The history of women’s cricket
The history of women’s cricket spans more than a century of development and evolution. Beginning in the late 19th century, women around the world began playing cricket despite many societal and cultural obstacles. Here is a brief overview of the key moments in the history of women’s cricket:
- First Mentions: The first mentions of women’s cricket date back to the early 18th century, but the real take-off of women’s cricket occurred in the late 19th century.
- 1745: One of the earliest known women’s cricket games was played in Grace, an English village.
- 1887: The first women’s cricket team was established in York, Australia, called “North Sydney Women.” This is considered one of the first organised women’s cricket teams.
- 1934: The Women’s Cricket Association of England (WCA) was founded in England. This event was an important step towards the official recognition of women’s cricket.
- 1958: England’s first women’s cricket tour of Australia was organised. This tour helped to increase the popularity of women’s cricket.
- 1973: Women’s cricket was recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
- 1973: England hosted the first women’s One Day International (ODI) match between England and Australia.
- 1974: New Zealand, Australia and England played the first women’s Test match.
- 1977: The Women’s Cricket World Cup was held in India and this was the beginning of the official women’s world competition.
- 2005: Women’s cricket was included in the 2005 Summer Olympics in Toronto, but only as a demonstration sport.
- 2017: The Indian women’s cricket team reached the final of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, attracting many new fans and increasing interest in the game in India.
- Modernity: Currently, women’s cricket continues to grow and expand around the world. Numerous countries have national women’s cricket teams and women’s competitions including Test matches, ODIs and Twenty20s attract many fans and sponsors.
Women’s cricket has become more popular and recognisable and women’s players have achieved outstanding success in world cricket, strengthening their presence in the sport.
