The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Metro Bank have announced a partnership aimed at bringing growth to women’s and girls’ cricket communities across England and Wales.
The collaboration comes at a time of soaring demand for women’s sports, with the upcoming Women’s Ashes series witnessing record-breaking ticket sales, following the success of women’s football and rugby.
The partnership will showcase Metro Bank’s logo on the sleeves of England’s Women’s cricket shirts, starting with the highly-anticipated Metro Bank Women’s Ashes series against Australia this month.
The Bank will have a comprehensive presence in the international, domestic, and recreational game, as the inaugural “Champion Partner” of women’s and girls’ cricket, supporting development of women’s and girls’ cricket clubs across England and Wales.
The ECB and Metro Bank have established a joint fund that will focus on making cricket more inclusive, attracting more women and girls to the game, and retaining existing players.
The fund consists of equal contributions from both organizations, who will collaborate on the development of programs that will propel women’s and girls’ cricket forward, promoting gender balance in the sport.
Clare Connor, ECB Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director England Women, said:
“Metro Bank share our passion, determination and energy to break down barriers and build on the huge progress we’ve made in women’s and girls’ cricket in recent years.
“We’re thrilled to welcome them on aboard as our first ever champion partner of women’s and girls’ cricket ahead of the highly anticipated Metro Bank Women’s Ashes Series, and are excited by the potential of what this partnership can achieve.
“Whilst we have seen a period of huge growth and increased profile across the women’s game, we know there is still much more to do to make our sport truly gender balanced.
“By working together with partners such as Metro Bank who share our ambition for the sport, I am confident we will make our sport more inclusive and inspire many more girls from all backgrounds to pick up a bat and ball.”
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