Her Game Too

North East Cheshire Cricket Club has become the first cricket club in the county to show its support for the Her Game Too campaign which aims to raise awareness of sexism, misogyny and gender inequality in sport and educate others on the importance of inclusivity and diversity. With a quarter of our membership being female, we think that this is an important campaign to be involved in.

Initially created by female football fans, the campaign has spread to other sports, including cricket. Lancashire CCC and the Thunder team are involved in the campaign as are several North West football clubs.
As a grassroots ambassador club, we will continue to promote cricket as being an inclusive game for all, whether that is playing or watching. Partnering with Her Game Too Cricket shows that we are serious in tackling sexism and discrimination in sport both on the pitch and in the clubhouse. Alongside our existing ECB safeguarding reporting channels, we will be displaying links to the Her Game Too reporting system on their website.

When NECCC was formed, women’s cricket was introduced to the club thus expanding the available playing opportunities to the local community. Initially, the offering was for soft ball cricket and the club welcomed female players of all ages and cricketing abilities. Alongside training, the women were offered opportunities to compete in the Cheshire Women’s Cricket League’s (CWCL) soft ball division and local social “Prosecco Festivals”. In 2023, the club offered both women’s soft and hard ball league cricket for the first time as the appetite grew.

Our women and girls are always welcome to train and play with their male peers in all our junior and senior teams but we’re aware this is not what everyone wants. Therefore, we continue to offer dedicated female training sessions alongside match playing opportunities with our all female teams in the Cheshire women & girls’ leagues and festivals. The club encourages members to play in whichever format they wish, perhaps both.

Our approach to cricket is to have fun whilst we play. The women’s section welcomes anyone who is willing to cross the boundary rope and get involved. Skills will naturally develop but the aim is to ensure that people want to keep coming back for more because they enjoy the team camaraderie as well as the game. This approach also filters down to the girls’ teams at the club.

Heather Mukherjee, NECCC’s Women’s Lead said: “As a club, we feel the partnership with Her Game Too is a very positive move that sends out a clear message that women and girls are very welcome at our club. We are committed to removing barriers to women and girls' participation both on and off the field. We are dedicated to being inclusive and aim to ensure our club provides a welcoming environment for all our female members."

Club Chair, Damien Mullany, added: “North East Cheshire CC is delighted to partner with Her Game Too Cricket. We are very proud of the progress we have made in supporting women and girls’ cricket and see this partnership as another positive step.”

Becky Scholes (Women’s XI Vice Captain) commented that, “It’s important that women and girls get the opportunity to explore a fantastic sport like cricket. Not only for the fitness but the benefits on our mental health, creating long lasting bonds that can last a lifetime. A safe space where everyone is welcome, this is what the HGT scheme offers us as a club.”

Dave Dawkins (U11 Coach) said, “A quarter of our membership are female and we are committed to increasing his number. The HGT campaign is all about encouraging women and girls to get involved and enjoy the game and it is natural that we would want to be associated with them.”

Lucy Ford, Director and Co-Founder of Her Game Too, said: “We are delighted to announce our newest grassroots partnership with North East Cheshire CC. The work the club is already doing to grow the women and girls’ game is brilliant to see, especially the offer of both softball and hardball cricket from a young age! We are looking forward to working together to spread the Her Game Too message that cricket is a game for all.”

As we go through the season, we’ll share more information about our women and girls along with the Her Game Too campaign.