Hunbelievable for women’s game

WHETHER or not the men’s game needs The Hundred is debatable, but one night should have been enough to tell you it is the most important development in the women’s game for a long time.

Prime time terrestrial TV, a super contest between Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals - albeit with some ropey catching and a decent-sized, diverse crowd who seemed to lap it up.

And the best thing is that, in a heartbeat, it has given girls who like playing cricket a target, a big stage to aim for. Never mind the graphics, the rules or the commentators trying to be cool.

It was batter against bowlers and fielders and worked a treat. When losing captain Kate Cross (far left, celebrating Alice Capsey’s dismissal with Eleanor Threlkeld) said that, in this case, the result did not matter as it was such a momentous occasion, she was right. It was a landmark day for women’s cricket.

PETER HAIN has been a distinguished politician and, it seems, a motor racing expert.

After hearing Christian Horner accuse Lewis Hamilton of dangerous driving, Lord Hain laid into the Red Bull principal for making a “very ill-judged, intemperate and plain wrong attack” on the world champion.

Leaving aside how qualified Hain is to be able to dismiss Horner’s view as “plain wrong”, what followed was inexcusable.

Hain said Horner’s comments gave racists an “excuse to let fly their evil and vitriol at Lewis”.

Horner spoke his mind and Hamilton (above) was, indeed, punished by the British Grand Prix stewards. Horner might well have been “intemperate”.

But to lay any blame for the wickedness of abhorrent racists at Horner’s door is just, as Hain might say, “plain wrong”.

BEST sporting news of the week so far is that Anthony Joshua will fight Oleksandr Usyk on September 25. The Ukrainian is a class act and Joshua will have his hands full, make no mistake.

The bookmakers have the Englishman as a warm favourite but I reckon this is a 50-50 fight.

But whoever prevails, thank goodness we are going to see a real fight in the headlines rather than a Youtuber farce.

INTERNATIONAL fluidity is great but there is still something slightly jarring about seeing a chap by the name of Duhan van der Merwe playing in a South Africa-british and Irish Lions match … and then realising he is on OUR side.