You won’t often hear cricket described as trailblazing; it’s more commonly thought of as reactionary. However, spurred on by a summer of World Cup and Ashes cricket, women and girls all over Britain are making their mark on the sport.
Asma Ajaz-Ali, a third-generation British Pakistani who grew up in inner-city Birmingham, experienced a variety of socioeconomic and cultural barriers to playing the game. Despite this lack of access to the formal game, she taught her brothers to play on an informal basis, then began running sessions for women and girls who had never before held a bat, supported by Warwickshire CC.
“People think cricket is all upper middle-class men,” says Ajaz-Ali, who joined the ECB’s ambitious South Asian Action Plan, supported by NatWest, that aims to transform community engagement by recruiting 2,000 female mentors. “I go to mosques, temples, community centres, and get children and women from everywhere involved. Children see their mothers coaching and feel pride. It tells them they can do that too. These initiatives change opportunities and cultural attitudes for generations.”
Ajaz-Ali prefers to focus on the future than lamenting her own lack of opportunity growing up. “I can’t bring back that time for me, but I can offer something to these girls,” she says. She sees change happening in the sport and aspires to generate more: “I have women playing in shalwar kameez, I coach asylum seekers. The point is to break down barriers and build inclusivity. Cricket is such a cool sport. It’s vibrant, it’s dynamic, and we have to try harder to make more people, particularly girls of all backgrounds, understand that.”
Laura Caughey focused on umpiring when it became too hard to get a game of cricket: ‘Simon Taufel was my idol’
Much like Ajaz-Ali, Laura Caughey found it hard to get a game of cricket. Growing up in Northern Ireland, she attempted to join a team as a child, only to be told she could practise with the boys but, lacking female peers, could not play in matches. “That stuck with me through adulthood and it’s not something I want more girls to experience.”
Caughey decided to focus on a different aspect of the sport – umpiring. “I’d watch Simon Taufel and study what he did … he was my cricket idol growing up.” She became Ireland’s second female umpire this year when she was appointed to the representative panel of match officials.
Through umpiring, Caughey has met like-minded people and helped to shape the conversation through administrative panels, eventually helping to set up and develop a women’s side at her local Carrickfergus CC. Reflecting on the enduring dismissive attitudes towards women in the sport, she says: “I just want to enjoy my season and let my on-field speak for me.”
Wicketkeeper Ellie Threlkeld plays for Lancashire Thunder in the semi-professional Kia Super League
Ellie Threlkeld has been playing cricket for 10 years. She credits her experiences in mixed-gender cricket for developing skills which saw her move from the age-group county setup to playing for Lancashire Thunder in the semi-professional Kia Super League.
Recognising the limited prospects for women cricketers, she opted to study psychology at Loughborough. The university’s enviable facilities and MCCU membership enable her to simultaneously develop her game and prepare for another option if cricket doesn’t work out.
Threlkeld – who has ambitions to replace her England wicketkeeping heroes Sarah Taylor and Amy Jones one day – volunteers, coaches, and does ambassador work to grow interest and participation. “Assemblies get a great turnout, and girls can see how good it is to be a cricketer, but kids don’t just need role models – they need more thrown into the game so it’s an actual career.
“A lot of women don’t have the option to train full-time – they need to work to earn a living. If there was money involved in the game, everything would improve faster.”
With women all over the country dedicating their time and energy to the sport, barriers are shifting – new generations of girls are becoming women under the tutelage of these inspirational characters, and it’s hard to imagine anything but a positive future for British women’s cricket.
For almost four decades, NatWest has supported cricket, with a mission to make the game easier for everyone to play and enjoy. A proud partner of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the charity Chance to Shine, NatWest champions cricket at all levels - from grassroots support for local clubs and getting more people involved in the game to supporting current and future England stars and helping fans cheer on their teams, however and wherever they choose.
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