GROW THE GAME OPEN TO ALL FORCE FOR GOOD 8 9 GROW THE GAME OPEN TO ALL FORCE FOR GOOD HOLMESDALE CC - HOW A GIRLS’ SQUAD BECAME A TITLE WINNING WOMEN’S SQUAD Holmesdale Cricket Club has a deep history of women’s cricket with a team playing under the name of Holmesdale in the first decade of the 2000’s, giving international cricketer Tash Farrant, her first women’s cricket. The rebuilding of the current women’s section, however, started with the club focussing on the development of girls’ cricket. They had a small group of keen female cricketers who had come through mixed soft ball groups at the club, coached by Jodie Hobson, Kent Women’s player and Girls’ Pathway Coach, who were keen to play hardball cricket matches. The club entered the Invicta U12 Girls league, which at the time, was the only local girls league. In 2024, they won both the U12 league and a newly formed U15 girls’ league, which emphasised the momentum and positivity the club had towards girls’ cricket. Holmesdale Cricket Club has seen a meteoric rise since the development of their girls’ cricket section in 2023, to their debut season finishing as champions of the Kent Women’s Development League for 2025. Last season, Holmesdale’s new women’s team played the whole season undefeated, claiming the Kent Women’s Development League Shield in their first season in the division. The year before the women’s team formed, their U15 Girls team had won the Invicta Junior Cricket League and six of these girls were moving out of the age group, wanting a senior offer of league cricket. The club subsequently entered a team made up of U16s, U15s and County U13 girls in the Kent Women’s Development League. The women’s and girls’ section at the club is now fully integrated into their main club committee and junior committees. They have considered how welcoming their facilities are, doubling the toilet capacity for female players & spectators, and have run family-friendly social events. The whole club also now play in the same kit, which was first introduced as the kit for the female junior league teams. The club have grasps the importance that the top and bottom of the club pathway holds for female cricket development. At the entry point they have thriving junior softball girls’ club teams, growing through the club together as friends. At the top, now a women’s team, inspiring the junior girls to develop while contributing as adult volunteers within the club. GROWTH IN WOMEN’S & GIRLS LGBTQ+ CRICKET GROW THE GAME OPEN TO ALL FORCE FOR GOOD One of the biggest growth areas for cricket clubs in the county is Women’s & Girls’ cricket. Each year more Women’s & Girls’ club sections are emerging, more female teams competing, and more female players and officials getting into (or back into) the sport. Many clubs are putting in the effort to grow the female game, understanding the wider benefits it can bring, from being a ‘family friendly’ club environment; increasing membership, diversity and volunteer capacity; and helping with the message of cricket being a game for everyone. “ “My belief at Holmesdale is that we must give the junior girls as many opportunities to play in tournaments and leagues. Creating a solid base of well-coached players, who enjoy playing matches together, will be the key to keeping playing numbers high over the coming years. In addition, many of the older female players are helping with coaching and giving back to the club as role models.” Giles Harrison, coach of the women’s team 64 VOLUNTEERS TRAINED THROUGH OUR METROBANK CLUB VOLUNTEER SCHEME 100 PARTICIPANTS ATTEND OUR FIRST GIRLGUIDING CRICKET SHOWCASE DAY 69 WOMEN’S TEAMS IN 17 DIVISIONS 96 GIRLS’ TEAMS IN 11 DIVISIONS 59 MORE GIRLS’ TEAMS ENTERING COMPETITIONS GROWING THE GAME KCF is committed to ensuring cricket is a game for everyone. 2025 saw the launch of the Invicta Icons, an LGBTQ+ friendly cricket team with the aim of providing a safe and inclusive cricket environment to people from the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. Following a recruitment drive which saw KCF engage with the multiple LGBTQ+ community groups across Kent, the Foundation held two cricket taster sessions in November and December. With the establishment of demand for specific LGBTQ+ dedicated cricket provision, there are now plans to run a pre-season training programme along with the first competitive summer matches for the Invicta Icons team. While still in the early stages of forming a self-sustaining club, the taster session were well attended and positively received by the community and the Foundation is looking forward to progress in 2026 and beyond. £45,721 invested into nets and non-turf pitches at women’s & girls’ clubs. Leading to total project value of £198,243 across five projects £29,000 invested into social spaces at women’s & girls’ clubs. Leading to a total project value of £34,048 ECB COUNTY GRANTS FUNDING HELPED GROW THE WOMEN’S & GIRLS’ GAME IN KENT IN 2025
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