10th May 2024
| Mark Frost
On Wednesday 8th May, the picturesque grounds of Sophia Gardens lit up with the laughter and excitement of 500 Girl Guides, Brownies and Rainbows as they stepped onto the cricket pitch for the first time. The event marked a significant milestone as the initiative, now in its 3rd year it continues to flourish, introducing young girls to the joys of cricket and fostering a growing interest in the sport.
Becky Thomas, Women & Girls Officer for South East Wales, expressed her enthusiasm for the close relationship between Cricket Wales and Girl Guiding Cymru. "We have cultivated a flourishing relationship with Girl Guiding Cymru," she remarked. "Developing a cricket challenge booklet where the girls complete a variety of activities, learn about the game, and culminate their experience by attending events like this or something more local at a cricket club to earn their cricket badge."
The initiative's success is evident, with an ever-increasing number of girls already signed up for All Stars & Dynamos Cricket at local clubs with over 1400 girls signed up across Wales.
Sarah-Jane, representing Girl Guiding Cymru, shared her excitement, stating, ‘It was incredible to see so many girls of different ages from 4-18 years, from Rainbows to Rangers, having a go and enjoying the game of cricket in a girls’ only space!’ She is delighted to say ‘This event is evidence that girls can do anything! Some of the girls were having so much fun and were so keen that they didn’t want to go home! I’m sure we will see more of our girls playing cricket in National programmes at grassroots level after last night. I’m sure that there are even some girls who are starting to imagine that one day they could be a Welsh Fire Player!’
One girl from 71st Cardiff Brownies said ‘Best night ever! I want to play again!’
The event wasn't just about learning the game; it was about having fun, team building and creating lasting memories. For many of the girls, it was their first experience of cricket, and for some, it may have sparked a lifelong passion. Becky Thomas noted, "500 girls had fun, some experiencing cricket for the first time. Who knows, hopefully many will return to Sophia Gardens as supporters, or even future players."
Mark Frost acting CEO of Cricket Wales added: "It was a joy to see and hear so many girls having so much fun. With over a half of accredited clubs with women's cricket and a third offering girls' teams cricket, there is a big wave of female cricket sweeping across Wales. The creation of a cricket challenge booklet across Girl Guides Cymru and Cricket Wales is another excellent development. The advent of a professional women's team at Glamorgan in the near future and this summer watching Welsh Fire Women and Men makes all this a hugely exciting time"
As the sun set on Sophia Gardens, it was clear that the future of cricket is bright, with these young girls poised to become the next generation of players, supporters, and ambassadors for the sport.
We have events planned for North and West Wales over the next few weeks. If you would like more information of these then please reach out to
North Wales Rachel Warrenger [email protected]
South West Wales Carl Holding [email protected]
South East Wales Rebecca Thomas [email protected]
