#BeAGameChanger, the ECB tweeted in April this year, when it was nominated by the Womens Sport Trust as National Governing Body of the Year. History will be made this summer, when the inaugural Kia Super League is launched.England has a long and chequered history of womens league cricket. Womens leagues have existed in the north of England since the 1920s, organised in places where mens league cricket had traditionally been strong: mainly Lancashire and Yorkshire. Bradford, for example, staged a Womens Evening Cricket League, which by 1932 had 23 teams enrolled. In 1930, Keighley CC of the Bradford League organised the Keighley Ladies Cricket Competition, a knockout tournament where the cup was provided by the mothers of the Keighley mens team. The Yorkshire Evening Post described one womens league match in 1931 as a grimly fought out struggle… Bradfordians should roll up in force to encourage their womenfolk in the field.In some ways the Kia Super League is simply a continuation of this radical tradition of womens league cricket in England. Northern league cricket in the 1930s changed the face of womens cricket for good. Why? Because it was one of the first times that female cricketers in England could receive payment for their activities. While players were not paid directly, collections were made for outstanding performances: in 1930, a Mrs L Wilson was paid ￡4 in two successive matches, having taken a hat-trick in each.Similarly, the Super League allows for female domestic cricketers - so often still forced to pay their own way when it comes to playing their sport - to earn match fees and expenses. There will also be prize money for the first time ever in English womens domestic cricket. The prospect has already tempted several ex-international players out of retirement: Laura Newton, Arran Brindle and Rosalie Fairbairn (nee Birch) among them. Fairbairn retired in 2009 at the age of just 25, citing the need to focus on her career, having been offered a full-time post with Chance to Shine as a project manager and PR officer. The fact is, womens cricket is still very rarely lucrative enough for anyone to earn their living from it. Many players, even the best ones, are forced to exit the game early, concerned for their future career prospects.The Super League might just change all that. While it is important to note that KSL players cannot yet be considered professionals - there is no salary for participants - the ECB has stated that it is its aspiration for it to become so. Ironically the Womens Cricket Association, the governing body of womens cricket before the ECB took over in 1998, was concerned about league cricket in the 1930s precisely because it believed that if female cricket became competitive, it would lead to a seeping professionalisation of the sport - anathema to those who were amateurs in the purest sense of the word.It didnt happen like that in the end, of course: there simply wasnt enough money invested in the leagues to do so. But perhaps this time around, with the backing of a body as rich as the ECB, things might be different. And if domestic womens cricket can begin to be professionalised, then the sky is the limit.Even with this uncertainty, though, it is already clear that the Kia Super League, which begins at the end of July, will indeed make history.Eighty years ago womens league cricket had an extremely limited player pool. Most teams were works sides. The Preston and District League, for example, featured teams from Ensign Lamps, Preston Steam Laundry and Penwortham Mills. It was employer sponsorship, and the provision of high-quality works grounds, that made womens league cricket possible. Thus, while mens league teams could call upon the likes of Learie Constantine to bolster their ranks, doing the same was out of the question for their female counterparts. By contrast, the Super League is built on the principle of the best (from all over England) playing the best. Over the coming six-team three-week T20 competition, 72 of the best female players in England will be competing under the banner of Lancashire Thunder, Loughborough Lightning, Southern Vipers, Surrey Stars, Western Storm and Yorkshire Diamonds. And with three international players per team, the best talent from around the world will also be on display. On 12 August, Old Trafford will play host to Hayley Matthews, the star of the Womens World T20 final, giving it some welly for Thunder. Rock up to The Oval on August 4 and Meg Lanning of Stars will be showing exactly why she is widely considered the best female cricketer in the world right now. Suzie Bates will be showing off her power-hitting abilities at the Ageas Bowl on August 8. And if youre Midlands-based, get over to Loughborough University on August 3 or 5 to watch the ridiculously talented Ellyse Perry in action for Lightning.Even the inaugural, phenomenally successful Womens Big Bash League could not boast such a dazzling list of names. Sadly, unlike in the WBBL - but like with those very first womens leagues back in the 1930s - youre going to have to get along to the grounds in person if you want to watch the games. Sky may have covered a lot of England Womens matches in recent years but it has recently been confirmed that there will be no live TV broadcast of any KSL games this summer - including finals day, August 21.The apparent logic is that the mens T20 Blast final is the day before, and that it would not be logistically possible for Sky to cover both events. And, thanks to the ECBs current broadcast deal with Sky, it is not currently possible for another broadcaster to be approached. For a sport that is seeking to grow its fan base, this is a big mistake.If we really want KSL to be a game-changer in the long term, then lets (as was hinted at when the competition was announced in June last year) aim to get it on free-to-air TV. Given the viewing figures seen for televised games during the WBBL, this surely isnt much to ask?For now, though, well have to be content with the Super League trying to rival some of the audiences that womens domestic cricket achieved at the height of league popularity in the 1930s (some 8000 spectators attended a match between Lancashire and Yorkshire at Bradford Park Avenue in 1931). In common with the Yorkshire Evening Post, Id urge not just Bradfordians but Londoners, Lancastrians, Loughburghians and all those in between to roll up in force and encourage their womenfolk in the field. Youre bound to see some exciting cricket. Javier Baez Cubs Jersey . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Ryne Sandberg Jersey .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Greg-Maddux-Kids-Jersey/ . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Andre Dawson Cubs Jersey . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say. Jason Heyward Jersey . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The Dodgers took it personally when Arizonas Ian Kennedy hit their star rookie Yasiel Puig in the face with a pitch. Then they really got mad when Kennedy hit starter Zack Greinke with another high pitch. Punches replaced pitches at that point as a heated brawl involving players and coaches ensued, resulting in six ejections before the Dodgers rallied to beat the Diamondbacks 5-3 on Tuesday night. Kennedy, Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson and coach Turner Ward, along with Puig, reliever Ronald Belisario and Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire were ejected in the seventh inning after the prolonged scuffle that nearly spilled into the stands. In the top of the seventh, Greinke hit Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero in the back — drawing a warning from the umpire — and both teams came charging onto the field, but the scrum broke up quickly with no punches thrown. "Puig gets hit in the face, Montero gets hit, it should have been really over at this point," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. Greinke hitting Montero was payback for Kennedy hitting Puig in bottom of the sixth — the ball deflected off Puigs shoulder and grazed his nose. It wasnt broken and he didnt sustain a concussion, the team said. Puig didnt appear at his locker after the game to talk with reporters. "If you cant pitch inside without hitting someone in the head, you shouldnt pitch inside," Mattingly said. Kennedy said he was just trying to pitch inside to Puig, who came into the game batting .500. "I thought I got him on the shoulder, but by his reaction, I figure I got him somewhere in the face," he said. "I definitely did not want to hit a guy with two strikes and put somebody like him on base." Kennedy then hit Greinke in the upper left shoulder — the ball deflected off his helmet — with one out in the seventh and the game tied 2-all. It was the 41st batter Kennedy has hit since the start of 2010. "I honestly had no idea that it was that high until I saw the replay," Kennedy said. Mattingly believed otherwise, saying, "I thought it was B.S." After the game, Greinke said he didnt want to discuss the brawl. "Thats when it kind of got out of hand," Tim Federowicz said about Greinke getting hit. "You cant do that." Kennedy immediately was tossed and calmly walked toward the Diamondbacks dugout before players poured onto the field and relievers ran in from the bullpens. "Everything happened so fast," Mattingly said. "It just gets a little crazy out there." Belisario began throwing punches and a shouting Puig rushed into the meelee.dddddddddddd. "I was out of my mind just trying to protect my teammates," Belisario said. "If you want to hit somebody, dont hit a pitcher. Dont hit guys in the head. Thats crazy." Ward got slammed against a railing and was put in a headlock by Dodgers left fielder Skip Schumaker, who appeared to be trying to break up the fight as both teams kept pushing closer to the stands. "Ive never seen a pitcher throw at two guys heads before," Schumaker said. "Its dangerous." Several star players of another generation were right in the middle of it. McGwire had Gibsons jersey and windbreaker with both hands and was screaming at him. "I know theyre mad. They thought we hit Puig, but certainly we didnt," Gibson said. "The guy hits everything out over the plate. But the ball got away from Ian and got inside. Its as simple as that. I didnt order anything. Its certainly not what Ian wanted to do." Mattingly had to be restrained as he tried to get at Gibson, then they exchanged words briefly. McGwire and third base coach Matt Williams grabbed each others shirts in a tense standoff and shouted at each other. "Donnie was mad and Im sure theyll accept no culpability," Gibson said. Montero, still in full catching gear, ended up on the ground next to Ward. "It got pretty ugly," Montero said. "They came out of nowhere, just throwing punches. When everybody was trying to break it up, they just kept coming and throwing punches. It was like 25 against 72, because all the DL guys were out there, too. I guess their arms were feeling pretty good because they were throwing good punches." When play resumed, Greinke took his spot at first base and made a hard slide into second base when Schumaker, the next batter, grounded into a fielders choice. Greinke had spent more than a month on the disabled list after breaking his collarbone in a brawl with San Diegos Carlos Quentin, who charged the mound after being hit with a pitch on April 11. Federowicz hit a go-ahead three-run double in the eighth inning after David Hernandez (3-2) walked the bases loaded. After Puig got hit, Andre Ethier followed with a two-run homer off Kennedy that tied the game 2-all. Willie Bloomquists RBI single in the eighth gave Arizona a 3-2 lead. Matt Guerrier (2-2) got the win and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth to earn his third save. NOTES: The Dodgers placed OF Scott Van Slyke on the 15-day DL with left shoulder bursitis and optioned INF Justin Sellers to Triple-A Albuquerque. The team recalled OF Alex Castellanos and RHP Chris Withrow from Albuquerque ' ' '