Days out from the Women’s T20 World Cup, the UK government is hoping to turn attention to grassroots participation
The UK government has announced a £3m investment into five new all-weather cricket domes ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with facilities planned for Birmingham, Bolton, Derby, Newcastle and Nottingham.
The funding, which will be matched by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), aims to improve access and support the growth of the women’s game, which has seen more than 2,000 new women’s and girls’ teams launched across England and Wales since the start of 2024.
This announcement aligns with the start of the Women’s T20 World Cup hosted in England and Wales.
“World Cups have the power to inspire people to give cricket a go, and having the right facilities in place is crucial to keeping that momentum going,” said England Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.
“It’s fantastic to see investment being made in communities so that people can play all year round, whatever the weather. With more and more women and girls getting involved in cricket, opportunities like this can make a real difference in helping them develop their skills and fall in love with the game.”
The World Cup as a catalyst
The ECB has said that its strategy is to use the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup as an opportunity to create growth rather than just focus on short-term participation spikes that tend to follow major tournaments.
“Hosting this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is a huge opportunity to turbocharge the growth of women’s and girls’ cricket, and access to top quality facilities is an important part of that,” said ECB Chair Richard Thompson.
All-weather domes have become an important part of cricket’s grassroots infrastructure, allowing clubs, schools and community groups to train and play throughout the year regardless of weather conditions.
The five new facilities, which are expected to open during the 2027 season, double the government’s investment into cricket domes following last year’s £1.5m funding package for sites in Luton and Farington.
In addition to increasing participation, the facilities also aim to strengthen the pathway from grassroots cricket to the elite game. The ECB and government hope that by providing access to training environments, they will remove one of the barriers facing young players inspired by this summer’s tournament.
Growth creates new demands
While participation in women’s cricket continues to grow, grassroots clubs still face challenges providing the facilities, coaching and support needed to sustain that momentum.
Speaking to Insider Sport last year, Old Glossop Cricket Club women’s captain Annette Bell described how many clubs are building programmes largely through volunteer effort.
Bell only began playing cricket after the COVID-19 pandemic and now captains a side made up largely of players who had little or no previous experience of the game.
After a brief period with a coach, the team has since been left without formal coaching support, creating additional challenges for players still learning the sport.
“You’re left with a group of women who have never played before, needing to learn the rules and the basics,” she said. “That’s been frustrating.”
Bell suggested these challenges are common across grassroots women’s cricket, with many clubs launching teams in response to growing demand but struggling to provide the same level of support and infrastructure available elsewhere in the game.
Bell is still optimistic about the future of the women’s game, particularly as more young players continue to enter the sport.
“With the young ones coming through, they can improve and get better,” she said. “There’s a lot of potential for them to become really good cricketers.”
