KIng, Navratilova as big as the men at the time.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

Ftr if it was a Serena Sharapova final and the other one was Djokovic and Raonic, then I would expect more people to watch the Serena game.

You might expect it but you'd be wrong. In a grand slam likely to be both sell outs despite the men's tickets being twice the price. Regular tournament no chance of it being a sellout for the women.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

The four Slams are the fulcrum of the tennis calendar though.

Look, until you actually follow the sport for more than 4 tournaments a year your opinion can't really be taken seriously. I've told you to watch any other tournament and see the evidence for yourself. The grand slams are not a reflection of the sport as a whole. In general the women's game is often supported by having a men's tournament going on at the same venue at the same time. Even that doesn't see them fill the stadiums. Take away the concurrent men's tournament and the difference is even more noticeable.

 

[Fred Tetanus]

Just flicked over to the women's tournament in Dubai this week. Live right now and stadium is 3/4 empty. They have the men's tournament at the same venue next week and will be almost full.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Look, until you actually follow the sport for more than 4 tournaments a year your opinion can't really be taken seriously. I've told you to watch any other tournament and see the evidence for yourself. The grand slams are not a reflection of the sport as a whole. In general the women's game is often supported by having a men's tournament going on at the same venue at the same time. Even that doesn't see them fill the stadiums. Take away the concurrent men's tournament and the difference is even more noticeable.

Come on! Most people only watch the four Slams. The Davis Cup and Olympics get a few watching also however the ATPs are seen as exhibition stuff. Some players do not even play them, choosing to prioritise the Slams. And we are presumably comparing Grand Slams to a similar level of competition in other women's sports, the women's world cup and twenty20 cup, the Ashes, etc.