Cricket club calls for female players to join teams

The club is fundraising for a larger practice space so more women and girls can play cricket.

Fiona is standing on a well-kept grassy area, dressed in a red top with black detailing on the shoulders. Her face cast in light from the setting sun. A wooden fence runs along the edge of the field, with residential houses and leafy trees. She has short brown hair and is wearing sunglasses and earrings.
"It's such a shame because it's so important to encourage young girls to participate in sport," says Fiona, whose daughter had to pause training due to restrictions on training space [Ickleton Cricket Club]

A cricket club said it wanted to attract more women and young people to join its teams while fundraising to enlarge its practice facilities.

Ickleton Cricket Club, in Cambridgeshire but close to the Essex border, said the size of its training facilities had limited the number of people able to take up the sport in the area.

Club member Fiona said her 14-year-old daughter, Lorna, had to pause training this year due to restrictions on space at the club, despite having played youth cricket for many years alongside her brother.

"Sadly for Lorna, only four girls her age wanted to play this year and the club couldn't run a recruitment drive because of restrictions in practice space," Fiona said.

The club wanted to raise £35,000 to install all-weather cricket nets on its recreation ground in order to enlarge its practice facilities.

"Our whole family loves playing cricket – I play for the new Ickleton women's team and my son has progressed from the youth team to play for the seniors," Fiona said.

"The women's team in Ickleton is now such an inspiration for young girls and it would be wonderful to encourage more girls from across the country to give it a try."

Social benefit

More than £29,000 had been donated so far and the club said it was looking for ways to gather the last £6,000.

Edmund Harcourt, the chair of the cricket club, said a sponsored run to complete 3,000 laps of the cricket square will take place on Sunday and a Race Night at Ickleton Village Hall is being held on 22 November.

"Cricket is such an important part of village life and Ickleton is no exception," Mr Harcourt said.

"We'd love to expand the number of young people, especially girls, who want to enjoy the physical and social benefits of cricket and develop a life-long love of sport, as well as more women from neighbouring villages who don't yet have a women's team.

"The new two-lane, England and Wales Cricket Board-quality practice nets will be free and open all year round for the whole village to use," he added.

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Category: General Sports