Although England have been playing Australia in women's Test matches since 1934, the Ashes were first contested in 1998, when they burnt a stump at Lord's. That year's three-match series ended up at 0-0 (and though Australia had won the previous three series, England claimed to be the holders on the grounds that they and the Ashes were both at home).It is just possible that they might hold on to them this time with their young side (average age 23), but Australia, as elsewhere, start favourites. They have the 33-year-old fast bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick (the Glenn McGrath of her gender) and the 30-year-old run- machine and captain, Belinda Clark, who is unfortunately a cross between Steve and Mark Waugh.England's mood is one of determination, and 0-0 is another possibility. Some two-thirds of all women's Test matches have ended as draws and this will remain the most likely result given the infinite patience of batsmen against unpenetrative bowling.It prompts the thought that one-dayers are the thing and that the Ashes and all other major trophies should be at stake in those. The suggestion did not go down well with the England and Wales Cricket Board, not only because of tradition but because the Aussies keep hammering our lot at the shorter stuff and there would be no excuse then to keep the Ashes.Today's match is at the Denis Compton Ground at Shenley in Hertfordshire, the first one-dayer is at Derby on Friday. Growth Industries Pitches at the grass roots are about to be improved. Funding of £1.4m was announced yesterday to improve 260 wickets throughout England in the next two years.

Some of the cash, from Sport England, NatWest and the Cricket Foundation, will also go to buying 799 mobile, plastic flicx (pitches).Administrators are delighted with both plans. The flicx could do for cricket what talkies did for the flicks in the Thirties. As for decent grass pitches, league batsmen up and down the country should benefit. The ECB may like to consider siphoning off some of the cash to make Headingley fit for cricket again.. You cannot keep a good man (or a good side) down You cannot keep a good man (or a good side) down. Phil Tufnell sparked Warwickshire's eventual downfall, picking up four wickets in all (he now has 37 first-class victims this season) to keep Middlesex at the top of the Second Division with an emphatic victory. It robbed Warwickshire, who had gone into the game just a smidgen behind the leaders, of their unbeaten record this season and confirmed Middlesex as serious contenders for promotion. But for 86 minutes yesterday morning Mark Wagh and David Hemp had the home fans on the edge of their seats and Middlesex on the run with an exhilarating display of strokemaking.Wagh in particular was in blistering form, with every one of his hard-hit shots leaving nothing in their wake for the opposition but despair.No one was shown any respect, not even Angus Fraser, the Middlesex captain, who was dispatched for three boundaries in one over, enough to see him out of the attack, albeit temporarily.

Wagh, a tall right-hander, did not miss an opportunity to drive anything over-pitched, but was equally at home rocking back and thumping through the off-side and he was perfectly prepared to use his feet against the left-arm spin of Tufnell.Of the 16 fours credited to the 24-year-old, one was all-run and in his stay he and Hemp added 107 for the third wicket, a stand which gave the Warwickshire victory hopes a rosy hue. Sadly, once Wagh departed, clumsily pulling Tufnell to Fraser at mid-on, they began to look more like a busted flush.Hemp, who had made a first innings hundred, lasted until after lunch, before he too fell foul of the wily Tufnell, top-edging a pull to be comfortably taken by Paul Weekes at midwicket That effectively put the skids under the innings. Dominic Ostler had gone on the stroke of lunch; Dougie Brown looked uncharacteristically out of touch for the 19 overs he spent compiling seven runs.And, as well as Ashley Giles did first time around, he was still feeling his way back after being out with Achilles problems. After he departed, the only resistancewas offered by Keith Piper, who had had to leave his sick bed (he was suffering from a viral infection). The rest of the side will have gone to their beds feeling even more sick last night.. Two career-best innings by Matthew Wood and Ian Blackwell helped Somerset secure a draw which looked very unlikely on the first morning when they were in the sorry state of 35 for six.

Two career-best innings by Matthew Wood and Ian Blackwell helped Somerset secure a draw, which looked very unlikely on the first morning when they were in the sorry state of 35 for six. They needed a century from Blackwell to rescue them and, after the dismissal of the 20-year-old Wood in the second innings, he delivered again, becoming the 14th Somerset player to score a century in each innings of a Championship match. He biffed drives, swatted full tosses and generally took full advantage of the poor-quality bowling that Northamptonshire offered, Darren Cousins excepted. Graeme Swann and Jason Brown were particularly disappointing, proving that the quest for the England spinners of the future continues and, if their experiences of touring with England are to be learned from, the selectors should refrain from taking young tweakers abroad just to carry drinks.Swann, 22, toured South Africa two winters ago and, apart from the higher standard of accommodation, it differed little from the experiences enjoyed by the many back-packers out there at the same time. Enjoy the sun, regard the scenery, ferry a few drinks to friends and enjoy the occasional lie-in. He certainly didn't do much bowling.Not the most glowing end-of-term report followed, but he did respond with 41 Championship wickets at an average of 33 last season. This compared favourably with Roberts Croft's tally of 29 at more than 40 apiece, but Croft and Brown wintered in Sri Lanka, Croft returning a hero, Brown a dab hand with the cocktail shaker.The club should be concerned, if not outright worried, at their inability to bowl sides out, and this season Swann and Brown have taken five and eight wickets respectively.