Cricket is often stereotyped as a male sport, but it is far from it. When I first started playing in 2016 I was the only girl at my club. I trained and played matches with the boys and was not even offered the opportunity to play at my school. After 2 years of this I changed school and club to play for Reigate Priory Cricket Club (RPCC). Here there were many more girls playing and I experienced a complete shift of perspective. I was no longer a female playing a males sport, I was just playing a sport. 

At school though, the change was slower, despite being in private education soft ball was the only cricket to a girl in year 9. The next year covid struck and there was no cricket in the summer. By the time I was in year 11, cricket was not even offered as a sport for a girl my age. To change this I had to sit down the head of sport and convince him that enough girls did in fact want to play. While we were allowed to train, there were no matches and the only two I played in that season with my school were for the boys 3rdX1.

This season at RPCC there were more women playing, but compared to the men, well it isn’t really. The Lady Llamas 1stX1 often plays with more under 18’s than over 18’s and there is only one team. The men have 5 teams of 11 players, I believe this has little to do with the club but more the ingrained belief that this is a man's sport.