Women’s cricket is the fastest growing aspect of the summer game and over the last two decades the number of women and girls playing the sport at all levels has increased beyond all possible recognition.
 
Somerset County Cricket Club have fully embraced the development of the women’s game from the start and has regularly hosted Women’s International matches since the 1990s. The Cooper Associates County Ground has always been a favourite among the players and back in 2006 Somerset was named as the Home of English Women’s Cricket.
 
The County Ground has continued to host Women’s International matches regularly and when the Kia Super League Women’s T20 competition was launched in 2016 Somerset were one of the joint partners for the Western Storm.
 
Storm have continued to play matches at Taunton which along with the England Internationals has assured that top class women’s cricket is a regular feature of the local cricketing calendar.
 
In addition Somerset has a women’s cricket team, there is a girls development programme which is part of Somerset Talent Pathway with its own designated full time lead coach.
 
Women’s cricket across the county and the whole of the south west has just received a huge boost with the announcement that Somerset has been selected as one of the eight counties to have secured Tier 1 status ahead of a revamp of the domestic women's game from 2025.
 
In practical terms this means that as from the start of next year Somerset will host one of eight regional women’s teams, news that has been widely welcomed by all parties.
 
Former England cricketer Anya Shrubsole (pictured) who is the most successful ever Somerset woman cricketer said: “It’s a huge day for the club to be recognised in Tier 1 and richly deserved as they have been amazing supporters of women’s cricket over the years.
 
“There is a really good support base here and they must have put in a brilliant proposal to get Tier 1 status. This is no less than they deserve and a really good thing for Somerset.
 
Newly appointed chief executive Jamie Cox said: “It’s very exciting for us and I’m proud of the team at the club for the submission that they pulled together. It was very impressive. 
 
“It’s a long play for us but it gives us the chance to really engage the women’s game and settle them in, and ensure that the County Ground is their home.
 
“The effect that it could have on young girls who love the game across the south west of England is that this provides them with wonderful aspirations and hopefully a lot of them can now see a future in cricket.”
 
Regarding the practical implications the CEO said: “There is a lot of work to do when you are trying to embed a new structure into an existing structure, so it comes with challenge but it’s something we are happy to take on. Regarding the practicalities we have some facility challenges at the moment and it’s up to us to solve and invest in. 
 
“Probably the biggest challenge we have is that we have been a men’s cricket club for almost 150 years and we just have to change our thinking.”
 
He added: “We have got to embrace what it means for girls now to have this opportunity which is just great - I have seen it evolve for over a decade now and it’s exciting to see just how the women’s game is developing, and we can expect it to go from strength to strength.”
 
There is plenty of Women’s cricket to look forward to this summer at the Cooper Associates County Ground where they host the following;
 
Wednesday 22nd May Western Storm v Central Sparks
Sunday 26th May England Women v Pakistan Women
Friday 31st May Western Storm v Sunrisers  followed by Somerset v Essex T20
Monday 26th August Western Storm v Central Sparks
Saturday 7th September Western Storm v Thunder
 
For further details and match day tickets log onto www.somersetcountycc.co.uk