Women in Cricket: Who Is Getting on Board?

As once male-dominated sports start to cross the gender barrier, it is always interesting to see the places in which growth takes place among women. Like many sports, cricket started off being played only by men. However, women gradually started getting involved, and now women’s cricket sees international tournaments played on a regular basis.

So, where is this growth primarily taking place? And is it commensurate with cricket popularity for men? Let’s take a closer look.

Cricket’s beginnings for women

Cricket as a whole got its start in the late 1600s. Originally a sport that was played by schoolboys in a small part of southeast England, it started becoming competitive in the following century. Internationally, the growth of competitive cricket started taking place with the growth of the British Empire.

The first known match among women was actually in 1745, but it wasn’t until much later that formal teams started being created and competitions held. The first club to hold women’s cricket matches opened in 1887 in Yorkshire. Only a few years later, clubs started holding women’s games in Australia, as well.

By 1958, the International Women’s Cricket Council had been formed. The members were primarily from Commonwealth countries in the beginning.

Current-day cricket popularity

These days, the country that undoubtedly has the greatest popularity for women’s cricket is Australia. And not only is the sport popular, the Aussies are the undisputed favorites in the game. It is widely considered the favorite sport among Australian women, and their team has won the World Cup seven times.

The country that is generally considered second best in the rankings is South Africa. The South African government has actively encouraged participation in the game and has allotted funding to make it easier for schools to provide. It is also a popular place for people to bet on their favorite teams.

Like their male counterparts, Indian women have been getting more and more involved in the game. Indian women have been active in international tournaments since 1976. And although they have yet to win a World Cup, they have made it to the finals three times against Australia and England.

And, of course, the place where the sport originated is also among the leaders in women’s participation. Although not as successful as the Australians, English women have been actively involved for over 100 years.

England’s exact status has ebbed and flowed a bit over the years, but at one point they were ranked second in the world. It should be noted that England’s team is not strictly English: It is actually a combination of English and Welsh players.

Rounding out the top group is New Zealand. The Kiwis are ranked fifth in the world, and they have been active on the scene since as far back as 1935. The team is known for their toughness and managed to finish third in the 2022 World Cup.

Keep your eyes open

Regardless of what style of cricket you prefer – whether you like watching the men compete in the ICC Cricket World Cup, or the women compete in their regular championships – it is interesting to see the directions that the sport is taking.

People are getting involved in many different ways. Whenever possible, people gather in stadiums to watch games live, as this is of course the most exciting way to catch all the action. With the growth of the Internet, online viewing is also growing in popularity.

And as people get more involved, betting on teams is becoming more common. People who follow their favorite teams are becoming more confident in their ability to wager on their odds and win. You can find the best IPL betting app easily by searching for it. Give it a try and see how you fare.

Women’s cricket is continuing to grow

Just as football started off as a men’s sport and now has huge global participation, so too will cricket likely take the same direction. With more and more online viewing sources, a greater number of clubs opening up, and international games growing in number, there is no stopping women as they continue their move to conquer the world of cricket.