Women’s Cricket Flourishes at The Lacuna Sports Festival

Women’s Cricket Flourishes at The Lacuna Sports Festival

The County Ground, Hove, played host to a vibrant celebration of Women’s Cricket on Sunday 31st May as the Lacuna Sports Women’s Soft Ball Cricket Festival brought together 12 teams from across Sussex.

The festival, sponsored by Lacuna Sports, was designed to support clubs looking to grow the women’s game by recruiting new players, providing valuable match experience, creating lasting memories and providing opportunities for networking with other clubs. The event welcomed a mixture of established and emerging teams, including three brand-new teams playing their first-ever competitive matches and two more teams that have only launched this season.

Throughout the morning, players enjoyed a packed programme of soft ball cricket, with the emphasis firmly on participation, enjoyment and soaking up the atmosphere provided from the stands by friends and family. 

One young spectator said;

Watching Mum smash the ball around is great but I can't believe she's played here before me.

The festival provided an ideal platform for new cricketers to experience Cricket in a welcoming and supportive environment while clubs shared ideas and experiences about developing their women’s sections.

Sponsors, Lacuna Sports, showcased a range of Women’s Cricket clothing and accessories during the event, alongside examples of their popular sublimated teamwear, giving clubs and players the opportunity to explore products specifically designed for the women’s game. The winning team would be presented with a voucher for 10 team shirts, helping them springboard from this event into regular cricket as a team.

Following the group stages, half of the outfield was handed over to Sussex Sharks Women and Glamorgan Women as they prepared for their Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 fixture later in the afternoon. Meanwhile, attention turned to the festival’s knockout stages on the remaining half of the outfield. Thanks were expressed in the presentation speech, from the Sussex Cricket Foundation and the clubs involved, to both Sussex, Glamorgan the grounds team, who were hugely supportive and accommodating of what is an important event in the calendar.

The semi-finals featured four impressive teams: Brighton Birds (Brighton & Hove Cricket Club), Crawley Eagles, Lingfield Cricket Club and Ansty Firecrackers. After a series of closely contested matches, Crawley Eagles emerged victorious, claiming the festival trophy and their generous prize.

The trophy was presented by Katy and Al from Lacuna Sports, who shared how proud and privileged they were to be the namesake of such a celebration of Women's Cricket; bringing the tournament to a close and highlighting the continued growth and enthusiasm surrounding Women’s Recreational Cricket.

To round off the experience, participating teams were invited to watch the Sussex Sharks Women versus Glamorgan from the comfort of the Dean Wilson Boundary Rooms, providing players with an opportunity to see elite Women’s Cricket up close.

The festival also served as a celebration of the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. With more women and girls taking up the game than ever before, the event demonstrated the exciting future of Women’s Cricket and the important role that clubs, sponsors and volunteers play in making that growth possible.

The Lacuna Sports Women’s Soft Ball Cricket Festival once again underlined the continued growth of Women’s Cricket across Sussex and the opportunities available for players and clubs to be part of that journey. Whether you are looking to pick up a bat for the first time, return to the game or develop a new women’s or girls’ section at your club, there has never been a better time to get involved and help drive the game forward.

For more information about getting involved in Women’s Cricket, please contact the Sussex Cricket Foundation, womenandgirls@sussexcricket.co.uk.