A Study into the Development of Women’s Cricket in England

Introduction

Men’s cricket. A game of leather and wood. A game that lasts from a few hours to a few days, affected by cloud formations and the blades of grass on the pitch. It ebbs and flows, resulting in landslide victories or wins by the barest of all margins. Women’s cricket. A game of leather and wood. A game that lasts from a few hours to a few days, affected by cloud formations and the blades of grass on the pitch. It ebbs and flows, resulting in landslide victories or wins by the barest of all margins. This time, it is riddled with sexism, gender disparity and a desperation for equal opportunities. How did a bold move by twenty-two women in 1745 pave the way for Anya Shrubsole to take the winning wicket in the 2017 Women’s World Cup Final at the prestigious Lords Cricket Ground?

Men’s cricket has always been a part of my life and since 2017, women’s cricket has been an even larger part of my life. I chose to research women’s cricket because it is an area of sport that is rapidly increasing in popularity and attention. As I started my EPQ, a ground-breaking, brand new cricket tournament was starting in England which provided equal treatment for men and women. I saw this as an opportunity to understand and learn about where women’s cricket has come from, the struggles, the triumphant moments and the untold stories. I have co-hosted a women’s cricket podcast for just over a year and this inspired my inquisitiveness in women’s cricket and meeting the people behind this sport I love fuelled my passion and interest. Growing up, I always had male role models in sport, never female and part of my aim was to discover the women who could have been my role models as a child if only the media had represented them.

History

Origins

1st Women’s Match (1745)

One sunny afternoon on Gosden Common, Surrey, two women’s teams played in a thrilling match. The year is 1745 and the game is between the women’s XIs from the villages of Bramley and Hambledon; the teams distinguished by coloured ribbons in their hair (Nicholson, 2020). Gosden Common was home to Bramley Cricket Club which still stands today, and this is where women’s cricket began, however, it was not until the late 19th century that it became further established (About Us, no date). In juxtaposition to the norms of cricket today, it was often lower-class, women who played. Because most players were unmarried, it was a method of courtship (Nicholson, 2019)

The early 20th century, saw a rise in women’s cricket, the Mirror reported in June 1914 that “cricket is growing in popularity among women” (Nicholson, 2019). This increase was facilitated by rich men who saw the game as a tactical investment and a gambling opportunity. In some ways, it is a positive thing that the game had support however, it is fair to say that this type of support has left a damaging legacy of gambling culture, sexualisation and mockery of the women’s game. Contextually, the 1920s saw the birth of the “modern” woman which increased sexualisation and objectification of women; a cricket game being an “innocent” way to do this. Heckling crowds became more common and pitch invasions meant that games needed to be abandoned. (Women’s Cricket History, no date a)

1926 Women’s Cricket Association

An often-forgotten organisation among current women’s cricket fans is the Women’s Cricket Association (WCA). The WCA was founded in 1926 and was a driving force within the game until it merged with the English Cricket Board (ECB) in 1998. In its 72 successful years, it started a festival called “cricket week”, which was held each year in Colwall, Herefordshire. Its pilot year was 1927 and year by year, its participation increased and developed into a five- or six-day festival consisting of 12 teams. The emphasis on fun was clear and ability or experience was not. Testament to the valiant efforts of the female cricketing community, when the ECB decided to terminate the festival, associates of women’s cricket decided to continue the special week, colloquially now known as the Malvern Festival, allowing more generations to experience the joy of playing cricket. (Women’s Cricket History, no date b) (Women’s Cricket Chat: Enid Bakewell MBE (part one), 2021)

Tours & Competitions

First International Tour (1934) (Australia)

In 1934, England sailed over to Australia to play in a Test series which later became known as the prestigious, Ashes. England won two out of the three test matches, one of them being drawn, starting their international campaign on a good note. It wasn’t until 1960, when England played South Africa, that England competed against a team other than Australia and New Zealand. Then, England had to wait until 1979 to play against the West Indies and 1986 against India outside of a World Cup.

First World Cup (1973)

Among most people, the name Jack Hayward is associated with the football club, Wolverhampton Wanderers. In 1990, he bought the club and became the chair and owner however prior to that, he made his mark on women’s cricket. Back in 1971, Jack Hayward approached the chair of the WCA merely as a spectator, but he was a spectator with a big idea. Hayward proposed the idea of a World Cup which he would fund, held on home soil and organised by the WCA. This dream turned to reality in 1973 when the first World Cup — men’s or women’s — took place in England between seven teams: England, Young England, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago and an International XI. To nobody’s surprise, the final was between the dominant sides, England and Australia which took place at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham. England won the inaugural World Cup on July 28th 1973, Princess Anne presenting them with the trophy. (Women’s Cricket History, no date c) For 27 years, the World Cup seemed to be another Ashes, a battle between Australia and England, one out of the pair always winning to tournament. However, in 2000, New Zealand beat Australia in Christchurch, New Zealand and became the first side to win the tournament, other than the mighty England and Australia. Speaking to New Zealand wicketkeeper, Katey Martin, she spoke to me about New Zealand not capitalising off the World cup win in 2000. “We had the same in 2000 when New Zealand cricket probably just sat on it and thought oh the public will get behind it” (Season 6 Episode 1: BBC Shout Outs, Celebrity Follows and an England Victory ft Katey Martin, 2021) (see appendix 1)

Players

A unique element of the development of women’s cricket is the importance of the players past and present. The players were and still are the trailblazers, the ones pushing for change, promoting their own game and battling the sexism the game faces. From self-funding tours to battling the patriarchy, the women that came before us sacrificed jobs, money and acceptance to create a pathway for future generations of girls to be involved in the game they loved.

Betty Archdale

The first individual to highlight would be Helen “Betty” Archdale. Her godmother was leading Suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst so as you could imagine, she grew up to be a bold, determined woman. Archdale was England captain between 1934–1937 and in her few years she led England on their first ever tours, having successful campaigns against Australia and New Zealand. If her achievements in cricket were not enough, she also was a part of the Women’s Royal Naval Service in WWII, she was a qualified barrister and a headmistress. In her role as headmistress, she was revolutionary and introduced sex education and physics for the very first time (The Guardian, 2000). Betty’s contributions to cricket are very small in comparison to the reforms she made to Australian schools and the rest of her working life however, the strides she made in cricket cannot go unnoticed. Archdale was a true pioneer becoming England’s first captain and organising overseas tours for the first time. If she had not commenced this tradition, a tournament such as the Ashes may not be so renowned. Living until the age of 93 is probably down to her determination in all areas of life and her no-nonsense attitudes!

Rachael Heyhoe Flint

I believe that the single most important figure in women’s cricketing history is Rachael Heyhoe Flint. A remarkable woman from Wolverhampton, she defied the expectations of women and fought the sexist traditionalists to be able to give women the opportunity to play at Lords. Heyhoe-Flint was the woman who created the idea of a World Cup, an extremely successful tournament in both men’s and women’s cricket today. A pioneer in most aspects of life, she raised her child while captaining England (The tireless champion of women’s cricket liberation, no date). I suppose that many nowadays would view her as a feminist however, in some ways, it undermines what she achieved; a more appropriate description would be “The tireless champion of women’s cricket liberation” as journalist Raf Nicholson put it. To men, she was a threat to their masculinity and tradition, and I do not think that anyone will ever be able to comprehend the sacrifice, drive and passion of Rachael Heyhoe-Flint. She has left a lasting legacy but unfortunately, in early 2017, Lady Rachael Heyhoe-Flint passed away, just months before England won the 2017 World Cup at Lords, a place which had become the epicentre of her efforts for gender parity. In 2020, the women’s domestic 50-over competition was named after her, the 2022 final being announced to be held at Lords. It will be an emotional moment when the two domestic teams take the field on Sunday 25th September 2022, I only wish Heyhoe-Flint herself could see the impact she has left. As with everyone, at some point they have to pass on the baton to the next person and we can already see emerging pioneers and leaders of the women’s game.

Charlotte Edwards

Making her England debut wearing a skirt and retiring from the game with a professional contract, Charlotte “Lottie” Edwards is a player who symbolises the change in women’s cricket in recent times. At the age of 16, Edwards made her England debut just after finishing her GCSE exams and went on to have an extremely successful England career between 1996–2016. Winning two World Cups and three Ashes series as captain, she is a perfect example of successful leadership. It is extremely rare that somebody can be such a successful leader without leaving others damaged. Lottie is a major exception to this. She says that “I guess I love people and I love cricket, that’s fundamentally what I’m about as a person” (Season 8 Episode 4: Have a Tree-Mendous Christmas ft Charlotte Edwards, 2021) (see appendix 2) After retiring from England in 2016, she later became head coach for Southern Vipers, a new regional team representing the counties of Hampshire, Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. It was remarkable to hear about her ethos and speaking to some of the Southern Viper’s players she does not just talk the talk, she also walks the walk. Recent England debutant, Maia Bouchier said that “Charlotte is just one of those people you can just put your whole trust in” (Season 7 Episode 3: A Dozen New Contracts ft Maia Bouchier, 2021) (see appendix 3). Lottie passes her experience as England captain onto Viper’s captain, Georgia Adams. When I spoke to her, she explained that “I now realize how she had the impact she did as an England captain” (Season 7 Episode 5: Renegades are Topping the Table and We’re Topping the Charts ft Georgia Adams, 2021) (see appendix 4). It is clear to see that Edwards has been vital for the development of women’s cricket, not only by leading England but by setting an example for her successors and the players whom she coaches. Her achievements on and off the field have created interest in the game and she has become a household name as a result of this.

Professionalism

2014 Central Contracts

In 2014, Women’s cricket in England stepped into a new era: professionalism. The ECB announced in February 2014 after a successful Ashes series, that the England women’s team would receive professional contracts. These first 18 contracts were given to a selection of the England squad as a result of their successful season (Wilson, 2014) (see appendix 5). Charlotte “Lottie” Edwards, England captain between 2005 to 2016, tweeted that “today is a day I never thought I’d see in my time as a player!” (BBC Sport, 2014). This was followed up by former teammate, Clare Connor who said that “Charlotte Edwards and I had to pay for our first England blazer to go on tour to India in 1995 and now 18 years on, what a fantastic day this is for the sport.” It is remarkable to reflect on this momentous moment. For the first time, a female cricketer could call themselves a professional cricketer. Despite having played cricket for England for 18 years and breaking records, Charlotte Edwards was only considered a “professional” from 2014 at the back end of her career.

Previous to these contracts, players would be balancing university, full time jobs, families and making a living with playing international sport and touring the world. A cricket charity, Chance to Shine, which strives to make cricket more accessible and introduce the game to all children regardless of background, provided part time jobs to the England squad, enabling them to work more flexible hours and work around international tours. Charlotte Edwards told me that: “I was an amateur and I probably had three phases of my career: absolute amateur, then we had funding and we got roles with Chance to Shine where we were very well looked after” (Season 8 Episode 4: Have a Tree-Mendous Christmas ft Charlotte Edwards, 2021) (see appendix 6)

2017 Women’s World Cup

In the summer of 2017, England hosted the 2017 Women’s World Cup. Throughout the tournament, there was much murmur about the grand final at Lords. As the games continued, it became apparent that England would be in the final, beating South Africa in a nail-biting semi-final in Bristol. The final was set for Sunday 23rd July 2017 at Lords Cricket Ground, in London between England and India. The talk among the players and the women’s cricket community was that it was going to be a sell out but naturally, nobody would believe this until they saw it. This match was the first women’s cricket game I had ever seen, previously only attending men’s matches and the main reason we got tickets was because they were quite cheap and you got to go to Lords. Fortunately, England won in an incredibly close game against the strong India side. Everyone who was there will remember the moment that Anya Shrubsole took India’s final wicket and England won. This day inspired me to start playing cricket partly because I saw how fun a game can be but also because the field was full of people who looked like me; girls. In conversation with a member of that winning side, Alex Hartley, she told me “I think our job during that World Cup was to inspire the next generation of cricketers and to hear you say that you walked away feeling the way you did, well for me that’s amazing” (Season 2 Episode 5: Stumped ft Alex Hartley, 2021) (see appendix 7)

Furthermore, the World Cup also inspired players, who were teenagers at the time, to keep playing cricket and aspire to be part of the England team. Some examples are Alice Capsey and Ellie Threlkeld. Alice Capsey was a similar age to me when she watched the game but was already playing cricket at the time. She said “I’ve been to Lords maybe once before, to watch the 2017 final, I think everyone who follows cricket was there that game! I think it was after the 2017 World Cup, I guess that people started to notice women’s cricket more and there were more opportunities” (Season 8 Episode 6: Off to Australia ft Alice Capsey, 2022) (see appendix 8). Similarly, Thunder (the regional side for the North-West) opening batter and wicket keeper, Ellie Threlkeld said “About the World Cup final, I was there myself as well and that was inspiring for the likes of me as well so it’s great that it’s inspiring some younger children as well and what a day that was, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it but it was great” (Season 5 Episode 3: The Hundred — Hartley’s 3-Fer & Originals Beat The Unbeaten ft Ellie Threlkeld, 2021) (see appendix 9)

As incredible as this day was and although many girls picked up a bat and ball after, this momentum did not carry on into England’s other international matches. New Zealand’s wicket keeper told me “I did hear the other day that Heather Knight was saying that she felt she thought there was a lost opportunity after that World Cup” (see appendix 10) (Season 6 Episode 1: BBC Shout Outs, Celebrity Follows and an England Victory ft Katey Martin, 2021). I would agree with this strongly. There was a real opportunity for the ECB to capitalise on this England win however, for the next two years, I did not hear anything about women’s cricket, when England were playing or who any of the players were and myself, and many other girls, went back to watching men’s cricket.

Kia Super League

A more forgotten tournament is the Women’s KIA Super League (KSL). The KSL was launched in 2016 and ran until 2019 when it had its final year to make way for the Hundred. Similar to the Hundred, it featured overseas players in each side, England players and domestic players who were uncontracted at the time. There were only six teams (see appendix 11) which meant that there were many players who played in teams not local to them. The KSL was in some ways a success as was now a bridge between county cricket and international cricket, however, the crowds were somewhat disappointing (Season 5 Episode 1: The Hundred — An Introduction To The Cricket Tournament ft Eve Jones & Georgie Boyce, 2021). Bryony Smith, who played for Surrey Stars in the KSL said “The KSL was great but we didn’t really get those big crowds” (Season 5 Episode 5: The Hundred — Phoenix Rises ft Bryony Smith & Katie Levick, 2021) (see appendix 12). However, for Smith, the KSL was vital because her performances in the 2017 and 2018 KSL led to her receiving her first T20 and ODI caps for England.

Despite what critics may say, I believe that the KSL was key for the development of women’s cricket because it was first taste of professionalism for all of the domestic players and it gave an opportunity for those players to learn from the top England and overseas players. Furthermore, one can see many parallels between the KSL and the Hundred and so I would argue that the KSL could have somewhat inspired the creation of the Hundred.

Regional Contracts

25 Retainer Contracts (June 2020)

In June 2020, in the height of the pandemic, the ECB announced that they would be providing full-time contracts for twenty-five regional players (see appendix 13), with the promise of forty players receiving a contract later in the year (Regional Retainer signings confirmed in the women’s domestic game, no date). Southern Viper’s captain, Georgia Adams told me that “we sat on this huge zoom call, I think there was like 300 players on it with the ECB just sort of saying we’re offering five professional contracts to eight different regions around the country so I was like wow, that’s come out of the blue like I wasn’t expecting that and what I wasn’t expecting at all was to receive a phone call saying you’re gonna be one of our contracted players” (Season 7 Episode 5: Renegades are Topping the Table and We’re Topping the Charts ft Georgia Adams, 2021) (see appendix 14). Another person who the regional contract has impacted is Alex Hartley. Hartley lost her England contract in the Autumn of 2019 and went from being a centrally contracted player to a Lancashire senior player, which was in essence a hobby, not a job. Fortunately for Alex, she was one of the recipients of the 25 contracts which meant that she could have access to physios, nutritional advice, and regular training (Episode 22: It’s A No Brainer, She’s Signed Her Retainer, 2020) (see appendix 15). Nine months into her new contract, I met with Alex and she told me about the effect of her contract saying “personally it’s been fantastic, I’m incredibly lucky that I can now carry on playing cricket for a living and for other people I think it’s brilliant that they can aspire to be professional cricketer and not have to make it to the very elite to be a professional” (Season 2 Episode 5: Stumped ft Alex Hartley, 2021) (see appendix 16)

41 Regional Contracts (December 2020)

As promised, the ECB announced the 41 regionally contracted players in December 2020 (see appendix 17). This included the 25 players who were given a retainer contract and the new domestic system came into full force. Given that financially, the ECB would be in a more precarious position than normal due to the effects of Covid-19, it was a bold move which showed that the ECB do care about women’s cricket, and it can be financially prioritised.

Additional Contracts (October 2021)

Additional contracts were given to a number of players in 2021, in line with performances in the Hundred and domestic competitions. The ECB gave contracts to Alice Capsey and Grace Scrivens who were both 17 years-old at the time, the youngest recipients. It seems that each year the ECB will increase the number of contracted players in the hope of going fully professional one day. Ami Campbell who has moved from Northern Diamonds to Central Sparks, received her first professional contract this year. She told me “Getting used to training more intense and I mean, we did that at Diamonds, but it’s almost like we’ve just timesed it by three” (Season 8 Episode 3: World Cup Posters, Trips Abroad & More Ashes Chat ft Ami Campbell, 2021) (see appendix 18). It’s clear that there is a large difference between the professionals and the non-professionals, and the logical steps would be to continue introducing more contracts and so that this gap does not widen.

No Balls: The Cricket Podcast

In the autumn of 2019, Alex Hartley, a left arm spinner, lost her England contract. For any sportsperson, this is probably the worst moment of their career. As a result, Hartley along with her Lancashire teammate, seam bowler and England contracted player, Kate Cross, started a cricket podcast — No Balls: The Cricket Podcast. Despite being a cricket podcast, the cricket chat is minimal and is more about friendship and life as professional athletes or in Hartley’s case at the time, a former professional athlete. In conversation with Alex Hartley, speaking about the podcast, she said, “We talk about professional sport knowing that there’s a human side to it.” (Season 2 Episode 5: Stumped ft Alex Hartley, 2021) (see appendix 19). Growing from strength to strength, at the end of May 2021, BBC Sounds signed the podcast to their platform (BBC Sport, 2021). A big step by the BBC, the first, and only, women’s cricket podcast on BBC Sounds meant that a wider audience were aware of women’s cricket, the timing being vital to the story of the summer. I recently spoke to Kate Cross who looked back at the impact the podcast has had on increasing the interest in women’s cricket “someone who was so uninterested in your sport, just listening to a podcast or listening to Sophie talk or whoever it might be could change their life and might influence their decisions for what sport their kids play” (Season 9 Episode 2: The WAshes Have Begun ft Kate Cross, 2022) (see appendix 20)

The Hundred

The opening match of the Hundred was a brand new, city-based, 100 ball tournament which caused much controversy among traditionalists within cricket. The origins of The Hundred can be traced back to an ECB meeting in September 2016, where the idea for an English franchise tournament was proposed, developing into a brand-new format. Although it was well received by England captains Joe Root and Eoin Morgan in the men’s game, many followers of the game were understandably sceptical, and several twitter campaigns tried to shut the tournament down. (Season 5 Episode 1: The Hundred — An Introduction To The Cricket Tournament ft Eve Jones & Georgie Boyce, 2021)

It appeared that the Hundred would be an opportunity for gender parity because of the equal prize money, however the pay was different, and the facilities were different standards for the men’s and women’s teams. Within each “club” there were two teams: men’s and women’s and they were set to play on different days and at different grounds. The women’s final was going to be held at the County Ground in Hove, the men’s final at the world-famous Lords in London. Then, in March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and the tournament was postponed to 2021. Whilst the postponement allowed more time for opponents of the tournament to campaign, the extra year actually had a positive impact. Due to the fact that Covid-19 was still prevalent in the summer of 2021, the ECB decided that the tournament would change. The teams within the clubs became more unified and stayed at the same hotels, used the same facilities and played at the same grounds in double headers, the women before the men. Thea Brookes, part of the Birmingham Phoenix squad explained to me that “covid’s been a massive blessing for us because the fact that covid has hit meant that the men and the women had to play double headers.”(Season 5 Episode 6: The Hundred — Oval are Invincible ft Mignon Du Preez and Thea Brookes, 2021) (see appendix 21)

This also impacted the draft. Many players such as Suzie Bates, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healey who are world class, were unable to travel, and the demands of hotel quarantines and self-isolation were not possible and therefore, many of the teams changed personnel. One player who was not in the original draft was Alice Capsey. The 16-year-old was the star of the summer, hitting a half century at Lords and winning the Hundred with her team. When I spoke to Alice Capsey about her summer she said “If the Hundred had gone ahead in the first year, I wouldn’t have been a part of it, so covid massively helped me so that I was able to be selected” (Season 8 Episode 6: Off to Australia ft Alice Capsey, 2022) (see appendix 22). The new teams were announced weeks before the start of the tournament and many upcoming, young players were given an incredible opportunity. In addition, the postponement coincided with the timing of the domestic contracts in the women’s game. Professional contracts were handed out to 40 domestic players and the players had eight months on these contracts before the start of the tournament. This meant that the players had time to develop and improve which was a contributing factor to the high-quality performances we saw last summer.

The opening night was on the 21st July 2022 at the Oval in London. It was the only stand-alone women’s game between Oval Invinvibles, led by South African captain, Dane van Niekirk and Manchester Originals, led by England seam bowler, Kate Cross. A record crowd of over 7000 filled the Oval and over 1.6 million people watched it on TV, statistics showing that 35% of all viewers were female. (The Hundred’s opening match sets UK viewing record for women’s cricket, no date). This spectacle was a catalyst for ticket sales, 11,000 tickets being bought in the following 24 hours.

The data collected at the end of the tournament showed that 57% of viewers hadn’t watched any other live ECB cricket in 2021 and 55% of ticket buyers hadn’t bought a ticket for cricket in this country before (More than 16m tune in to The Hundred as competition welcomes new fans to cricket, no date). This proved that the tournament did achieve its aim of engaging a brand-new audience, with an attendance of 267,000 across the competition, the highest for a women’s cricket event globally ever beating the previous record of 136,000 who watched the women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, 2020. Furthermore, 510,000 tickets were sold with more than 34.3 million views on media platforms.

Future

Regional Development

Many of the challenges women’s cricket have faced are in the past and now is the time to grow the game at a quicker rate. There is still a large amount of development the game will have to go through and some very big decisions are coming up. Firstly, the regional teams only have 6–8 professional players which means that the gap between the contracted and non-contracted players is getting larger. A decision the ECB will make is whether to professionalise the entire teams and if so, in what time scale. “I’m just so excited for hopefully the future where a whole team can be contracted” (Season 8 Episode 2: Driving Lessons, Wikipedia & The Ashes ft Laura Jackson, 2021a) (see appendix 23)

Commonwealth Games 2022

In July 2022, the Commonwealth Games will commence in Birmingham. For the first time, T20 cricket will feature at the games, an important factor being that only women’s cricket will be on display; not men’s. This significant difference will mean that women’s cricket will feature on terrestrial television without an option to watch England’s male counterparts instead. As with multi-sport games, viewers tend to become invested in niche sports such as BMX, pentathlon, hammer and synchronised swimming which means that viewers may watch cricket for the first time. Furthermore, the plan is that the Hundred will commence straight after the games have concluded allowing the momentum of all the new cricket enthusiasts to continue into the Hundred which will hopefully result in increased interest in the women’s game. In a media release to the ICC, England captain, Heather Knight, was quoted saying “we’re really excited about hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and it offers a big opportunity for women’s cricket, both in England and Wales and around the world” (Cricket first sport to announce qualifiers for Commonwealth Games, 2021). Speaking to South African International, Mignon Du Preez, she spoke about the Commonwealth Games saying, “I’ve never played in anything like the Commonwealth (Season 5 Episode 6: The Hundred — Oval are Invincible ft Mignon Du Preez and Thea Brookes, 2021) (see appendix 24).

Conclusion

The development of women’s cricket in England is not at its end, in fact, I would argue that it is just beginning. As the world changes and becomes more tolerant to women’s sport and begins to comprehend and appreciate the subtleties of the game, it will be easier to be a woman in sport, to create a career in sport and for gender parity to no longer need to be a discussion. It started with twenty-two women in Surrey. Now, millions of girls world-wide participate in the sport. Similarly to how I wish I could go back in time and tell the women on Gosden Common the impact down the line of what they did, I hope that in the future, generations will say the same for the year of 2021. This time however, I think the players are aware of the difference they are making. They are seeing the change and the repercussions of their determination.

A quote that I would use to conclude women’s cricket is one from “The Girls of Summer” by David Tossell, a book about his time emerged in the England team during the summer of 2015. “I saw the team spend most of a washed-out day at Worcester circling the stands signing autographs for those fans who were huddling for shelter. I noted the genuine enjoyment they took from introducing youngsters to their sport, many of them remembering what an impact one enthusiastic and generous individual had made on their own lives at a similar age. I saw them happily — no sense of obligation — posing for pictures with fans at the end of every day’s play, even when those days had brought bitter disappointment on the field.” (Tossell, 2016). I believe that this quote could be written about any year in women’s cricket history which helps me to conclude that the incredible developments of women’s cricket in England over the last three hundred years has been down to the drive, commitment and dedication of the players, striving to inspire and show girls what they can do and the power of sport.

Women’s cricket is a superpower. A group of girls coming together in the pursuit of glory and personal achievement, united by a remarkable love for each other and a passion for their sport. It is rare that one comes across such a centred, supportive and united group who put their egos aside for the common purpose of winning.

Appendix

Introduction

History

Origins

1st Women’s Match (1745)

1926 Women’s Cricket Association

Tours & Competitions

First International Tour (1934) (Australia)

First World Cup (1973)

World Cup (1993)

Appendix 1

“I did hear the other day that Heather Knight was saying that she felt she thought there was a lost opportunity after that World Cup and we had the same in New Zealand in 2000 that was when we last won the World Cup and Australia’s been so great at using momentum of the success of their team and they’ve been ranked the most marketable women’s team, I think even last year might have been the team in Australia, it’s the most marketable and yeah we had the same in 2000 when New Zealand cricket probably just sat on it and thought oh the public will get behind it” (Season 6 Episode 1: BBC Shout Outs, Celebrity Follows and an England Victory ft Katey Martin, 2021)

Players

Betty Archdale

Rachael Heyhoe Flint

Charlotte Edwards

Appendix 2

“I guess I love people and I love cricket, that’s fundamentally what I’m about as a person so to combine those two. I wish I would have taken a lot of my coaching style into my playing career because I’ve changed quite a lot going into coaching but then on the other hand I don’t think I’d have been the player I was if I’m honest. I was very determined, I was very focused and I wanted to be the best so I mean I wasn’t totally different as a captain but I was probably not as patient, probably not quite as caring as I probably should have been at times but I’ve learned from those” (Season 8 Episode 4: Have a Tree-Mendous Christmas ft Charlotte Edwards, 2021)

Appendix 3

“Charlotte is just one of those people you can just put your whole trust in and she just embraces everything that comes our way and as a team, as a coach, as a mentor, as a role model to everyone who’s in that team, there’s always that fighting attitude.” (Season 7 Episode 3: A Dozen New Contracts ft Maia Bouchier, 2021)

Appendix 4

“Having worked very closely with Charlotte she’s got something that’s very special and the way she communicates and delivers information, everyone in our team and everyone that works with her is so clear on their role. She’s very honest but at the same time, she knows how to deliver feedback in an appropriate fashion. I now realize how she had the impact she did as an England captain because her tactical knowledge of the game is I think something that I’ve never experienced before” (Season 7 Episode 5: Renegades are Topping the Table and We’re Topping the Charts ft Georgia Adams, 2021)

Professionalism

2014 Central Contracts

Appendix 5

Charlotte “Lottie” Edwards (Kent), Tamsin “Tammy” Beaumont (Kent), Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire), Kathryn “Kate” Cross (Lancashire), Georgia Elwiss (Sussex), Natasha “Tash” Farrant (Kent), Lydia Greenway (Kent), Rebecca “Becky” Grundy (Warwickshire), Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire), Danielle “Dani” Hazell (Yorkshire), Amy Jones (Warwickshire), Heather Knight (Berkshire), Laura Marsh (Kent), Natalie “Nat” Sciver (Surrey), Anya Shrubsole (Somerset), Sarah Taylor (Sussex), Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire), Danielle “Danni” Wyatt (Nottinghamshire) (Wilson, 2014)

Appendix 6

“I went through that same transition really, most of my career, I was an amateur and we probably had three phases of my career: absolute amateur, then we had funding and we got roles with Chance to Shine which we were very well looked after and then we then I was fully professional for the last couple or three years of my career and each step was a significant moment and things do change but the most significant change is when you went to professional because suddenly there’s so much more to lose, you’re on a good contract, you’ve got a car, there’s more media coverage of the game so therefore people know who you are as well” (Season 8 Episode 4: Have a Tree-Mendous Christmas ft Charlotte Edwards, 2021)

2017 Women’s World Cup

Appendix 7

“I think our job during that World Cup was to inspire the next generation of cricketers and to hear you say that you walked away feeling the way you did, well for me that’s amazing. It makes me so proud because that’s sort of my job done and people there, younger girls there now want to play cricket and have picked up a cricket bat since that World Cup like you have and I think that’s the main point and that’s one of the main reasons that we play is to so-called inspire the next generation. If you were the under a certain age at that World Cup final, you got given a plastic bat and a ball just so that you could go and play cricket and practice cricket and I think that’s done right and to get more people playing cricket” (Season 2 Episode 5: Stumped ft Alex Hartley, 2021)

Appendix 8

“I’ve been to Lords maybe once before, to watch the 2017 final, I think everyone who follows cricket was there that game! I think it was after the 2017 World Cup, I guess that people started to notice women’s cricket more and there were more opportunities and any opportunity that I’ve been given, I’ve tried to just take as much as possible so being able to come off the height of what the 2017 World Cup was at the time and the opportunities it brought, it was definitely something that kind of fitted in with my development” (Season 8 Episode 6: Off to Australia ft Alice Capsey, 2022)

Appendix 9

“That’s great to hear and also about the World Cup final, I was there myself as well and yeah that was inspiring for the likes of me as well so it’s great that it’s inspiring some younger children as well and what a day that was, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it but it was great” (Season 5 Episode 3: The Hundred — Hartley’s 3-Fer & Originals Beat The Unbeaten ft Ellie Threlkeld, 2021)

Appendix 10

“I did hear the other day that Heather Knight was saying that she felt she thought there was a lost opportunity after that World Cup and we had the same in New Zealand in 2000 that was when we last won the World Cup and Australia’s been so great at using momentum of the success of their team and they’ve been ranked the most marketable women’s team, I think even last year might have been the team in Australia, it’s the most marketable and yeah we had the same in 2000 when New Zealand cricket probably just sat on it and thought oh the public will get behind it and then Heather Knight suggested the same thing the other day and then Hundred sort of ramped that interest back up and the girls are brilliant like they’re brilliant role models here to be able to see them on tv sort of it’s that, if you can see you can be sort of thing, that’s going on at the moment and I think it’s just brilliant that there is something because the men’s game is you know the T20 stuff, they wake around, you can hit it out the ground and stuff like that whereas I find the women’s games a bit more technical, you have to be a little bit more skilful because of the pace of the deliveries especially Kasperek who sometimes bowls about 40km, I don’t know what that is in miles but sometimes I’m standing here going come on” (Season 6 Episode 1: BBC Shout Outs, Celebrity Follows and an England Victory ft Katey Martin, 2021)

Kia Super League

Appendix 11

KSL Teams: Lancashire Thunder, Loughborough Lightning, Surrey Stars, Western Storm, Southern Vipers & Yorkshire Diamonds

Appendix 12

“The KSL was great but we didn’t really get those big crowds whereas I think our first game was up in Headingley and we all know a Yorkshire crowd, they’re very home team buyers but we were getting abused on the boundary but we all loved it! It was such a good atmosphere and like our home games, we’ve had to have restricted access because of the Welsh restrictions but it’s still been buzzing and everyone’s loving it. It doesn’t really matter what the result is really as long as people are coming up and watching so it’s been really good” (Season 5 Episode 5: The Hundred — Phoenix Rises ft Bryony Smith & Katie Levick, 2021)

Regional Contracts

25 Retainer Contracts (June 2020)

Appendix 13

South East Stars: Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophia Dunkley & Bryony Smith

Western Storm: Dani Gibson, Sophie Luff and Fi Morris

Central Sparks: Eve Jones, Marie Kelly & Issy Wong

Northern Diamonds: Hollie Armitage, Beth Langston & Linsey Smith

Thunder: Alex Hartley, Georgie Boyce, Emma Lamb & Ellie Threlkeld

Lightning: Kathryn Bryce & Sarah Bryce

Southern Vipers: Georgia Adams, Tara Norris & Paige Scholfield

Sunrisers: Amara Carr, Naomi Dattani & Cordelia Griffith

Appendix 14

“We sat on this huge zoom call, I think there was like 300 players on it with the ECB just sort of saying that we’ve had to cancel the Hundred, it’s the right thing to do, we’re really sorry that we can’t give you sort of any financial repayments for missing out on it however we’re rushing through the domestic contracts and we’re offering five professional contracts to eight different regions around the country so I was like wow, that’s come out of the blue like I wasn’t expecting that and what I wasn’t expecting at all was to receive a phone call the next day from Adam Carty, our director of cricket, saying you’re gonna be one of our contracted players and we’re offering you a retainer so I think for someone who is a complete chatterbox, I was a bit like I don’t know what to say!” (Season 7 Episode 5: Renegades are Topping the Table and We’re Topping the Charts ft Georgia Adams, 2021)

Appendix 15

“Personally it’s been fantastic, so in the past if you lost an England contract you sort of had to go and get a 9–5 job because there was no other career option available and luckily I’m the first person that’s lost an England contract that’s been given a regional contract so I’m incredibly lucky that I can now carry on playing cricket for a living and for other people I think it’s brilliant that they can aspire to be professional cricketer and not have to make it to the very elite to be a professional. We haven’t had that in the past obviously and a lot of young girls will grow up now saying well I want to go and play cricket for Thunder, I want to play for the storm whereas in the past it was if I’m going to get paid for this, I have to play for England so I think now it’s a brilliant career option as well” (Season 2 Episode 5: Stumped ft Alex Hartley, 2021)

41 Regional Contracts (December 2020)

Appendix 16

South East Stars: Tash Farrant & Aylish Cranstone

Western Storm: Georgia Hennessy, Nath Wraith, Alex Griffiths

Central Sparks: Emily Arlott & Gwen Davies

Northern Diamonds: Phoebe Graham & Jenny Gunn

Thunder: Hannah Jones

Lightning: Bethan Ellis, Lucy Higham & Abbey Freeborn

Southern Vipers: Lauren Bell & Maia Bouchier

Sunrisers: Jo Gardner & Kelly Castle

Additional Contracts (October 2021)

Appendix 17

South East Stars: Alice Capsey & Danielle Gregory

Western Storm:

Central Sparks: Ami Campbell & Abbey Freeborn

Northern Diamonds: Katie Levick, Bess Heath, Sterre Kalis & Rachel Slater

Thunder: Phoebe Graham & Laura Jackson

Lightning: Lucy Higham, Marie Kelly & Kirstie Gordon

Southern Vipers: Charlie Dean

Sunrisers: Grace Scrivens

Appendix 18

“You know what I’m doing, when I’m not at cricket, I’m napping! I’m napping, and I’m literally knackered all the time. Like this new, getting used to training more intense and I mean, we did that at Diamonds, but it’s almost like we’ve just timesed it by three sort of thing and the intensity at the minute and sort of getting used to training that little bit more and a lot of it’s more like I’m using my brain a lot more. So I’m absolutely exhausted when I get back, I just sit on the couch and I’m like, oh my gosh, I’m just gonna shut my eyes and go to sleep because I’m knackered. I remember when I lived with Phoebe Graham, she just got her professional contract and I just watched her get in from training straight to bed, she was like, oh my gosh, I’m absolutely wrecked, I can’t keep my eyes open. I was like, what’s wrong with her? And now, I’m going through the same thing myself, and I’m sort of like feeling what she was feeling, so I’m just napping all the time, eating so much food but, you know, just enjoying the journey” (Season 8 Episode 3: World Cup Posters, Trips Abroad & More Ashes Chat ft Ami Campbell, 2021)

No Balls: The Cricket Podcast

Appendix 19

“Me and Crossy sort of started this podcast because we thought we were really funny so why doesn’t everyone else think we’re really funny and it’s sort of snowballed and now it’s like this really big thing and we talk about important topics and we talk about professional sport knowing that there’s a human side to it. As well we’re not just these people that you see on Twitter and Instagram and on the tv, we are human and we go through all these emotions” (Season 2 Episode 5: Stumped ft Alex Hartley, 2021)

Appendix 20

“I’m so proud of that because you don’t want to play sport to play behind closed doors or for no one to come and watch or no one wants to come and watch which we definitely had a phase of with women’s cricket so I think to have stories like that, that’s almost what drives me on because you think someone who was so uninterested in your sport, just listening to a podcast or listening to Sophie talk or whoever it might be could change their life and might influence their decisions for what sport their kids play or you know whatever that might be so I think those stories are so amazing. Again, that’s something that we’ve wanted to keep when we did sign with the BBC, we wanted to keep that authenticity of us too because that’s how the podcast started, someone just followed us both on twitter, saw how much grief we give each other and thought this could be quite funny if you recorded it more often but I think that’s what we really wanted from the pod. We didn’t have really many goals or ambitions with it, we really wanted people to know and understand that the people that you idolise in sport, who you look up to and are your role models are human beings first and that’s ultimately what we wanted to show with the pod that you can be tired, you can go through mental health stages, you can fight over a bread knife, that’s just life and it happens to be that you play sport on tv at the same time as that so I think we really wanted people to understand what it’s like behind closed doors and obviously the podcast has given us that platform to do that quite frequently which has been quite nice for us” (Season 9 Episode 2: The WAshes Have Begun ft Kate Cross, 2022)

The Hundred

Appendix 21

“I listened to Butch, Mark Butcher on the last game and he said actually covid’s been a massive blessing for us because the fact that covid has hit meant that the men and the women had to play double headers. Originally, the women would be at Worcester, Beckenham, second team grounds and played on different days whereas actually having this now, that we’re playing before the men’s on every single game, people are going to come in they might not come in for the whole of the women’s game fine granted but they catch the latter end, they think oh this is good and then they’ll start coming, we’ll come to the next one for the game and actually they’re having that crossover of only about an hour or so. That’s awesome because an hour will go by like that in a game, it will fly by whereas before you know you’ve had 2h ½ T20 an 1h ½ gap, two hours and then another and it’s a bit of a long day whereas you’re asking people, with the Hundred, shortened the game to make it nice and quick and sharp and fast but then you watch the women’s have the break, have the men’s it is still a bit of a longer day but in essence people are coming, they just want to see cricket and it’s been an absolute blessing for us it really has and look at the grounds that we’re playing as well” (Season 5 Episode 6: The Hundred — Oval are Invincible ft Mignon Du Preez and Thea Brookes, 2021)

Appendix 22

“If the Hundred had gone ahead in the first year, I wouldn’t have been a part of it so yeah covid massively helped me I guess so that I was able to be selected and a change of head coach also helped so that was obviously great for me personally but like you said I’ve kind of had a little bit of a mental summer so it’s been great to be a part of and I’ve loved every single second of it so I mean I can’t wait for next year now, I’m ready to go!”(Season 8 Episode 6: Off to Australia ft Alice Capsey, 2022)

Future

Regional Development

Appendix 23

“Each region has got six contracts and then Lancashire have given us an extra one to make a seventh and so again each year is growing and I’m just so excited for hopefully the future where a whole team can be contracted” (Season 8 Episode 2: Driving Lessons, Wikipedia & The Ashes ft Laura Jackson, 2021)

Commonwealth Games 2022

Appendix 24

“I’ve never played in anything like the Commonwealth or something before so that would be one of the highlights of my career so hopefully I’ll keep on pushing and make sure that I can make that team and be in the Commonwealth Games next year and it’s in Birmingham” (Season 5 Episode 6: The Hundred — Oval are Invincible ft Mignon Du Preez and Thea Brookes, 2021)

Bibliography

‘2016 Women’s Cricket Super League’ (2021) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2016_Women%27s_Cricket_Super_League&oldid=1054636251 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

‘2017 Women’s Cricket Super League’ (2021) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2017_Women%27s_Cricket_Super_League&oldid=1057304101 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

‘2018 Women’s Cricket Super League’ (2021) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2018_Women%27s_Cricket_Super_League&oldid=1057304169 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

‘2019 Women’s Cricket Super League’ (2021) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2019_Women%27s_Cricket_Super_League&oldid=1057304206 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

‘2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy’ (2021) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2020_Rachael_Heyhoe_Flint_Trophy&oldid=1047937248 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

‘2021 Charlotte Edwards Cup’ (2022) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2021_Charlotte_Edwards_Cup&oldid=1066942265 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

‘2021 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy’ (2022) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2021_Rachael_Heyhoe_Flint_Trophy&oldid=1066942254 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

A new era for England’s women cricketers (2017) ESPNcricinfo. Available at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/raf-nicholson-a-new-era-for-england-s-women-cricketers-726689 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

About Us (no date). Available at: https://www.bramleycc.co.uk/a/about-bramley-cc-48518.html (Accessed: 22 January 2022).

Ashwin (2021) I’d absolutely love to play for CSK in Women’s IPL — Kate Cross | Whats up with Women’s Cricket | E2. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQYXeSYoc44 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

BBC Sport (2014) ‘England women’s team to go full-time’, 13 February. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/26171943 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

BBC Sport (2017) ‘England beat India to win Women’s World Cup’, 23 July. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/40698974 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

BBC Sport (2020) ‘What The Hundred can learn from the Big Bash’, 29 November. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/55114553 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

BBC Sport (2021a) ‘Australia win fifth T20 World Cup’, 8 March. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/51789306 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

BBC Sport (2021b) ‘England hopefuls involved in 2021 WBBL’, 13 October. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/58903435 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

BBC Sport (2021c) ‘Has The Hundred been a success?’, 22 August. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/58295400 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

BBC Sport (2021d) ‘“Hundred has changed women’s cricket”’, 3 August. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/58305443 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

BBC Sport (2021e) ‘No Balls podcast launches with “nicest guy in cricket” Woakes as first guest’, 15 June. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/57432162 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

BBC Sport (2021f) ‘Sparks skipper Jones joins Big Bash’, 24 September. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/58676469 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Cricket first sport to announce qualifiers for Commonwealth Games (2021). Available at: https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/2119180 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Duncan, I. (2013) Skirting the boundary: a history of women’s cricket.

Episode 8: MAXI-mising Isolation Time (2020). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0lIiNPgdoM0bsXXSkwtuo3 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Episode 16: A Knight With The Captain (2020). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7AyeX7gsiWz3oDOK6TUQAG (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Episode 22: It’s A No Brainer, She’s Signed Her Retainer (2020). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5HXevrpiEfVhQNlDvKdXv5 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Episode 23: Welcoming Shikha During A Pandey-emic (2020). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/16mNKacQHsBoKs3zdzrMMx (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Equal pay on the agenda but England’s women have a long way to go (2018) ESPNcricinfo. Available at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/equal-pay-on-the-agenda-but-england-s-women-have-a-long-way-to-go-1148852 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Heart To Hartley: Mum’s The Word! (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0B8rMHBLwBaJTIJNxPMVoX (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

ICC (2017) Impact of Women’s World Cup 2017. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QDX28Utkus (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Isa Guha — breaking down barriers (2020). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1WEykw0Pg4tR05ZygmpB6w (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Kia Super League (2019). Available at: https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/kia_super_league/kia_super_league_posts.html (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

More than 16m tune in to The Hundred as competition welcomes new fans to cricket (no date) English Cricket Board. Available at: http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/2230059 (Accessed: 8 February 2022).

Nasser Hussain says tournament like The Hundred has been ‘long overdue’ in England and Wales | Cricket News | Sky Sports (2021). Available at: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/12359908/nasser-hussain-says-tournament-like-the-hundred-has-been-long-overdue-in-england-and-wales (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Nicholson, R. (2019) Ladies and lords: a history of women’s cricket in Britain. First Edition. New York: Peter Lang (Sport, history and culture, Vol. 9).

Nicholson, R. (2020) The history of women’s cricket — from England’s greens to the world stage, The Conversation. Available at: http://theconversation.com/the-history-of-womens-cricket-from-englands-greens-to-the-world-stage-132904 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Rachael Heyhoe Flint: Biography | The Cricketer (2021). Available at: https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/heyhoeflinttrophy/rachael_heyhoe_flint_a_pioneer_of_cricket_biography.html (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Regional Retainer signings confirmed in the women’s domestic game (no date) English Cricket Board. Available at: http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/1697285 (Accessed: 7 February 2022).

Ryan, G. (2016) ‘“They Came to Sneer, and Remained to Cheer”: Interpreting the 1934–35 England Women’s Cricket Tour to Australia and New Zealand’, The International Journal of the History of Sport, 33(17), pp. 2123–2138. doi:10.1080/09523367.2017.1324422.

Season 2 Episode 5: Stumped ft Alex Hartley (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2469R0iCvaD4C0MfEcvNiT (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 5 Episode 1: The Hundred — An Introduction To The Cricket Tournament ft Eve Jones & Georgie Boyce (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/26xZwNesYuQVAUayzRDluG (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 5 Episode 3: The Hundred — Hartley’s 3-Fer & Originals Beat The Unbeaten ft Ellie Threlkeld (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/63h24DGtz75cf1mPla8O1l (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 5 Episode 4: The Hundred — Originals and Fire Out but Brave in the Final ft Emily Windsor (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3EoVEMvO5l2pn5LGzKoVDq (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 5 Episode 5: The Hundred — Phoenix Rises ft Bryony Smith & Katie Levick (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4mtpDiYdPsG0xzr71zh490 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 5 Episode 6: The Hundred — Oval are Invincible ft Mignon Du Preez and Thea Brookes (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Z6IDBxVxXu6LkGYu2X1aZ (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 6 Episode 1: BBC Shout Outs, Celebrity Follows and an England Victory ft Katey Martin (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2I6YDBXDhWTo8UBKyT06IV (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 6 Episode 2: Brunt’s Maidens, Dean’s Debut and England ODI Success ft Sarah Bryce (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1GtkJL0PCWlEWPNHZahIWM (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 6 Episode 3: Rain Delays, TV Appearances and More ODIs ft Henry Moeran (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4pn62lMPq8ClQtCGkjgwnV (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 6 Episode 4: WBBL Signings, Test Match Anticipation and Vipers Come Out On Top ft Fi Morris and Sophie Luff (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vevJwegmZflcXteAd0hQk (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 6 Episode 5: The Umpire Strikes Back ft Anna Harris (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2N9p5ZEkdQZaAKDslDHFdM (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 6 Episode 6: G’day Mate, I Think It’s WBBL Season ft Kathryn Bryce (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0gukYGmtv0tZqcElF7dpGH (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 7 Episode 1: The Wicket of the Century ft Shikha Pandey (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3a4L3YhIuoI1eM87rbGstF (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 7 Episode 2: Crikey, It’s Scorching in Perth ft Piepa Cleary (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/23EPReJKZ7N42nDqJg1wQ7 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 7 Episode 3: A Dozen New Contracts ft Maia Bouchier (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1i8oEcegB0vgs9dy2Xzbxf (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 7 Episode 4: Wongi’s in Form and WBBL Confusion ft Michaela Kirk (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Xj9TI7w6BQJhpuT9Tnzvq (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 7 Episode 5: Renegades are Topping the Table and We’re Topping the Charts ft Georgia Adams (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4KM8M9w3UqrRyqS8TvmHqd (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 7 Episode 6: Wello! Adelaide Strikers Strike Again ft Tina Gough (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Grg0RZbVcTCGHjkhv2Nbt (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 8 Episode 1: Scorches Secure the Final & Qualifiers Cancelled ft Roberta Moretti Avery & Jimmy Anderson (The Dog) (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0lk4KqnWDYKceqFZCVhvDR (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 8 Episode 4: Have a Tree-Mendous Christmas ft Charlotte Edwards (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fSn1aumuNMEbW60cRNJ8y (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 8 Episode 5: The Story of 2021 ft Issy Wong (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/68TF3qwAjBEqGPWXBKvD3f (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 8 Episode 6: Off to Australia ft Alice Capsey (2022). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3qYoDoAMv2TjCZSK8HEYdE (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Sophia Dunkley receives first England Women’s Central Contract (2021) English Cricket Board. Available at: http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/2167589 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Taylor Made: She’s A Keeper! (2020). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3H4sVFYqVyqJxNNXFXA7ee (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The biggest, boldest year in women’s cricket (2017) ESPNcricinfo. Available at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/raf-nicholson-reviews-women-s-cricket-in-2017-1129517 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The day the Women’s T20 World Cup Final rocked the MCG (2021). Available at: https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2057487 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The Guardian (2000) ‘Betty Archdale’, 16 February. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/feb/16/guardianobituaries3 (Accessed: 6 February 2022).

The Hundred (no date). Available at: https://www.thehundred.com/ (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The Hundred: All you need to know about the new 100-ball tournament | Cricket News | Sky Sports (no date). Available at: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/story-telling/12123/12360020/the-hundred-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-100-ball-tournament (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The Hundred: How the men’s and women’s squads shape up for the 100-ball competition | Cricket News | Sky Sports (2021). Available at: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/12270491/the-hundred-how-the-mens-and-womens-squads-shape-up-for-the-100-ball-competitio (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The Hundred: Opening game becomes most-watched women’s cricket match in the UK after record TV audience | The Cricketer (2021). Available at: https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/thehundred/the_hundred_most_watched_womens_cricket_match_uk.html (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The Hundred: Your essential guide to the new 100-ball competition | Cricket News | Sky Sports (2021). Available at: https://www.skysports.com/the-hundred/news/36890/12359260/the-hundred-your-essential-guide-to-the-new-100-ball-competion (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The Hundred’s opening match sets UK viewing record for women’s cricket (no date) Sky Sports. Available at: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/15821/12361385/the-hundreds-opening-match-sets-uk-viewing-record-for-womens-cricket (Accessed: 8 February 2022).

The no-nonsense matriarch of England women’s evolution (2017) ESPNcricinfo. Available at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/raf-nicholson-meets-norma-izard-the-no-nonsense-matriarch-of-england-women-s-evolution-1104009 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The tireless champion of women’s cricket liberation (no date) ESPNcricinfo. Available at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/raf-nicholson-on-rachael-heyhoe-flint-the-tireless-champion-of-women-s-cricket-liberation-1078322 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

The women’s Big Bash rings in a new era (2016) ESPNcricinfo. Available at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/raf-nicholson-the-women-s-big-bash-rings-in-a-new-era-963221 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Tossell, D. (2016) The girls of summer: an Ashes year with the England women’s cricket team. Worthing, Sussex: Pitch.

Velija, P. (2015) Women’s cricket and global processes: the emergence and development of women’s cricket as a global game. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

What will the new league do for women’s cricket? (2015) ESPNcricinfo. Available at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/raf-nicholson-what-will-the-new-league-do-for-women-s-cricket-891275 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

When women stormed the citadel (no date) Cricinfo. Available at: https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1160684/when-women-stormed-the-citadel (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Whitehead, R. (2017) ‘Lady Heyhoe Flint obituary’, The Guardian, 19 January. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jan/19/lady-rachael-heyhoe-flint-obituary (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Why Cricket Needs To Improve Its Attitude Towards Sexism | Wisden (no date). Available at: https://wisden.com/almanack/why-cricket-needs-to-improve-its-attitude-to-sexism (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Wilson, A. (2014) ‘England women enter “professional era” with award of 18 new contracts’, The Guardian, 6 May. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/may/06/england-womens-cricket-professional-new-contracts-ecb (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Beth Barrett-Wild (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/02DGuYCUo7roeJM23zXrJ1 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Bryony Smith (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1hGmLjz62P948dHaJ84JKj (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Charlotte Edwards CBE (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vjhbdxueZgvjWIxp6GdOP (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Claire Taylor MBE (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1v2HBajrEo83s7Wa9cAWud (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Issy Wong (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/00QdmAaw2i5pgRJMROWuz5 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Jenny Gunn MBE (2021a). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2F5q2YGmKAEkphMy8SHGlQ (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Jenny Gunn MBE (2021b). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2F5q2YGmKAEkphMy8SHGlQ (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Kirstie Gordon (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ryrha2Peaj51CZzuW3Utn (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Maia Bouchier (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Il9VxvYAlJZ18mRUOi8x6 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket Chat: Sophia Dunkley (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1B0oz81o0RHGbay84fpDHX (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket History (no date a). Available at: https://womenscrickethistory.org/History/preface.html (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket History (no date b). Available at: https://womenscrickethistory.org/History/cricket_week.html (Accessed: 29 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket History (no date c). Available at: https://womenscrickethistory.org/History/world_cups.html (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket History (no date d). Available at: https://womenscrickethistory.org/History/firsts.html (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Cricket History (no date e). Available at: https://womenscrickethistory.org/History/international_tours.html (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

‘Women’s Cricket Super League’ (2021) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Women%27s_Cricket_Super_League&oldid=1035888943 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Women’s Sport Trust (2021) Visibility Uncovered (Jan — Sept 2021). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IvY03j8IGQ (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Zoning In With Winfield-Hill (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EL2Cm8CnhgCnQpqOJnxPL (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 2 Episode 5: Stumped ft Alex Hartley (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2469R0iCvaD4C0MfEcvNiT (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 5 Episode 3: The Hundred — Hartley’s 3-Fer & Originals Beat The Unbeaten ft Ellie Threlkeld (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/63h24DGtz75cf1mPla8O1l (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 5 Episode 5: The Hundred — Phoenix Rises ft Bryony Smith & Katie Levick (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4mtpDiYdPsG0xzr71zh490 (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 5 Episode 6: The Hundred — Oval are Invincible ft Mignon Du Preez and Thea Brookes (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Z6IDBxVxXu6LkGYu2X1aZ (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 6 Episode 1: BBC Shout Outs, Celebrity Follows and an England Victory ft Katey Martin (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2I6YDBXDhWTo8UBKyT06IV (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 7 Episode 5: Renegades are Topping the Table and We’re Topping the Charts ft Georgia Adams (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4KM8M9w3UqrRyqS8TvmHqd (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 8 Episode 2: Driving Lessons, Wikipedia & The Ashes ft Laura Jackson (2021a). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7htqewDgcSg55f5Pc2fp7w (Accessed: 9 February 2022).

Season 8 Episode 2: Driving Lessons, Wikipedia & The Ashes ft Laura Jackson (2021b). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7htqewDgcSg55f5Pc2fp7w (Accessed: 9 February 2022).

Season 8 Episode 3: World Cup Posters, Trips Abroad & More Ashes Chat ft Ami Campbell (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0E4BZ5woNK9DVacNFWYtW1 (Accessed: 11 February 2022).

Season 8 Episode 4: Have a Tree-Mendous Christmas ft Charlotte Edwards (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fSn1aumuNMEbW60cRNJ8y (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 8 Episode 6: Off to Australia ft Alice Capsey (2022). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3qYoDoAMv2TjCZSK8HEYdE (Accessed: 21 January 2022).

Season 9 Episode 2: The WAshes Have Begun ft Kate Cross (2022). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3jkVhbK6SVHBm9blpak2f7 (Accessed: 12 February 2022).

Season 9 Episode 4: Drama to End the Ashes ft Emily Arlott (2022). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zs2a6lVCVSLVQ8M2yzYSI (Accessed: 11 February 2022).

Tossell, D. (2016) The girls of summer: an Ashes year with the England women’s cricket team. Worthing, Sussex: Pitch.

Women’s Cricket Chat: Enid Bakewell MBE (part one) (2021). Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/46kclzW0BMbkU4PwFfFcwS (Accessed: 11 February 2022).