Last Sunday (22/10) saw the first women’s cricket Cuppers being held by Cambridge University Cricket Club. By setting up an inter-college league, the university cricket team aim to provide an inclusive space to play cricket in a relaxed environment. Responding to the growth of the women’s game, both within the University and nationally, they hope to expand the base of women’s cricket in line with the men’s leagues in Cambridge. As inter-college leagues receive funding from colleges, as opposed to the University team which relies on subsidies from individual students, they hope to provide an accessible and low-commitment way to play the sport, especially for students who did not have the opportunity to play before arriving at university.

There was a high turnout on Sunday, with both students who were playing cricket at Cambridge for the first time and those who play at university level coming together to promote the women’s game and to enjoy the sport in a relaxed environment. One student, who had joined cricket as a beginner last year, commented that the event was “a good way of bridging between different abilities.” They spoke about the positive impact that playing cricket has had on their time at university, giving an opportunity to take up a new sport and meet people from different colleges, through a variety of social events that take place throughout the year. Many players mentioned the importance of cricket for their wellbeing with one student describing it as a “mental-health boost.”

The President of the Blues cricket team, Immy Jenner, emphasised that the team are trying to promote accessibility within cricket at Cambridge. She recognised the support of the charity ‘Her Game Too’ in supporting the promotion of women’s cricket in Cambridge and across the country. Originally tackling gender discrimination in football, this charity aims to “champion female participation until girls and women are accepted and respected equally in sport.” In addition to this, the cricket club runs taster sessions as part of the ‘Give it a Go’ scheme run by the University, and stress that everyone is welcome to join, with no previous experience of cricket needed. The club welcomes people at any point throughout the academic year who express an interest in the sport.

The inaugural women’s Cuppers was a testament to the steps towards inclusivity in sport being made both at university level and nationally, providing a positive future outlook for both cricket and the wider sporting environment at Cambridge.