Championing Girls’ Cricket at Ilminster Cricket Club

As part of our work to champion clubs leading the way in Women & Girls cricket, Ilminster Cricket Club provided a fantastic example of what can happen when a club genuinely gets behind girls’ cricket.

“Ilminster CC is always keen to find ways to support the Foundation, especially in their development of the girls and women’s game. This festival was our opportunity to open up cricket to even more teams from around the county.”

Sian Sainsbury, Ilminster Cricket Club

Ilminster hosted one of our mixed festivals and went above and beyond to support the event. The club provided everything needed to run the day, including the pitches, umpiring and scoring, with Sian organising the festival brilliantly from start to finish.

A real highlight was the involvement of female volunteers, with Jennie, Nicole, Chloe and Jo all supporting the day. Chloe and Jo are also involved in Ilminster’s senior women’s cricket, creating a lovely connection between the club’s younger players and its senior women. Having women actively involved in the day gave the girls positive role models within their own club and showed them the different ways they can continue to be involved in cricket as they get older.

Seeing women taking on different roles across the day  from volunteering and supporting to playing and leading — helps girls recognise that there is a place for them within cricket, both now and as they get older.

We’d also like to thank Joe for volunteering and supporting the festival, helping to make sure the day ran smoothly and that the girls had a great experience.

Although the festival was open to both girls and boys, Ilminster created a particularly positive and welcoming environment for the girls taking part. The club’s commitment helped create an opportunity for girls to play, enjoy cricket and feel part of a cricket club.

Ilminster showed the difference a club can make when it actively creates opportunities for girls to take part and ensures they can see women playing an active role in the game. It is a great example of how clubs can help girls feel that cricket is a place where they belong, while also creating a pathway for them to stay involved as they progress into senior cricket.