How did you first get involved with cricket?

I grew up with three brothers, so backyard cricket was pretty much the only sport I played at home. I
attended an all-girls school where we mostly played rounders and hockey, so I didn’t get much
exposure to cricket in my youth.
Years later, when I worked in the city, my then-boyfriend (now husband) played in the city league, and
I’d go along to the games and enjoy networking over a gin and tonic—a great way to spend an
evening! One day, the team captain handed me a book and said, “You’re scoring next week for your
gin!” I’ve now been scoring for over 30 years. After moving out of London, we found ourselves living
just across from the local village cricket club, and my son joined right away. He’s a fantastic bowler,
and as soon as my daughter was old enough, she joined too. She started in Kwik Cricket and even
did a trial after being spotted by a coach at Essex Cricket.
Natalie Samaranayake, head of Women’s and Girls’ Cricket Development at Essex Cricket,
encouraged me to join a softball ladies’ festival in Colchester around 2016 or 2017. That’s really
where my journey into women’s cricket began.

How do you keep players engaged in cricket?

That’s a big challenge. We lost a lot of our junior players—both boys and girls—during the COVID
lockdowns. Some of them never returned, so we now have a bit of a gap in our junior programme.
However, we’ve introduced All Stars and Dynamos at our village club, and I coach the U11s, who are
at that key transition between Kwik Cricket and hardball.
For girls, especially, it’s about building confidence and showing them they belong in the sport. Around
ages 13-14, only the strongest girls tend to continue playing with the boys, but our goal is to keep
everyone engaged by creating a supportive and encouraging environment.

What was it like working with Lacuna?

Absolutely brilliant. I first came across Lacuna at one of the women’s and girls’ development evenings

that Natalie Samaranayake hosts each year. At the time, our women’s kit was basically just a scaled-
down version of the men’s kit, which was, to put it mildly, not very flattering. I was determined to find

something designed for women that actually fits well, with a bit of shape and style.
After seeing Lacuna’s options, I invited them to visit us, and the club committee was fully on board.
We held a try-on evening where the players could sample different fits, and it was a huge success.
Last season was our first with Lacuna’s kits, and it made a massive difference. Previously, we’d been
using random neon softball kits handed out for free, but now we had proper teamwear. Having their
own kit has given our women’s team a real sense of identity—they feel like a unified team. The whole
thing has snowballed from there.