Yorkshire and Derbyshire have both received funding to further grow the women’s game

Yorkshire has secured grant funding from the ECB to support the development of female coaches. The ECB is providing funding for Yorkshire Cricket’s Female Coach Development Programme, a programme designed to boost the number of female coaches in the game. The programme will help fund three paid coaching internships over the next two years, starting this November.

The county is home to over 500 recreational female teams – more than for Lancashire, Surrey and Warwickshire combined – and has fielded a women’s first team since 1980. The aim of the two-year Female Coach Development Programme is to create a pathway for female coaches, combining practical experience, education, mentoring and exposure to high-performance environments. The coaches
involved will gain access to the ECB Coach Development CPD and work across Yorkshire age-group cricket, the emerging player programme, the club’s academy and its professional teams.

The £25,000 grant from the ECB complements Yorkshire Cricket’s existing investment into women and girls’ cricket. Gavin Hamilton, general manager of cricket for Yorkshire Cricket, said: “The women’s game is growing at an unprecedented pace but there’s still a shortage of female coaches across the country.

“This initiative is designed specifically to address these problems by creating a new structure for paid, long-term development opportunities for new coaches and we plan to maintain the programme in the long-term. As the women’s game continues to evolve,
it’s important that players can benefit from the insights, experiences and perspectives that female coaches bring, helping to create a more representative and well-rounded coaching environment.”

Yorkshire’s group strategy, people and EDI director, Jessica Platts, added: “We’re grateful to the ECB for recognising the value in what we’re putting forward and our steadfast commitment to women’s cricket. We now have the backing to develop technically strong, confident and experienced female coaches capable of progressing into elite environments for Yorkshire and beyond.

“Our club exists to inspire the next generation of cricket stars – whether players or coaches – and support everyone in Yorkshire who aspires to build a career in the game. This programme is just one part of our broader commitment to women’s cricket and will play an important role in increasing the number of elite female coaches who will develop the club’s female players of the future.”

Yorkshire isn’t the only place from across the north and the midlands that has received a recent boost to women’s cricket participation. Derby has been selected, along with Nottingham, Birmingham, Newcastle and Bolton, to receive government funding to improve the city’s cricket facilities.

A new cricket dome will be built in Derby, in collaboration between Derbyshire CCC and theDerbyshire Cricket Foundation. It will provide high-class all-weather facilities year-round, and will aid the continuing surge in female participation across the county, which has seen Derbyshire become one of the fastest growing counties in the women and girls’ game.

Derbyshire chief executive, Ryan Duckett, said: “We welcome this news and are pleased our local community will have increased access to top-class facilities in our county.

“Participation numbers continue to increase across all aspects of the game with the women and girls game in particular seeing
huge growth over the last few years, which is a testament to the work of the Derbyshire Cricket Foundation.

“We are in the early stages of planning, in collaboration with the Foundation and we are proud to be working closely with them on this
project.”

Derbyshire Cricket Foundation managing director, Richard Wood, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to see this investment coming into
Derby. This new facility will be a game-changer for our community, allowing people of all ages and backgrounds to play and enjoy
cricket all year round.

“It strongly supports our mission to make cricket a game for everyone, removing barriers to participation and creating more inclusive opportunities across the city. It will be particularly important in building on the fantastic growth we’ve seen in the women and girls’ game, helping us to inspire the next generation of players.”