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A look at the far-reaching life of Learie Constantine, which successfully captures his extraordinary achievements

David Conn23-May-2009

The premise of this illuminating biography is to revive appreciation of Learie Constantine, the original West Indies cricket icon and pioneer in so many fields that he seems to have packed four lives into the one he was born into, in Trinidad in 1901. Readable, well-researched, admiring but not wholly uncritical, the book achieves its purpose, bringing to vivid life a remarkable man and period of history.Constantine’s journey was epic. The grandson of a slave in racially segregated Trinidad, Constantine bowled, batted and most notably fielded his “panther-like” way to a distinctively West Indian cricketing style. He fought endemic English racism, became a writer and broadcaster, was a key political figure in Trinidad’s 1962 independence, becoming the first black man in the House of Lords, his national-treasure status confirmed by an appearance on . Peter Mason delivers the facts, stats and details comprehensively and sums up authoritatively.In childhood Constantine and his brother, Elias, would practise throwing and catching by hurling crockery at each other while washing up, but adult life was a struggle and cricket became Learie’s escape. At 26 he determined to make his name on West Indies’ tour of England in 1928 and win a professional contract.He landed it with heroics against Middlesex at Lord’s; 86 in the first innings, 7 for 57 in the opposition’s second innings, then a match-winning 103 that had Lord’s members “hoarse from cheering” and boys dashing on to the pitch. Denis Compton, who joined Middlesex years later, found the old pros in the dressing room still talking about it.Constantine, his wife Norma and daughter Gloria then spent 20 years as the only black people in the Lancashire mill town of Nelson – surely one of cricket’s great stories. He was one of Britain’s highest-paid sportsmen and delivered consistently good value for it in the Lancashire League. They were objects of curiosity, but bore it well and made crowds of friends. Constantine even experienced his political awakening there, helping to finance the publishing of the , written by his friend and collaborator CLR James.There are many other achievements: Constantine’s landmark 1944 legal victory after his family was turned away from London’s Imperial Hotel by a manageress saying “We will not have niggers in the hotel”; his welfare work for Caribbean workers during the war; a career in island politics for which he was not ideally suited, his contribution important nevertheless.This fine account thoroughly justifies Mason’s concluding judgment of Constantine as “a great man”, or in James’ words, “a man of character”.Caribbean Lives: Learie Constantine
by Peter Mason
Signal Press, pb, 212pp, £9.99

Chelsea and Arsenal's Women's Super League meeting at Stamford Bridge was delayed for half an hour on Friday due to a rather bizarre kit clash.

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• Arsenal's trip to Stamford Bridge delayed 30 minutes
• Gunners wear red and Chelsea wear blue
• Bizarre kit clash resulted in an even odder solution

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  All was about to get underway in the battle between two of the league's top three, separated by just three points ahead of the game, when kick-off was delayed for seemingly unknown reasons. It soon became apparent that the reason was a kit clash, despite the two London rivals having rather opposing kit colours of blue and red.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  How can a clash between a team in blue and a team in red cause a kit clash? Well it soon became apparent that the issue was the socks. Arsenal had been warming up in the white socks that go with their home kit, but are the same colour as the socks that go with Chelsea's home kit.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The whole thing became even more bizarre when Arsenal re-emerged for a short warm-up before the revised kick-off time of 7.30pm. With the team having only travelled with their white socks, the Gunners had to borrow some from their London rivals and came out of the tunnel wearing black socks with a blue trim, those which go with Chelsea's away kit.

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• WHAT JONAS EIDEVALL SAID

  Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall revealed after the game that the Gunners learned that the socks would not be acceptable for use as they were preparing to walk out for the game. Asked whether the replacement footwear had been bought for the Chelsea shop, the Swede told reporters: "I was not involved in that process, how that was resolved. We had other people doing that. I know we eventually had kit on that was approved to allow the game to go ahead. The only thing I’ve been told is there’s a clash of colours. I have no idea why that was."

Mick Newell has urged the English game to resist the temptation to restructure the County Championship into conferences.

George Dobell26-Apr-2018Mick Newell has urged the English game to resist the temptation to restructure the County Championship into conferences.Newell, director of cricket at Nottinghamshire (and, for now at least, an England selector), has instead pleaded for the ECB to persist with promotion and relegation and suggested the reorganisation into conferences would only allow mediocre sides to “hide” in mid-table without the scrutiny that relegation can bring.His comments come just as the ECB announced a working party, chaired by Wasim Khan, charged with looking into the future structure of the domestic game. And while no conclusions have yet been reached, it is clear the popularity of the conference idea is growing among coaches at the first-class counties.They argue that it would lessen the urge to make short-term decisions – such as preferring Kolpak registrations over opportunities for young players – and reinvigorate the competition by providing all teams involved an opportunity to win the trophy at the start of the season.But Newell, at least, is not convinced. As a coach that twice led Nottinghamshire to the County Championship trophy (in 2005 and 2010) and also oversaw relegation (in 2006, 2016), he feels the meritocratic element of two divisions – and the drama the battle that promotion and relegation brings – is an integral part of the domestic structure.”I love two-divisional cricket,” Newell said. “We’ve been relegated and it hurts. I don’t know why it hurts so much as there’s no financial penalty, but it makes you look at what you do. People either lose their jobs, or they change jobs – as I did – and players have to look at themselves, too.”The popularity of the conference idea is definitely growing. But I’m not a fan. In a conference system, we can all just hide in the middle and be like, ‘oh, we were twelfth’. To me that’s not good enough.”Mick Newell takes fielding drills•Getty Images

Newell also revived the idea of playing a couple of rounds of Championship games overseas. With many counties spending their pre-season in the UAE, South Africa or the Caribbean, he believes there is an opportunity to play some games in March in conditions that might encourage spin or fast bowling. He accepted, however, that the idea had all but gone in terms of being implemented.”A few years ago there was talk of taking a couple of rounds overseas,” he said. “I think, for lots of reasons, that’s a bloomin’ good idea. If we’ve only got time and space for 14 rounds of Championship matches here, why don’t we play two abroad and go back to 16? That’s a method of getting more games in the space available. But that idea seems to have gone.”I’m all for playing abroad. I don’t know about this year, but generally 12 to 13 counties are going abroad in March anyway. Why don’t we play proper cricket instead of knockabouts against each-other?”We went to Barbados for six years in a row and one year there were six teams there. We’re all spending the money in one way or another already and there’s more money coming into the game. Let’s make sure we target some of that money in making sure four-day cricket so important.”But the idea has gone. We’re moving towards a conference system. I’ve made my thoughts known but I’m in a minority.”Newell also welcomed the ECB’s proposals for a new 100-ball competition in 2020. “It’s certainly grabbed people’s attention,” he said. “It’s an idea that will spark a lot of debate and I want people to talk about cricket.”My worry is that cricket isn’t relevant to people, isn’t interesting to people. We need to get more people interested in more types of cricket. So, from that perspective, I think it’s a good idea.”

Plays of the Day for the second day of the second Test at the SSC

Sidharth Monga at the SSC27-Jul-2010Great partnership, part I
During the course of their 193-run stand, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene overtook the combination of Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting to become the second-most prolific partnership between non-openers. By the time they were separated, they took their tally to 4798, behind only the 5993 that the Sachin Tendulkar-Rahul Dravid combination has added, in 42 more innings and at an average which is 12 runs lesser.Great partnership, part II
That great minds think alike was manifested when Sangakkara and Jayawardene thought of running on the same part of the pitch in the 111th over. They ran into each other, but a major collision was avoided. Not sure if the Indians had any energy left to laugh at it, though.Harper and his body parts
During Sri Lanka’s chase in the first Test, Daryl Harper copped one smack on the chest when he couldn’t get out of the way of a pull from Tillakaratne Dilshan. During the second Test, he was spotted showing his badly bruised chest to a Sri Lankan batsman. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Today, a throw from M Vijay got the umpire on the back side. Spare us the details this time, Daryl.Dhoni gets Jayawardene, finally
India needed something out of the ordinary to unsettle Jayawardene and get his wicket. That had not happened until MS Dhoni lobbed a throw back to the bowler, and managed to hit Jayawardene, softly, on his head. That did the trick, and soon Jayawardene lobbed one to midwicket. That also earned the Indian fielders a mercy declaration.Harbhajan gets a wicket
Stop the press. That Jayawardene wicket was also Harbhajan’s first of the series, in 449 deliveries spread over three innings.The SSC stats dossier
Jayawardene extended his own record for most runs at a venue, taking his tally at the SSC to 2641 runs at 82.53. He also broke Sir Don Bradman’s record of nine centuries at the MCG the most at a venue – with his 10th at the SSC. Sangakkara who made 219, took his tally to 1822 at 72.88, also scoring his seventh century here. Thilan Samaraweera was not to be left behind; by virtue of staying unbeaten, he took his average here to 81.93, and the runs-tally to 1229 in just 14 Tests.Welcome to Test cricket, son
If you are a spinner on debut, you don’t want to be bowling your first delivery to Virender Sehwag, who has scant respect for the breed. Suraj Randiv’s first act in Test cricket was to be cut away for a four, first ball, and then go for another four through the off side in the same over. As soon as he put a fielder deep on the off side, Sehwag dropped it into the off side and took another single.

The new regime and not being captain anymore has brought him liberation and, perhaps, self-discovery

Osman Samiuddin06-Jul-2022Joe Root got England underway on the fifth morning at Edgbaston with a little nudge off his thighs to square leg for a single. It was almost exactly the shot with which he began England’s final day in the chase at Lord’s against New Zealand earlier this summer. It is a trademark Joe Root shot.He has an entire family of back-cuts, from the angled-bat dab down fine to the more vertical open-faced glides square and everything in between: these are all trademark Joe Root shots.The Joe Root off-drives are a trademarked range, housing the bog-standard drive through extra cover, leaning lithely into the shot, the square-driving on one knee or going straighter, body and bat moving into the ball with the practised ease of a dancer.Related

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The clips he works through midwicket – also a Joe Root trademark. The pull shot: trademarked; the back-foot punch, on his toes, as elegant as a yoga pose; the little drop to the off for a quick single; these are all shots that are identifiably Joe Root’s but if so many shots are identifiably Joe Root’s, then can any one shot be truly his? And if not, where does that leave us?With the best batter in the world at this moment.One sense that is common with great batters in their very best periods, as with Root now, is that every great innings acquires this inevitability. Of course, they scored a hundred and of course, they did it the way they did it, the way they always do it. It’s them, that’s what they do. After a time, pitches, bowlers, situations, and even results can become irrelevant.Or rather than an inevitability, is this what it must be like to see (rather than hear) an echo? Every subsequent great innings is the echo of an original great innings the batter has played, except unlike with sound, there’s no loss of vividness.With Root, most innings drive home the universal observation about his batting, that the first time you look up at the scoreboard after he has come in, he is already on 20-something and nobody is quite sure how he got there (hint: those trademarked shots).But the reality for most batters has always been that the first part of any innings is the most difficult time. They are lining up actions, making sense of the surface, getting their body aligned, making sure the feet are light, the arms loose and a central equilibrium holding it together. They are trying to tune themselves out from the outside noise but also tuning themselves to the task at hand.There’s no standout metric that illustrates the point of Root’s starts – the best one is that his dismissal rate in the first 20 balls (among batters who’ve played at least 100 innings since Root’s debut) is the sixth lowest. Even the caveat that he has played a lot in England, where top-order batting is basically about negotiating the early dismissal, doesn’t save this from being underwhelming. But that only speaks to a broader point about Root, because by the time you’ve read the last two paragraphs, he’s already on 23.

With Root, most innings drive home the universal observation about his batting, that the first time you look up at the scoreboard after he has come in, he is already on 20-something

For all that England’s batting has been this summer – and aside from being astonishingly successful, it’s still not clear precisely what it is – it has been underpinned by the presence of Root. He is the one who was there when none of this was there, and he’ll be the one still there when all this isn’t. That he has bookended the wild last few weeks with fourth-innings hundreds in a big chase is perfect.And the Edgbaston hundred was every bit as significant as Lord’s hundred. England had lost three wickets in two runs in a matter of minutes, Virat Kohli was all over them and India were threatening to recreate The Oval. Lose Lord’s and who knows whether this happens. Lose this and face the questions, or at least the smirking reminders that against the best attacks, this isn’t going to work.Root’s response was to lead England as he was always meant to: with bat. In the first 15 overs of the stand with Jonny Bairstow, a period in which the game was at its tightest, Root took 60% of the strike. That might not appear a very lopsided proportion but imagine the strong temptation to let Bairstow take over and really barrel his way into that target?Instead, Root gamed it out. Enough singles to not let the score stagnate (but not so many that anyone noticed he was already on 20-something), keep out what you can, put away what you can. Jasprit Bumrah got too straight, away to the midwicket fence; Mohammad Shami gave him a fraction on length, dabbed through backward point. Root survived a tight lbw shout, next ball he shuffled out – another trademark – and clipped Shami through midwicket.From the other end, Ravindra Jadeja was gaining control. Post tea, he had figures of 6-2-9-0 into his spell, drying up England’s runs from over the wicket. Root had reverse-swept twice to try to break the stranglehold, without success. In the seventh over of Jadeja’s spell, he finally paddle-swept him twice, each for four; in his next, he swept him conventionally for another. Boom, Bumrah and Shami seen off, now Jadeja; by the next over, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur were bowling.He can be a rock star too•PA Photos/Getty ImagesThis wasn’t what England had done previously; this was Root doing what he does. He referred to conversations in the dressing room about recognising moments when the pressure had to be absorbed, before ruthlessly turning it around – a bit of nuance not often talked about over these Tests.Once that period broke open, the inevitability crept back in: of a Root ton and more improbably of another big England chase. On the final morning, Root got through the 90s with, in order, a glide off the face through third man, a clip off his pads and a late, late dab so fine it bounced in front of and then over second slip – all for four. If Root were to sleepwalk his way through the 90s, this is the route he would take as he knows it so well.Eventually, England chased down the total in a much more calculated and less bludgeoning way than at Trent Bridge and Headingley. They were more inevitable about it and at the centre was Root.All that said, it has been a fascinating summer in the career of Joe Root. He feels like a kid again and because he has never knowingly not looked like a kid, the youthfulness is assumed to be in his batting. The new regime yes, no captaincy also yes. Together it has brought liberation. His strike rate has always been healthy but this summer, he has been striking at 19 runs more per 100 balls.Also, perhaps, self-discovery. At Trent Bridge, he played shots that are unusual for him in Tests and urged a rewriting of the coaching manual. After Edgbaston, he half-joked he was caught between the grounding of the old Yorkshire way of orthodox batting and the entreaties of his captain to be a rock star. But he has clearly been re-thinking, or rather re-assessing, more seriously the contours of Test batting.”It’s scripted out how you need to play in Test cricket,” he said when asked about dealing with the stifling orthodoxy around the format. “Sometimes being unpredictable is very difficult to bowl at. Sometimes the gaps are bigger, and you know where the ball is going to be because of generally how sides bowl for long periods of time. There have been occasions this summer I might have played some unusual shots. But they’ve felt like pretty low-risk options in the moment.”It’s not as if no one has ever come upon this truth before. Virender Sehwag, as just one, understood this from the moment he started playing. In Root’s case, it could even be argued he has returned to it, given his once burgeoning white-ball game. Remember that, unlike his great contemporaries, he rarely gets to exhibit his (still considerable) white-ball skills anymore.He has played seven ODI innings since becoming a world champion three years ago; he hasn’t played a T20 outside the Blast in over three years. The absence has steadily dimmed the cachet and robbed him of a global, all-format sheen (while, by contrast, Steven Smith and Kane Williamson faced off in the last T20 World Cup final). If nothing else, this summer has been a righting of that.

USWNT captain Lindsey Horan hailed the “grit” mentality of her side after coming through a storm against Canada to make the W Gold Cup final.

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• Crazy conditions in California
• Tie settled by penalty shootout
• Another trophy now up for grabs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States were tested by their opponents and the weather conditions during a semi-final clash at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. Torrential rain made the pitch almost unplayable, with both sides asking questions of the decision to let the game go ahead.

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  WHAT HORAN SAID ABOUT THE USWNT

  Horan told of having to contend with a playing surface that saw the ball get stuck in various puddles: “A little bit of frustration from me – it’s not a day that you can play football! It’s really unfortunate, but at the end of the day I think me and Jessie [Fleming] were like ‘ok, we’ve got to move forward and we’ve got to play’. It is what it is and we played on.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A thrilling contest in California ended 2-2 after extra-time, with Canada snatching a 127th-minute equaliser after Jaedyn Shaw and Sophia Smith had netted for the States. The USWNT then held their nerve in a penalty shootout, with goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher saving three and scoring one herself.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Horan added on seeing the U.S. rediscover their spark following a frustrating showing at the 2023 Women’s World Cup: “That’s back to that U.S. mentality that we’ve been talking about that we needed, and it’s in us. I think that’s what you guys saw today. It’s not a game that you’re going to play football. I don’t think there are more than a few completed passes on the ground! But the grit of getting a goal, the tie, getting another goal and then the penalty kicks and Alyssa coming up massive.”

The bowlers also contributed greatly to fashion a 97-run win for Ireland in their first game of the World Cup Qualifier

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2018Andy Balbirnie in action at the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe•Getty Images

Ireland opened their World Cup qualifiers campaign with a 93-run win against Netherlands in a rain-affected game in Harare. After a fifty from Andy Balbirnie – who anchored the full 50-over innings despite being struck on the helmet by Ryan ten Doeschate – Netherlands fell nearly nine overs short of batting 41 overs in their hunt for a revised target of 243. Seamers Tim Murtagh and Boyd Rankin were Ireland’s most effective bowlers.Balbirnie said he was struck fairly early in his innings – “I must have been on 30” – but continued batting and finished with 68 off 75 balls. But once he returned to the change room, things started to go wrong. “I didn’t field. I obviously got hit in the head while I was batting. Didn’t feel it that much batting. Came off. Sat down. Had a break, and then got a bit dizzy and a bit of blurred vision. So saw the doctor, did a concussion test, it was okay, but he wanted me to get a scan. Scan was clear so it’s gradually got better as the day’s gone on.”Ireland began with a series of contributions from their top order, most notably a 101-run stand for the fourth wicket between Balbirnie and Niall O’Brien. Their partnership followed stands of 59, 35 and 24 respectively for the first three wickets before Netherlands staged a comeback in the slog overs, picking up 4 for 49 in the last 7.2 overs.Netherlands, meanwhile, did not find partnerships from their top order. Inside 16 overs, they’d lost five wickets and any chance of recovery was regularly thwarted by Ireland’s bowlers. Timm van der Gugten’s 33 off 25 at No. 9 was their most significant contribution as they folded for 149.

After finally making his first Liverpool appearance against Atletico Madrid, Alexander Isak will have his sights set on the Merseyside derby against Everton and Arne Slot has already dropped a hint about his potential role.

Isak makes Liverpool debut

It was never going to be a game that saw Isak steal the show in the same way that he so often did for Newcastle United. He’s not quite there yet, as he works his way back to sharpness. But the Swede certainly showed plenty of glimpses.

What particularly stood out is how Florian Wirtz also burst into life for the first time in Liverpool colours when combining with his fellow summer arrival. That partnership, if it continues to click, will be one to watch.

Although it’s difficult to criticise a side that have won four from four in the Premier League, Liverpool looked far more balanced against Atletico Madrid before complacency forced them into winning late on once again.

Isak, Mohamed Salah, Wirtz and Cody Gakpo formed a formidable frontline, whilst Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch proved that they’ll be a tough midfield partnership to break up for the rest of Slot’s options in that department.

Jeremie Frimpong’s influence should also be noted. The addition of a natural, overlapping full-back – which Szoboszlai did not provide – allowed Salah the space that he has been craving to cut inside and return to his most influential form.

Not Salah or Van Dijk: Liverpool star is now "one of the best in the world"

Liverpool left it late once more to collect a Champions League victory at Anfield over Atletico Madrid.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 18, 2025

Finally complete now that Isak is up and running, the depth of quality that this current Liverpool side have at their disposal should be frightening for any Premier League rival. But after making his debut against Atletico Madrid, will Isak start against Everton in the Merseyside derby this weekend?

Liverpool vs Everton: Slot drops early Isak hint

Speaking about the Swede’s potential role against Everton, Slot told reporters that, whilst Isak surprised him, fans shouldn’t get their hopes too high for another start in a matter of days. Instead, Anfield may be forced to welcome their new star striker from the bench on Saturday afternoon.

Of course, such is the depth of talent in Liverpool’s squad, it will likely be Hugo Ekitike who starts against Everton. The Frenchman has scored two Premier League goals in four games and has looked more than capable of pushing Isak all the way for a starting place this season.

Liverpool so often wrap up all their business nice and early, so prudent are FSG. But not this time, deals have dragged over to the eleventh hour, but Red fans won’t care a jot.

After weeks of posturing, Newcastle United have finally opened the door for Liverpool to sign Alexander Isak in what will prove a British-record £130m deal, including £5m in solidarity figures.

Isak is one of the best strikers in the world, but Liverpool may yet seal a signature considered even more important for the fluency and stability of Arne Slot’s project.

Liverpool confident they will sign Premier League star

As per transfer reporter Ben Jacobs, Liverpool are growing in confidence that a deal can be pulled off for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who has entered the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.

Though Liverpool have agreed personal terms with the England international and have the blessing of Palace chairman Steve Parish, Eagles first-team manager Oliver Glasner has been loath to let the star centre-back leave, and everything hinges on sufficient replacements being welcomed through the gates.

Liverpool have offices in London, and thus a medical will take place in the capital if the Merseysiders get the green light at this late hour. Palace are holding out for £40m and a deal is “expected to happen”.

Why Marc Guehi could make a bigger impact than Isak

Guehi, 25, has been at Crystal Palace for four years after leaving Chelsea for an £18m fee, failing to break into the Stamford Bridge senior side.

But no matter, he’s only gone from strength to strength since, captaining Palace to an incredible FA Cup triumph last year before beating Liverpool in last month’s Community Shield clash.

Hailed as a “monster in defence” by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, the £50k-per-week Guehi has so much quality, and he might even prove to be a better deal at this stage than Isak, who is going to cost FSG a pretty penny indeed.

Liverpool have started the current campaign imperiously from an attacking standpoint, and they were rather good in front of goal last term too.

The thought of adding Isak to the fold is frightening, to be sure, but given the fragilities of Ibrahima Konate over Liverpool’s opening fixtures in August, and then the Frenchman’s injury scare and ever-looming contractual expiry date at the end of the term, signing Guehi might actually prove to be the most important of the two deadline-day deals for Liverpool.

The England international showcased against Aston Villa on Sunday his aptitude on the ball, scoring a looping finish with the skill of a seasoned attacking midfielder.

And Sofascore record that he has also won 75% of his duels across his opening three matches of the Premier League term. Without a doubt, he has what it takes to become a superstar in Liverpool’s ranks, potentially succeeding Virgil van Dijk as the club’s standout defender over the coming years.

Liverpool have completed the most incredible of transfer windows, but despite all the flashy business at the front end of the field, Guehi might just prove to be the shrewdest and most impactful of the lot.

Van Dijk-esque: Liverpool can forget Guehi with D-day bid for £23m "leader"

Liverpool are looking to sign a centre-back before the transfer window slams shut at 7pm.

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 1, 2025

She displayed all the qualities that India thought they would miss with the new ball in the post-Jhulan-Goswami era

Shashank Kishore29-Jul-2022In India’s first outing at a global event in the post-Jhulan-Goswami era, Renuka Singh, 26, displayed all the qualities that India thought they would miss with the new ball: swing, seam, accuracy, large heart.The four Australia batters she nipped out weren’t ordinary wickets. They were of world-beaters who have made a mockery of bowling attacks the world over. Alyssa Healy: one of the hardest hitters of a cricket ball in the women’s game. Beth Mooney: one of the most versatile batters. Meg Lanning: scorer of more white-ball hundreds than any other woman batter, and owner of the most ferocious cut in the game. Tahlia McGrath: among the best young talents in the game currently.Related

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It was meant to be a trial by spin, but Australia’s top order was undone by seam, quite spectacularly, by a rookie, all of seven games old in T20Is, who simply stuck to the very basics coaches impress upon. Of bowling to your strengths, being accurate, and allowing the surface to do the rest.Healy was out nibbling at a delivery she could have either left alone or cut. Mooney played down the wrong line. Lanning was in two minds of whether to bring out her trademark cut or simply steer the ball behind square, only to be caught at point. McGrath didn’t perhaps know that inswing is Renuka’s most potent delivery, and was in no position to drive one that bent in wickedly to beat the inside edge and flatten leg stump.Last year, Renuka had burst through against the same team in Australia. Back then, she was slightly slower, giving batters a little more time to make adjustments against her. Between last October and now, Renuka has worked on becoming fitter and stronger, and has added a couple more yards of pace.Prior to the Commonwealth Games, India had two 10-day camps either side of a tour of Sri Lanka, where she picked up seven wickets in three ODIs, including a career-best 4 for 28.The camps were intense, with a set daily agenda. The fast bowlers were divided into different groups. Each group was put under a dedicated trainer, who logged in their workloads, their bowling speeds, their spells. A dietician worked through their food charts; every gram consumed was meticulously charted. Every evening’s recovery session was planned to the T.Then there were simulations and video analysis of every practice session. This extra emphasis on developing a young fast-bowling group had been in the works for two years, from when WV Raman took over as head coach in 2019.Renuka Singh Thakur (L) celebrates after dismissing Tahlia McGrath•Associated Press”I’ve been working on my fitness for the past month,” Renuka said after picking up her T20I career-best 4 for 18. “We had a dedicated fitness camp, and I’ve worked on speed, agility and endurance; I’m a fast bowler so those are really important skills. That has helped me a lot. I try and hit hard lengths, so that you can get help from the pitch. That has worked for me. I’m predominantly a swing bowler. The more I swing the ball, that much more help I’ll get.”Renuka hails from Himachal Pradesh, a state known for its hilly terrain and adventure sport. Until 2008, there was not a single academy in the state dedicated for girls. That changed after Anurag Thakur, the former BCCI president, developed a state-of-the-art facility in Dharamsala the following year.At 15, Renuka, who was at an age where she had to decide between pursuing academics or trying her hand at sport, was among the first batch of trainees at the academy. At 17, she broke through into the HP senior team.Now, HP is far from a champion team in the women’s circuit. Most players say landing a Railways gig is their ultimate aim. It offers them a competitive environment apart from guaranteeing several perks such as paid leave, government accommodation, a pension scheme, a monthly salary, and training equipment.Renuka too had a similar dream, and it came true in 2021 when she got a job in the Railways. Within eight months of her playing in the set-up, she made her T20I debut in Australia last year, and has since become a regular member of the Indian team.The debut came on the back of an impressive Senior One-Day Trophy, where Renuka picked up nine wickets in five games. But it wasn’t until she picked up four wickets in her first spell against Karnataka in the final, like she did against Australia, that word spread of this seamer with excellent control and the skillset India had been on the lookout for.If the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand gave Renuka an opportunity to apprentice under Goswami, the safety jacket has come off at the CWG. The start has been promising, and India will hope Renuka continues to thrive.