TRANSFORMING WOMEN'S & GIRLS' CRICKET An ECB Action Plan 2019 INTRODUCTION FROM INTRODUCTION FROM TOM HARRISON CLARE CONNOR In January 2019, we launched Inspiring Generations – cricket’s strategy Cricket has always been an integral part of my life, and I feel incredibly for 2020-24 – with the overarching ambition to inspire a generation to say, privileged to have had such a varied and rewarding career: captaining ‘Cricket is a game for me’. England for six years, supporting England Women to their 2017 World Cup win, and now in a new, wider role as Managing Director of Women’s Cricket. In light of this ambition, it is essential that we We have appetite for growth and growing audiences. encourage and support everyone to create their own Now is the time to accelerate this progress. Millions of people around the world, and 25,000 fans team, and the volunteers and workforce who make connection with our game, regardless of their age, within the hallowed walls of Lord’s itself, witnessed the cricket possible. This plan is as much about recreational This plan, formed in collaboration with the whole ethnicity or gender. amazing scenes on 23 July 2017 as Anya Shrubsole cricket as it is professional cricket, as much about the cricket network, and supported by our commercial and ripped through the India batting line-up and Heather people as it is the players. During the development of Inspiring Generations, and media partners, represents a crucial step in achieving Knight lifted the World Cup. However, the reality is the extensive consultation process conducted across our ambition of making cricket a gender-balanced that the pathway for a young girl to become a world After a lifetime already in the game, I have never been the game, the strong appetite to transform cricket’s sport. We are investing £20m over the next two years champion is a long way from where it needs to be. more excited by the opportunity in front of us right now: relationship with women and girls was abundantly to kick start this transformation. This investment will the opportunity to make cricket the sport we want it to clear. There is a tremendous enthusiasm across the enable the organisations across the cricket network A huge amount of credit must go to recent initiatives be. A sport that is modern, innovative and inclusive. I cricket network to pursue the game’s largest growth to recruit dedicated resource to deliver women’s and that have given women and girls more opportunities to have been so heartened by the level of enthusiasm and opportunity, and to increase the representation of girls’ cricket, improve the player experience, and play. But to truly transform women’s and girls’ cricket, support for this plan from everyone involved in cricket, women and girls at every level of the game. increase the opportunities for talented players to we must now move from standalone programmes to and I hope you will be involved in making it a reality. forge a career in the sport. addressing the whole pathway as one. We have made huge strides in recent years. On the pitch, there is a growing network of women's and girls' By working in partnership across the whole game The plan you’re about to read has been created in close clubs, professional contracts have been introduced for to deliver this plan, I am confident that we will inspire collaboration between ECB and the cricket network. elite players, and England Women are the ICC 50-over generations of women and girls to say that 'Cricket is It lays out the ten actions we will take to transform the World Champions. Off the pitch, ECB has a 30% female a game for me' by displaying the sport at its brilliant cricket experience for everyone: from the five-year-old representation on its Board, and the number of women and inclusive best. girl picking up a bat for the first time, to our England working in coaching and administrative roles is higher than ever before. TRANSFORMING WOMEN'S & GIRLS' CRICKET | 2019 1. CONTENTS SECTION ONE – INTRODUCTION 6 Executive Summary 8 Inspiring Generations 10 Transforming Women's & Girls' Cricket 11 Our Ten-Point Plan 12 The Cricket Pathway for Women & Girls SECTION TWO – DEVELOPING THE PLAN 16 The Process 18 The Findings – Women & Girls in Sport 20 The Findings – Women & Girls in Cricket SECTION THREE – OUR PLAN TO TRANSFORM WOMEN'S & GIRLS' CRICKET 24 Participation 32 Pathway 36 Performance 42 Profile 48 People SECTION FOUR – FURTHER INFORMATION 56 Measuring the Impact 57 Governance TRANSFORMING WOMEN'S & GIRLS' CRICKET | 2019 3. SECTION ONE INTRODUCTION TRANSFORMING WOMEN'S & GIRLS' CRICKET | 2019 5. We have created a comprehensive ten-point action plan that aims to transform all elements of women’s and girls’ cricket in England and Wales to increase engagement, grow representation and improve opportunities across the game. Our plan tackles five areas: Participation, Pathway, Performance, Profile, and People. Participation Women and girls playing recreational, grassroots cricket We will increase the number of women and girls playing cricket recreationally EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Pathway The training and development pathway for talented girls under 17 We will develop aspiring female cricketers (U11-17) as both players and people It’s one of the most exciting times for women’s sport – the profile of elite sportswomen is higher than ever, more women are getting active, and there Performance is a real focus on equal opportunities for girls and boys. Within cricket, our The highest domestic level of women’s cricket England Women’s team are the 50-over World Champions, we are about to We will drive the performance of England women’s cricket through a new launch a new high-profile women’s competition – The Hundred, and we have semi-professional, eight region structure seen year-on-year growth of women’s and girls’ cricket clubs. Yet, women and girls remain underrepresented across every area of cricket. Profile The visibility and profile of our elite female cricketers The ambition of our 2020-24 strategy for cricket, This document details our comprehensive action Inspiring Generations, is a generation inspired to say plan to transform women’s and girls’ cricket. We will We will elevate the profile of women’s cricket through The Hundred, that ‘cricket is a game for me’. Transforming women’s invest an unprecedented £20m over the next two the England Women’s team and the elite game and girls’ cricket is one of six priorities within the years, with an ambition of £50m over five years to strategy and represents the largest growth opportunity enable organisations across the cricket network to for the game. recruit more dedicated resources, improve the player People experience, and increase the opportunities to build For women’s and girls’ cricket, our ambition is to careers in the sport. The people delivering cricket through officiating, coaching, provide a clear path for women and girls from age volunteering, and in leadership roles five upwards to have a lifelong engagement and This plan will be delivered in partnership with the love for the game. network, with support from our delivery partners, We will increase the representation of women across the cricket workforce commercial partners, broadcasters, Sport England, and Government. The positive outcomes of the actions across these five areas create a virtuous cycle, amplifying the overall impact for women’s and girls’ cricket. TRANSFORMING WOMEN'S & GIRLS' CRICKET | 2019 7. INSPIRING GENERATIONS Earlier this year, we released our 2020-24 strategy for cricket The Inspiring Generations strategy will deliver on ‘Inspiring Generations’. The strategy focuses on inspiring a cricket’s purpose and ambition through six priorities: new generation to play, watch and engage with cricket. GROW AND NURTURE THE CORE Ensure that there is a thriving county network at the heart of the domestic game OUR PURPOSE: WE CONNECT COMMUNITIES AND OUR 2024 AMBITION: IMPROVE LIVES BY INSPIRING A GENERATION INSPIRED INSPIRE THROUGH ELITE TEAMS PEOPLE TO DISCOVER AND SHARE TO SAY THAT Create and celebrate the heroes at the pinnacle of the elite game THEIR PASSION FOR CRICKET ‘CRICKET IS A GAME FOR ME’ Cricket is a special game. Fast and slow. Long and Our single biggest challenge during this period is short. An art and a science. A test of body and mind. to inspire a new generation to believe that ‘cricket is MAKE CRICKET ACCESSIBLE A team game, where individuals perform. It is a simple a game for me’. We want to encourage more young Give more people the opportunity to engage with cricket more often game, with layers of complexity. people to form a lifelong relationship with cricket from an early age, to be passionate about the game And whilst it is just a game, it is also so much more throughout their lives, and to pass this passion on than that. for generations to come. ENGAGE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE It has respect, resilience and leadership at its heart, Beyond just a new generation, we want people and Inspire a new generation of players and fans to develop a love for cricket allowing the game to transcend age, gender, race communities to be united by the feeling that cricket is and ability. It connects communities and improves a game for them. This transcends simply participating, lives by bringing people together, and binds them volunteering, following or attending, and gets to the through a shared passion for cricket. It delivers heart of how people perceive cricket – as a game that TRANSFORM WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ CRICKET profound mental, physical and cultural benefits has something to offer everyone. Drive cricket’s progress to becoming a truly gender-balanced sport and can help to positively shape the individuals, communities and societies involved.