BIRMINGHAM is fast becoming a hotbed for women’s cricket following the success and popularity of the Commonwealth Games.
And the city is now on course to set a new attendance record for the women’s game in the UK when England take on Australia at Edgbaston Stadium next summer.
There’s been huge demand for the historic Vitality Women’s Ashes IT20 – the first ever Women’s Ashes clash at Edgbaston – with around 13,000 tickets already sold for the Saturday, July 1 encounter.
In fact, tickets for more than half of the ground’s capacity had already been snapped up before tickets went on general sale last week.
And with the current attendance high for an England Women’s match on home soil (excluding World Cup or Commonwealth Games) standing at 15,187, it’s expected the players will be roared on by a new record crowd at Edgbaston.
Former England Women opening batter Laura MacLeod, who played 13 Tests and 73 ODIs between 1997 and 2007 – the Director of Women’s Cricket at Warwickshire CCC – said anticipation is already building for the game.
MacLeod said: “It’ll be an amazing occasion, there is a real buzz in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands around women’s cricket thanks to the legacy of the Commonwealth Games.
“Anyone who came to a game at Edgbaston will have felt they were part of a special atmosphere.
“During my England days, when women’s cricket was in its infancy really, we were playing at times to just a few hundred people.
“So the prospect of turning out in front of thousands of fans will be an amazing thrill for the players. I can’t wait for the game.”
Tickets for the Women’s Ashes IT20 – which starts at 6.30pm – can be bought at: tickets.edgbaston.com
