26th November 2020
| Mallory Gray
The
Hundred Women’s Competition will be played across the same eight venues due to
host the Men’s Competition in 2021, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
has announced.
The
decision has been taken due to the operational implications of COVID-19, with
double-headers and increased alignment with the men’s teams providing the
Women’s Competition with greater visibility and exposure – which will also
include more comprehensive broadcast coverage.
This
means that, for the 2021 competition, the Welsh Fire (Tân Cymreig) Women’s team
will play all of their home games at Sophia Gardens.
Head
of The Hundred Women’s Competition & Female Engagement, Beth Barrett-Wild,
said:
“Looking
ahead to 2021, it’s clear that the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic on the delivery of elite sporting events and society more generally,
necessitates a change to our plans from 2020.
“The
move to an integrated eight-venue model with the Men’s Competition next summer
will simultaneously enable us to reduce our operational risk, protect the
delivery of the Women’s Competition, and optimise the opportunity to work with
our broadcast partners to provide maximum visibility and exposure for the
women’s game.”
Glamorgan
Cricket Chief Executive, Hugh Morris commented:
“This is fantastic news for us here at
Sophia Gardens. Our ambition remains to make cricket a more accessible sport
for women and girls across Wales. Hosting international female cricketers here
in the heart of Cardiff will undoubtedly help grow the appeal for cricket in
Wales and the South West. We can’t wait to support the Welsh Fire Women’s squad
alongside the Men’s team – the more cricket, the better!”
Cricket
Wales Chief Executive, Leshia Hawkins added:
“Selfishly,
I am absolutely delighted to see the Welsh Fire Women playing all their home
games in Wales in 2021. We have enjoyed seeing Welsh players excelling for the
Western Storm in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy this summer and Cricket Wales has
its own exciting plans and ambitions to continue to grow the reach and
relevance of cricket among women and girls in Wales next year, building on the
success and widespread adoption of Women’s soft ball festivals and leagues, plus
our rapidly-expanding list of hard-ball teams and girls’ leagues, across the
country.
“We
must grasp the opportunity that this change to the original scheduling affords
us with both hands; The Welsh Fire Women’s team will be packed with global
stars and local talent who we see as ideal potential role models for girls in
Wales who already love their cricket, or who might be inspired to pick up a bat
or ball after seeing them live, or on TV.
“I
urge the Cricket family of Wales to get fully behind both teams when they play
next summer.”
The
eight-venue model is due to be reviewed after 2021, with competition organisers
keen to learn year on year and, where necessary, refine the model to continue
to deliver the optimum structure for The Hundred Women’s Competition, and
growth for the wider women’s game.
Fixtures
for the competition are set to be confirmed in 2021.