da roleta: Clare Connor, the England women’s cricket captain and Channel 4 cricket presenter, will lead her team The Braves in defence of their Super Fours title in Oxford on Saturday 17th May

ECB Media Release16-May-2003
Clare Connor, the England women’s cricket captain and Channel 4 cricket presenter, will lead her team The Braves in defence of their Super Fours title in Oxford on Saturday 17th May.Clare is one of forty-eight elite female players, selected for four teams: The Braves, The Knight Riders, The Super Strikers and The V Team. Opening matches will be played at The Parks and Marston University grounds, Oxford.Super Fours was devised to ensure that the country’s leading players faced each other in regular competition before the international season, and was implemented by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to bridge the gap between the domestic game and international arena.England selectors will attend the matches and players know they are competing for a place in the England squad to face South Africa in August.England’s vice-captain, Charlotte Edwards, will lead The Knight Riders who include England’s phenomenal bowler Lucy Pearson. Lucy took a world-record eleven wicket haul in the recent Ashes Test Match against Australia in Sydney; including a career best 7-51 in the first innings. The record had stood for 46 years.The four teams compete in a round-robin basis, playing matches over five weekends between 17th May, before returning to Oxford for the concluding matches on Saturday 21st June.Last year’s competition was decided on the last day, and Clare Connor thinks it will be as close this year, Last year, two young players Isa Guha and Lydia Greenway, both performed exceptionally well in the competition and earnt England call-ups in 2002/3.Isa Guha went on to take the BBC Asian Network Sports Personality of the Year award for 2002 and was described as ‘the girl who bowls it like Botham’.Super Fours fixtures:

The Braves v Super Strikers     The Parks, Oxford       12 noon Saturday 17th MayThe V Team v Knight Riders      Marston, Oxford         12 noon Saturday 17th MayThe Braves V Knight Riders      King's College, Taunton 12 noon Sunday 25th MaySuper Strikers v The V Team     King's College, Taunton 12 noon Sunday 25th MaySuper Strikers v Knight Riders  King's College, Taunton 10.30am Monday 26th MayThe Braves v The V Team         King's College, Taunton 10.30am Monday 26th MaySuper Strikers v Knight Riders  Reading Cricket Club    12 noon Sunday 1st JuneThe Braves v The V Team         Reading Cricket Club    12 noon Sunday 1st JuneThe Braves v Super Strikers     Worksop College         12 noon Sunday 15th JuneThe V Team v Knight Riders      Worksop College         12 noon Sunday 15th JuneThe V Team v Super Strikers     Radley College, Oxford  12 noon Saturday 21st JuneThe Braves v Knight Riders      The Parks, Oxford       12 noon Saturday 21st June

Super Fours Teams:

THE KNIGHT RIDERSCoach:  Neil RiderCharlotte Edwards - Captain (Kent)Kathryn Doherty (Yks)Jenny Gunn (Notts)Jane Cassar (Notts)Lyndsey Askew (Kent)Helen Wardlaw (Yorks)Lucy Pearson (Staffordshire)Lydia Greenway (Kent)Caroline Atkins (Sussex)Raddi Nannalal (Berkshire)Sarah Collyer (Somerset)Rosale Birch (Sussex)THE SUPER STRIKERSCoach:  Duncan MartindaleClaire Taylor - Captain (Berkshire)Sarah Clarke (Surrey)Jan Godman (Somerset)Laura Newton (Lancashire)Laura Spragg (Yorks)Alexia Walker (Sussex)Beth Wild (Essex)Penny Arnold (Kent)Hannah Lloyd (Somerset)Sallyann Briggs (Yorks)THE V TEAMCoach:  Richard NewtonClare Taylor - Captain (Yorks)Laura Joyce (Surrey)Kathryn Leng (Yks)Clare Atkinson (Yks)Arran Thompson (Lancs)Jackie Hawker (Somerset)Kelly Evenson (Staffs)Alexis Mannion (Essex)Dawn Prestige (Durham)Gill Richards (Staffs)Leanne Davies (Lancs)THE BRAVESCoach: Charlotte DickensonClare Connor - Captain (Sussex)Isa Guha (Berkshire)Natalie Lane (Kent)Beth Morgan (Middx)Laura Harper (Somerset)Mandie Godliman (Sussex)Ebony Rainford-Brent (Surrey)Steph Davies (Somerset)Sue Redfern (Derbyshire)Melissa Reynard (Yorks)Yvonne Craven (Berkshire)