Mel Jones 
Alex Blackwell
Fox Sports THE BLAST presented a review of one half of the Women’s T20 Competition with a lady compere and Alex Blackwell (Australia) and Mel Jones (England) as the Experts. In the course of a searching review, Blackwell and Jones were asked to appraise the respective chances of the five teams in that half of the competition. The forecasts were as follows
Blackwell Jones
1 = Australia 1 = Australia
2 = India 2 = New Zealand
3= New Zealand 3 = India
4 = Sri Lanka 4 = Bangladesh
5 = Bangladesh 5 = Sri Lanka
It is quite fascinating that Mel Jones, a coffee-coloured British lady, rated India’s chances lower than that of the Kiwis; while placing Bangladesh higher than Sri Lanka. The latte preference is quite puzzling because the Lankan ladies had pulverized the England team in a warm-up match in Adelaide (after being mauled badly by the Saf ladies).
And, now, on Friday the 21st evening we can stress that India has beaten the favourites Australia quite convincingly and thereby boosted their chances of coming 1 or 2 in the listing. It is early in the competition yet and Australia could bounce back and proceed to win it…. BUT Mel Jones seems to have a small splotch of egg on her face already.
Cricket is a puzzling game, however. The India-Oz match was playedt oday on a ground with low bounce that was also conducive to spin. Sri Lanka face the Kiwis and the Aussies at the WACA ground in Perth where the bounce and ‘Fremantle wind’ will suit pace-bowling. I am therefore pessimistic about their prospects against the two Antipodean sides in those conditions.