A new women’s softball cricket league has launched in Cumbria.
Cumbria Cricket formed the league after women’s teams from across the county said they wanted to play more competitively. It is being supported by Fibrus broadband.
Matches took place at Ulverston Cricket Club on Sunday with teams from Barrow, Ulverston, Kendal, Lindal, Dalton and Carnforth all taking part.
Kathleen O’Connor plays for Barrow women’s team and believes the inclusivity and camaraderie of the sport is a big part of its appeal.
She said: “We’re obviously competitive but it’s a good fun sport and we always have a laugh, and it’s a really inclusive sport where people can join in at any skill level and work their way up.
“We get a lot out of it – friendship, a bit of fitness, being in the outdoors – what’s not to like?”
Teams from across the league are seeing more interest from women wanting to try the sport out for themselves.
33-year-old Laura Croskery grew up around Barrow Cricket Club with her dad playing there, and now she’s captain of the Barrow team. She credits increased press coverage of women’s sport with the boost in numbers of signups
“With the women’s Ashes, the Lionesses football team, and seeing it all more on the TV, that’s made it more appetising to people,” she said. “We’ve definitely been able to recruit more off the back of the coverage.”
The teams come from clubs who are part of the Cumbria County Cricket women’s and girls hubs where bespoke support is given to develop the women’s game, and many have been running non-competitive softball matches for some time.
Fibrus is transforming the digital infrastructure of rural and regional areas of the UK, by investing in excess of £700m to bring full fibre broadband to homes in towns and villages across Northern England and Northern Ireland. Just recently, the broadband provider connected its first homes in Cumbria under the Government’s Project Gigabit contract, with a goal of reaching 60,000.
Fibrus has also set up a fund for grassroot clubs having launched just last month which will invest £30,000 in boys’ and girls’ sport in the local area, plus the sponsorship of the Fibrus 100 girls cricket league, and now the women’s league.
Last week, Fibrus announced a new partnership with Workington Town Rugby League. This investment allowed the club to support the women’s team’s first ever competitive home fixture at the newly named Fibrus Community Stadium.
Catriona Henry, sponsorship lead at Fibrus, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Cumbria Cricket on this new women’s softball league. We know how important taking part in sport is for women of all ages, so we’re excited to make this part of our commitment to Cumbria.
“While we continue our network rollout in Cumbria, we recognise that sport and local clubs are at the heart of the towns and villages we operate in. Following the launch of our Play it Forward Fund, the Fibrus 100 League and our partnership with Workington Town, being able to throw our support behind women’s cricket is fantastic!”
Owain Oxenham, board member of Cumbria Cricket, added: said: “We want to encourage women and girls of all ages and abilities, from all backgrounds and across our county to gain all the physical and mental benefits of playing this amazing game.
“There’s a real momentum at the moment with women’s cricket and having this league will give the ladies the chance to play competitively and enjoy themselves.
“The support we’ve received from Fibrus is helping to make that a reality.”
