Howzat! Fibrus sponsor Cumbria’s first girls’ cricket league!

A new, exciting league has been launched to give Cumbrian girl teams the chance to play in a league for the first time with the support of Fibrus Broadband as Title Sponsor.

Cumbria Cricket has helped with the formation of new teams to represent different parts of the county and the fast-paced ‘Fibrus 100 League’ got underway on Sunday.

Playing the league’s first matches were the Eden Eagles, the Central Sixers, the Southern Power Team and Sedbergh School.

Daisy Drage, 11, was thrilled to be playing in the new league for the Southern Power Team.

“It feels amazing to be part of a proper competition playing against a full team of girls”,  said Daisy, who is a pupil at Sir John Barrow school and normally plays cricket for the Ulverston Rockets.

“I just love playing cricket and can’t wait for more games to come.”

Mum Andi Drage thought the new league was a big step forward for girls’ cricket.

“It is a massive opportunity for the girls. They can see a way forward now to stick with cricket .”

Katie Hunter, from Levens, was playing for the Central Sixers and was pleased to be taking part in the first girls’s league matches.

The 14-year-old Queen Elizabeth School pupil said: “I normally play for Sedgewick and the county team, but it’s really good to be playing in this league. It’s a fun way to play – against other girls’ teams in a format that makes it quite fast paced.

“I hope it gets a lot more girls into cricket.”

The Fibrus 100 League includes teams at Under 13 and Under 16 levels covering the whole of Cumbria and comes on the back of a rapid growth and investment in women’s cricket fueled by the success of the national team, a professional English league and increasing coverage by major broadcasters.

Fibrus has demonstrated its support for Cumbrian sport this year, with a fund for grassroot clubs having launched just last month which will invest £30,000 in boys and girls sport in the local area, followed closely by the sponsorship of this league.

Catriona Henry, Sponsorship Lead at Fibrus expressed Fibrus’ commitment to Cumbrian communities:

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Cumbria Cricket for the inaugural Fibrus 100 League. The creation of this new league is a huge step forward for girls’ cricket, and a big step for Fibrus in our commitment to support communities in Cumbria.”

“While we continue our network rollout in Cumbria, we recognise that sport and local clubs are at the heart of the towns and villages we operate in. Following the launch of our Play it Forward Fund last month, the Fibrus 100 League is another way in which we can help young people switch off, make friends, and have fun!”

Bob Simpson, director of cricket development at Cricket at Cumbria Cricket  is delighted to be making strides in extending the appeal of the game.

“The partnership we have with Fibrus enables the dream to become a reality. This league is groundbreaking for Cumbria and is a marker of the increasing interest in girls and women’s cricket on a national level. It is a platform with the potential to transform women’s and girls’ cricket in the area, and we are proud to be working with clubs across our county to deliver this.”

The league includes five founding teams:

• Eden Eagles – covering Appleby, Edenhall, Penrith, Patterdale, Kirkby, Stephen, Stainton
• Central Sixers – drawing players from Netherfield, Kendal, Arnside, Milnthorpe, Sedgwick, Carnforth
• Southern Power – from Ulverston, Dalton, Barrow, Lindal, Coniston, Millom, Haverigg.
• Western Boom – with players from Cockermouth, Egremont, Workington, Whitehaven.
• Sedbergh School – with Under 13 and Under 16 players representing the school.

Fibrus will also be sponsoring a women’s softball cricket league with fixtures taking place through the summer.

Owain Oxenham, Director of Cumbria Cricket: said: “We want to encourage women and girls of all ages and abilities, from all backgrounds and across our county to gain all the physical and mental benefits of playing this amazing game.”