Women's cricket

Women's cricket
Australian batter Meg Lanning plays a sweep shot while Merissa Aguilleira of the West Indies keeps wicket during the 2014 West Indies tour of Australia at the North Sydney Oval.[1][2][3]
Highest governing bodyInternational Cricket Council
(formerly International Women's Cricket Council)
First played26 July 1745, Surrey (first recorded)[4]
Characteristics
ContactNo
Team members11 players per side (substitutes permitted in some circumstances)
Mixed-sexWomen only
TypeTeam sport, Bat-and-Ball, women's sport
EquipmentCricket ball, Cricket bat, Wicket (Stumps, Bails), Protective equipment
VenueCricket field
GlossaryGlossary of cricket terms
Presence
Country or regionWorldwide (most popular in the Commonwealth)
OlympicNo
Part of a series on
Cricket
Cricket pictogram
Cricket pictogram
Women's cricket
Forms of cricket
Test cricket

First-class cricket

One Day International

Limited overs (domestic)

Twenty20 International

Twenty20 (domestic)

Other forms

International competitions
History of cricket
Records

Women's cricket is the team sport of cricket when played by women. Its rules are almost identical to those in the game played by men, the main change being the use of a smaller ball. Women's cricket is beginning to be played at professional level in 11 of the 12 full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC),[note 1] and is played worldwide, especially in Commonwealth nations.

The first recorded cricket match between women was held in England on 26 July 1745.[4] The game continued to be played socially by women until clubs for women were formed in the late 1800s. In 1926, the creation of the Women's Cricket Association (WCA) in England began the process of formalising the game and organising international matches. Like many women's sports, the further development of women's cricket was hampered by sexism and a lack of structural support.

Although women have historically played Test cricket and first class cricket, the focus of the women's game in the last 50 years has been mostly on limited overs cricket. The introduction of Twenty20 cricket (T20) in 2003 created more opportunities for the growth of the women's game. As well as competing against each other in tours, national teams also compete in several tournaments, including the Cricket World Cup and the T20 World Cup. Women's cricket has also been part of several multi-sport events.

In domestic cricket, many countries have T20 cricket and List A cricket competitions that are run either alongside or separately from men's competitions. Grass roots cricket is growing, especially in England and Australia, although many barriers still remain. Cricket boards often organise competitions that use new formats that are intended to appeal to women. Cricket for women with disabilities is also growing, especially in South Asia.

  1. ^ "Full Scorecard of WI Women vs AUS Women 3rd ODI 2014-2016/17 - Score Report". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Full Scorecard of AUS Women vs WI Women 2nd ODI 2014-2016/17 - Score Report". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Full Scorecard of WI Women vs AUS Women 1st ODI 2014-2016/17 - Score Report". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Sykes2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Afghanistan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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