Shropshire festival proves a hit with the ladies

More than 60 women took part in the event at Sentinel Cricket Club in Shrewsbury and enjoyed a morning of cricket in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

It was one of 180 Women’s Softball Festivals which were held around the country as part of the build-up to this summer’s ICC Women’s World Cup to welcome newcomers to the game.

It was the first of five to be held in Shropshire this summer, with the next one at Alveley Cricket Club on Sunday, June 16, starting at 2pm.

The festivals are all part of the national Cricket Unleashed initiative from the ECB which aims to inspire more people, in particular women and girls, to have opportunity to get a bat and ball in hand and have a go.

Louise Pugh, one of the team of festival hosts, said: “The Sentinel event was a great success. It was fantastic to see so many women enjoying themselves and having a go at the sport in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, we can’t wait for the next festival!”

Cricket Shropshire development officer Ed Ashlin added: “Everyone who came along for the first festival had a great time and really enjoyed the atmosphere.

“But don’t worry if you missed out, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved during the rest of the summer and enjoy our great game in a relaxed and friendly environment.”

A total of nine teams competed throughout the day. Each side played three games with a total of 12 overs per game and included groups of women from the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust, colleagues from Dechra Veterinary Products, a local rounders team and groups of friends and mums from Sentinel Cricket Club.

Alongside the cricket there was a raffle, cake sale, tombola and lucky dip with the proceeds from these and the barbecue and bar donated by the club to Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust’s “Living Well with Dementia Appeal”, which aims to raise £2.6 million in the next three years to support Dementia Support Service.

One of the players, Sally Cooke from Sutton Farm in Shrewsbury, said: “It was so lovely to take part in a sporty event without the pressure of having to be good at it! It was lots of fun, and great to be part of a team.”

Liz Rawlings from Market Drayton added: “What a fantastic way to try a new sport. Great fun, outstanding coaches and a real sense of team spirit. I can’t wait to play again!”

The festivals are free to enter and everyone will receive a free T-shirt and will have access to discounted New Balance gear as well as discounted Women’s World Cup tickets.

The other festivals in Shropshire will be on Sunday, July 16, at Whitchurch Cricket Club, Sunday, August 13, at St Georges Cricket Club in Telford, and on Sunday, September 3, at Shifnal Cricket Club, all with 2pm starts.

To enter visit https://www.ecb.co.uk/play and select women’s soft ball festivals of visit the West Midlands Women’s Softball Festivals page on Facebook.