T20 World Cup gains ‘unprecedented visibility’ for women’s game

The Women’s T20 World Cup created “unprecedented visibility” for the women’s game, according to the tournament’s director.

Beth Barrett-Wild, the outgoing England and Wales Cricket Board’s director of professional women’s cricket, said the event – hosted by England and won by Australia – had broken records for in-stadium attendance and broadcast audiences.

She spoke as she was awarded an honorary degree, external by the University of Essex for her efforts to grow the women’s game.

“We need to make sure that off the back of this, we continue to keep our foot down,” Barrett-Wild said.

A total of 245,815 fans attended the tournament, with an average attendance of 9,833 at its 25 matches.

Barrett-Wild, who is from Essex, said: “The whole vision for the Women’s T20 World Cup was to break women’s cricket into the mainstream and to reset normal for how people perceive women’s cricket.

“I think we’ve well and truly done that.

“We have created unprecedented visibility for women’s cricket but also showcased the quality of it. That’s testament to the women’s domestic structure.”

Barrett-Wild said England’s previous hosting of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup was “the spark that lit the fire for what we’ve been able to deliver this summer”.

However, she added there was still much to be done to continue the growth of the sport.

“We know that 40% of UK sports fans view cricket as a sport for men and boys. That needs to be zero,” she said.

“But I’m confident, just off the back of the World Cup, anecdotally, that the number of girls picking up bats and balls has increased. Even down at my local club, Kelvedon and Feering Cricket Club, you can see it.

“I’m pleased I’ve played my part in that.”