Women’s international cricketing star, Claire Taylor, gave an inspirational speech at the launch of the new Home Counties Women’s Cricket League at Thame, on Monday 8 April.
Claire was the first woman to win Wisden Cricketer of the Year and was capped 168 times for England including Ashes and World Cup wins. It is Claire’s aim to see opportunities for women’s cricket at all levels and she stressed the importance of the enjoyment of the game, not just at competitive and elite levels, but for all women who wish to play.
Click here to see an interview with Claire Taylor in our kitchen! Representatives from the clubs in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire joined League and OCB officials to celebrate the new league as the 2019 season gets under way.
For League Chair Tim Haworth of Moreton CC, it was the achievement of a long-held wish to provide a structure for women to play a range of cricket, having struggled to find a way to enable his own 3 daughters to play. Neil Rider, MD of League Sponsors Serious Cricket, has a particular interest in the women’s game, having been manager and assistant coach of the England Women’s team between 2003 and 2007.
The evening was rounded off by a delicious cricket tea and drinks from the new bar!