[This article originally appeared on the now defunct website Cricketwoman. - RE]

[This article was originally written for the now defunct website, Cricketwoman. - RE]

Australian vice-captain Karen Rolton's unbeaten 107 in Sunday's Women's Cricket World Cup Final against India at Centurion was both the highest individual score and the first century scored in such a game.Australia's team total of 215 for 4 is the highest team total in a Women's World Cup Final, while Rolton's fourth-wicket partnership with Lisa Sthalekar is the largest partnership in a WCWC Final.

I could count the number of conservative politicians in Australia whom I respect on about two fingers. Tim Fischer is one. Malcolm Fraser is the other.

"The Life and Times of Malcolm Fraser" is another superb documentary from the SBS Independent stable screening in the Thursday night "Storyline Australia" collection. It paints a personal picture of the septuagenarian former PM, with the backdrop of his political career and home movies from his childhood.

In 1973, the women were first with a cricket world cup, and in 2004 they will be first with a Twenty20 cricket international.

The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), which governs the men's game in the world's most populous cricketing nation, has rejected an application from the women's governing body for an amalgamation.

A brief announcement of the rejection of the request by the Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI) was made at the conclusion of the BCCI's AGM, which was conducted at Eden Gardens, Calcutta on September 27-29.

Made-for-television cricket. We've seen a lot of it in the past five years dished out in the name of "globalising" the sport. Televised but meaningless one-day matches dished up for an insatiable market from the "emerging" regions of world cricket. Singapore, Toronto, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, and even a park in northern Los Angeles have all played host to an array of TV-oriented "spectaculars". Add to that list the name of Melbourne.

Former West Indian captain Ann Browne-John broke new ground this week when she was appointed to the Cricket Committee of the West Indies Cricket Board. She is the first woman appointed to a major role in the men's governing body in the Caribbean.

Joan Wilkinson, who played thirteen Tests for England between 1949 and 1958, has died. Her funeral was held at Foulridge, Lancashire, on Tuesday April 23, the town where she passed away at home at the age of 83.

A right-handed batter and occasional spin bowler, Wilkinson was chosen for England's tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1948-49, where she played all Tests except the opening game of the Australian leg. She was in the team which hosted Australia in the 1951 season, and was England vice-captain when New Zealand toured in 1954.

The Irish national women's team makes its debut in men's club competition on Saturday April 27. The women will be playing nine matches in the Leinster Men's Intermediate A League - effectively a fifth-grade club competition - and will take on the Clontarf fourth XI at Castle Avenue, Dublin in the opening game.

Australian all-rounder Karen Rolton dominated the South Australian Women's Cricket Association A grade grand final on 23 and 24 March as Port Adelaide won its second consecutive title.

Rolton, arguably the world's best female cricketer at this time, smashed 201 not out as Port crushed the Northern Districts Jets by the margin of 254 runs in the two-day season finale at the Women's Memorial Playing Fields, St Marys.