Ex-England cricketer visits Jersey to get more girls playing

World Cup winner Lydia Greenway - who now runs her all-female cricket academy, Lydia Greenway’s Cricket for Girls - looks to drive increase in girls' cricket

After the highs of last year’s World Cup victory in front of a sold-out Lord’s, increasing participation in women’s cricket across the country has been a major focus of the ECB’s marketing campaign over the last 12 months.

Their counterparts at the Jersey Cricket Board are fighting a different battle. With a successful team all retiring at the same time they have focused on building a base of the pyramid as part of a four-year plan to get them competing on the European stage. 

As part of this drive, the JCB, in partnership with Rathbone Investment Management International, recently organised the visit of ex-England international and World Cup winner Lydia Greenway – who now runs her all-female cricket academy, Lydia Greenway’s Cricket for Girls.

Jersey Cricket Development Manager, Lee Meloy, stated how valuable it was to have a player and coach of Lydia’s calibre involved with Jersey cricket.

“We have been focusing on growing the women’s game from that base level in the last couple of years, so to provide the primary schools and development squads with access to a World Cup winner has been invaluable", he said.

"Both the teachers and pupils at all the schools involved really bought into it and learned a lot."

Alongside providing coaching in seven different primary schools on the island and running a development session for the teachers, Lydia also worked with the Centre of Excellence groups and the Academy age groups.

With a young team currently representing the island – the youngest player in the recent inter-insular against Channel Islands rivals Guernsey was only 11 years old – looking to the future is currently the mantra and this visit will have proved invaluable for the youngsters.

The trip was organised by Rathbones, keen supporters of cricket and women’s sport in both the UK and Jersey.

Rathbones MD Jonathan Giles said: "We’re really excited to be helping the Jersey Cricket Board and Lydia Greenway’s Cricket for Girls in their bid to make the sport more accessible to females of all ages and abilities.

"Lydia is a fantastic role model for all young cricketers. Her career has led to her meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace and the Dalai Lama at the foothills of the Himalayas; and we hope her experiences will show the island’s youngsters that sport really can open up some fantastic opportunities."

Click here for more information on Lydia Greenway’s Cricket for Girls