Thame Cricket Club hosts launch of new Women’s League

THAME Town Cricket Club welcomed a very special visitor after the club’s brand new pavilion was chosen to launch the new Home Counties Women’s Cricket League.

Claire Taylor was the first woman to win Wisden Cricketer of the Year and was capped 168 times for England including Ashes and World Cup wins. It is Claire’s aim to see opportunities for women’s cricket at all levels and in her inspiring speech, she stressed the importance of the enjoyment of the game, not just at competitive and elite levels but for all women who wish to play.

Representatives from the clubs in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire joined League and OCB officials to celebrate the new league as the 2019 season gets under way. The 24 clubs involved will play up to 15 fixtures over the season.

For League Chair, Tim Haworth of Moreton CC, it was the achievement of a long-held wish to provide a structure for women to play a range of cricket, having struggled to find a way to enable to his own three daughters to play. Neil Rider MD of League Sponsors, Serious Cricket, has a particular interest in the women’s game, having been manager and assistant coach of the England Women’s team between 2003 and 2007. T

The evening was rounded off by a delicious cricket tea and drinks from the new bar; and the next day, Thame’s women’s team won an indoor final versus Eynsham, so the women’s season has got off to a brilliant start!!

Go to https://crickether.com to see an interview with Claire Taylor in TTCC’s kitchen!