There are some days in cricket that remind you exactly why we do what we do. Sunday 19 July 2026’s Brown & Brown Women’s Festival at Beckington Cricket Club was one of those days. From the moment the first teams arrived, there was an incredible atmosphere around the ground.
The ethos of the day was exactly what a women’s cricket festival should be about: welcoming, inclusive, community and club focused and, most importantly, fun!! A special thanks to the clubs that attended: West Coker & Hardington CC, Hampset CC, Beckington CC Women & Girls, and Midsomer Norton & Bear Flat CC. Every team brought energy, enthusiasm and a fantastic spirit to the day, and all the players should be incredibly proud of themselves.
But what made the day so special was everything happening around the cricket… The volunteers at Beckington Cricket Club were absolutely incredible and really helped make the day what it was. Everyone pitched in and helped wherever they could, with the raffle, plenty of cake, especially the lemon drizzle, the bar being open and the BBQ all adding to the brilliant club atmosphere. It was these little touches, alongside the incredible effort of everyone involved, that helped create such a special day for everyone there, as well as the spectators who came along from the clubs involved and the local village.
A huge thank you must go to Trevor Osborne, Adam Benney, Tim Fussell, Rich Marshall, Jane Benney, Liz Halliwell, Jo Harris, Ben Keevil, Alex Keevil, Claire Osborne, Charlotte and Tom Wheeler, Steve Tozer, Stuart Harris and Paul Swift for all their hard work and support in making the festival such a success.
As the Women & Girls Development Officer at Somerset Cricket Foundation,“ I feel incredibly proud to have been part of the day. I was genuinely so chuffed with how the festival went. It was exactly how I believe Women’s cricket should feel: welcoming, fun and a place where everyone feels they belong. Days like this are the reason I do what I do.I also had the pleasure of meeting Farmer Tom from Tractor Ted, which was an added highlight to an already brilliant day!” The cricket is important, of course, but it is the people, the volunteers, the families, the spectators, the friendships, and the atmosphere that make these events so special.
The support from Brown & Brown has been instrumental in making opportunities like this possible. Their funding has enabled SCF staff to be present at events such as this, providing support to clubs and helping create a welcoming experience for new and existing players. It has also helped us provide softball T-shirts, removing a financial barrier for women who may be completely new to cricket or joining a new team for the first time. This might seem like a small thing, but these are the details that can make the difference between someone feeling like they belong and someone not taking that first step into cricket.
Through their support, Brown & Brown are helping us create more accessible, inclusive and welcoming opportunities for women to play, connect and become part of their local cricket community. A huge well done to everyone involved. You should all be incredibly proud of the day you created at Beckington Cricket Club.
