Cork County CC hosted a Fingal XI on a sun-drenched afternoon at the Mardyke as part of the club’s sesquicentenary celebrations. 15 girls from 6 Fingal clubs banded together to create a composite team to play Cork County, whose ranks were also bolstered with the inclusion of a number of talented Fingal players. The brainchild of club member Diarmuid Carey, the match served to further enhance the ties between female youth cricketers in both Munster and Leinster.
The match was the first all-girl fixture to be held at the Cork Club, and sets a fantastic precedent to continue the growth of female cricket across the Munster Cricket Union. The game was played in the best spirit possible, and is a credit to both sets of players, management, and supporters. Congratulations also to Cork County CC player Sara Kamel, who scored a brilliant 50, entertaining spectators with an array of power hitting and deft touches. Well played Sara!
From the Cork County CC website:
“Landmark U16 Girls’ Match vs Fingal
Cork County Cricket Club is proud to host a landmark event – their inaugural U16 girls’ match – as part of the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations!
On Thursday, 25th July, talented young cricketers from six Fingal clubs in Dublin will travel south to take on the Cork County U16 girls’ team in a thrilling T25 match starting at 1:15 pm.
This match signifies a significant milestone for both Cork County and Munster cricket. It provides a valuable platform to showcase the skills of the club’s dedicated female players who currently compete in the Munster Cricket Union leagues. More importantly, it serves as a crucial stepping stone in the development of girls’ cricket within Cork and the wider Munster region.
The establishment of the first female cricket league in Munster this season has been a major step forward. It has provided regular competitive opportunities for Cork County’s girls, allowing them to hone their skills against teams from across the province. This match against the Fingal U16 girls further strengthens the pathway towards a thriving female cricketing scene in Munster.
The chance to compete against talented players from Dublin adds another exciting dimension to this historic event. Cork County hopes that this will be the first of many such matches, fostering connections and fostering growth within the Leinster cricketing community.
Currently, eight enthusiastic girls are actively involved in hardball cricket at the Mardyke, with five of them gearing up to represent the club on Thursday. Show your support for Ciara Spalding, Sophie Blake, Sara Kamel, Suzanne Kamel, and Alexandra Costello as they take to the field!
This promises to be a fantastic day for cricket, celebrating female talent and the future of the sport. Join us at the Mardyke and be a part of history!
Growing the Women’s Game
Cricket is one of the very few sports where girls and boys can play on the same teams.
Cricket is a great way for young people, especially girls, to participate in a team sport and to make new friends of lots of different nationalities and cultures.
Aideen Sullivan (Girls Squad Manager) has mentioned previously “We have been developing a girls’ squad at Cork County over the past few years. This has two aims, to allow the girls in our club to play matches against girls’ teams in other clubs (as well as the mixed teams in which they currently play), and for the future development of a women’s team at our club.
“Some of our girls have been playing cricket for several years now and in the next few years they will be over the maximum age of 17 for youth competitions, and will be hoping to play in women’s leagues.”
There were no women’s cricket teams in Munster until this season, but several clubs in Leinster and the North have female teams, so there are options for regular matches and even leagues in the near future.
Aideen added: “In Cork County, we have been actively recruiting girls for the past few years, and now have over 20 playing in our club. The other clubs in Munster have smaller numbers of female members. Galway and Kerry Cricket Clubs have women’s teams and we plan to start a women’s team at Cork County within the next year.
“We have been working with the Munster Cricket Union over the past couple of years to develop girls’ and women’s cricket in the province, and are very excited to say that we are planning the first ever interclub girl’s and women’s Munster leagues this summer.
Cricket is a unique sport, explains Aideen, as it allows players to excel at individual skills while also encouraging teamwork. “It would suit girls who have experience at other sports such as camogie or hockey and would like to try something new. But complete beginners who have never played other sports are very welcome also,” she said. “Beginners don’t need to have a high level of physical fitness to play cricket.”
Any girls or women who would like to give cricket a try, please contact youth@corkcountycricketclub.com“
