Clan-Members » Chicago. Theres so many things.The Big E chan

England Womens seamer Kate Cross looks ahead to the inaugural Kia Super League and back on a red-hot winter in Sri Lanka...So, after an incredible winter of chasing the sunshine, its now time to settle back down in Blighty.This obviously has its pros and cons: pros being that I can spend some time with my family and friends, and cons revolving around the need to go out and buy some hand warmers for the start of the season! Not being selected for the WT20 squad was a real disappointment for me, but Im taking the positives out of it - I know I have things to improve on, especially in T20 cricket, which can be especially cruel on a bowler! Lots of room for work and development is an exciting prospect.It also opened up another opportunity for me to travel to Sri Lanka with the England Womens Academy team to play a triangular series against the Sri Lanka Womens A team and the Shooting Stars (Australia Womens A team). Smile (squint!) for the team pic The trip was a real success for us as a team - not only did we win six of the eight matches we played out there (a mixture of 50-over and T20 cricket) but it generated some new challenges for me, such as captaining, batting a little higher in the order and learning how to play cricket in 90 per cent humidity!The first training session we did felt like we were trying to breath underwater, it was that humid. To put it into perspective, before and after each game we would weigh ourselves to see how much fluid we had lost, and I was consistently losing around 2.5kg each time, and was able to wring my shirt out. Pleasant! The Red Rose is in full bloom! Me with youngsters Ellie Threlkeld, Sophie Ecclestone and Emma Lamb Playing on the Academy tour also meant that I was a senior player for a change, and gave me the chance to see first-hand some of the exciting talent that we have coming through the ranks.Im really proud to say that three really promising prospects hail from the mighty Red Rose! Emma Lamb, Sophie Ecclestone and Ellie Threlkeld all had really successful trips, which as a county is really pleasing. Watch out for this lot this summer!As an aside, how beautiful is Sri Lanka?! It was actually my debut trip out there and we were lucky enough on a day off to travel down the coast where we stumbled across a little bit of paradise. World T20 heartbreak While we were out in Sri Lanka, we were continually supporting the England womens and mens teams in their WT20 campaigns, and we were so gutted for the girls when they lost out to the Aussies in the semi-final.As disappointed as everyone is about the result, we know we have a lot of room for improvement in order to win the big ICC global events, and I know that with the additional heartbreak from last summer, the drive to improve is stronger than ever. One teams heartbreak is however another teams jubilation, and it was really great to see the West Indies girls pick up the trophy. They have become a real force to be reckoned with over the past few years, which is great for the state and quality of the global game.Im particularly excited that I will be able to share a dressing room this summer during the inaugural Kia Super League (KSL) with two of the most exciting West Indian players: Deandra Dottin and Hayley Mathews. Matthews set for Thunder West Indies star heading to Emirates Old Trafford Signing them for the Lancashire Thunder has created a real buzz around Emirates Old Trafford, and we know they will bring something really special to the team. We have also been really lucky to secure Australian all-rounder Sarah Coyte, and quite frankly I am delighted that all three are in my team and I wont have to bowl at them!#TheThunderIsComingSpeaking of the KSL, there is growing and tangible excitement about the competition. Now that logos have been designed, fixtures have been released and teams have been fully announced, everyone is desperate to get going.The KSL is something that the womens domestic game here in England has been crying out for. Not only is it something brand new to look forward to, but it gives an opportunity for us all to play more high-quality cricket and bridge the gap between county and international cricket. The announcement of the overseas players last week was a real talking point around the womens cricket world. With 18 of the best female players coming over to play, you can get a real sense for how strong the competition is going to be. I am absolutely delighted to have signed for the Lancashire Thunder - I am always so proud to represent the Red Rose and to play at Emirates Old Trafford. Having also signed Danni Wyatt and skipper Sarah Taylor, along with the news that former England womens stalwart and Womens Ashes winner Laura Newton has been included in the final squad of 15, the Thunder have got a real mix of experience and explosive power, which hopefully will get some bums on seats.Laura was a real role model for me growing up, especially when I first got into the senior Lancs womens team, so it will be great to play with her again. For anyone who would like to come and support us this summer, here are our fixtures: Hopefully the snow will stay away for the foreseeable future, so we can all look forward to what is going to be a really exciting summer of womens cricket… See you there!Crossy (Kate Cross, England womens fast bowler)Also See:Womens cricket homeWATCH: Kates 5-Ball ChallengeSuper League squads announcedGet Sky SportsFake Vans Cheap . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. Fake Vans 2020 . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. https://www.vansfake.com/ . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Fake Vans . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. Fake Vans From China . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said.TORONTO -- Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall was part of the Eric Lindros blockbuster trade in June 1992 with the Quebec Nordiques and still winces at the memory. He loved being a Flyer and didnt want to leave.As the NHL held a weeklong arbitration process to figure out whether the Nordiques had traded Lindros to the Flyers or New York Rangers -- Nordiques GM Pierre Page had apparently told both teams they had a deal -- Hextall waited.I remember it very clearly because of the timing of it, the arbitration [decision] was happening at noon. Sure enough, my phone rang at noon, said Hextall, in town to see Lindros, Pat Quinn, Rogie Vachon and?Sergei Makarov?inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. We were settled in Philly, I loved the Flyers, I could never imagine playing for another team. Now all of a sudden you get a phone call to say youve been traded. It was difficult. It was hard for me emotionally. I had young kids [6, 4, 1]. It was tough. That was a little shot of reality for a naive Brandon boy.Hextall laughed at how he felt about Lindros at that very moment.I was mad as hell at Eric. Until I got traded back two years later, said Hextall, laughing. Then I thought, This wasnt so bad after all. When I got back to Philly and now Im playing with Eric, then I thought he was more than OK.It is by no accident that the Nordiques insisted on getting prospect Peter Forsberg in the Lindros deal.We knew Forsberg was really good, former Flyers GM Russ Farwell said recently. We couldnt sign him. We couldnt get Forsberg to come over right then. We didnt want to include [Mark] Recchi or [Rod] BrindAmour, so that was the piece that kind of turned the tide, I think.The other GM who negotiated a deal with Quebec at the time was Neil Smith, on behalf of the Rangers. The ensuing arbitration that was needed to decide a winner leftt the Rangers losers in the Lindros sweepstakes.ddddddddddddI asked Smith recently how he felt it would have changed the course of history for the Rangers to get Lindros. I mean, imagine Lindros and Mark Messier as a 1-2 punch at center from 1992 onward?You dont know if we would have won none or if we would have won more than one, responded Smith. His Rangers, of course, won the Cup in 1994. Because you dont know how that trade would have impacted what went on after that. There would be no [Esa] Tikkanen, or there would be no [Tony] Amonte to make that trade with Chicago. Theres so many things.The Big E changed the game during his heyday, of that there is no doubt.Yeah, well, everybody wanted players like him, but those type of players dont come along very often, former Flyers GM Bob Clarke said. Those are the generational players. Every 10 years, one of them comes along. Obviously, its McDavids turn now, but there was a Gretzky, a Lemieux, an Orr, those kind of players; and Lindros was one of those players that comes along every 10 years and seems just better than everyone else.As for Lindros today, it appears his future is not with an NHL team. I asked him during our sitdown interview a few weeks ago if he pictured himself running an NHL team or working for one in some capacity like many of his contemporaries.Never really crossed my mind, Lindros said. I look at some of my buddies that are pro scouts and how much travel they do. I can see it, had Kina and I had kids earlier, and [the kids] were 18-20 years old heading to university, but I just dont want to miss whats going on around the house.Lindros and wife Kina Lamarche have three kids 30 months and younger. Daddy Lindros is busy. ' ' '