This Easter weekend sees the start of the Kent Women’s cricket season – a new season and a new era at Canterbury as for the first time, Kent will have a professional women’s team and under the guidance of Lucy Arman.

We’ve been talking to the Head of Women’s Cricket at the Spitfire Ground, Lucy Arman, to find out more. 

“It’s going to be a massive year for us this year after missing out on a Tier One grading last summer,” Lucy told us.

“That said, the buzz around the ground is second to none at the moment. I think that as we were just an amateur team before I don’t think that there has been as much visualisation as there is now.”

“The fact that the women are now being seen around the Club and the fact that we are playing most of our home games here at the Spitfire Ground for the very first time. The shift in the resources and the visualisation for the Women is super exciting!” 

“We’ve been an amateur team over the past ten years or so, it’s the way we always have been. I think as well that because we haven’t played games here, members and supporters haven’t known about us, whereas this year it is so different as we have already had people buying tickets for our games which is fantastic and that hasn’t happened before as previously we have had to have free events for everybody.”

“It’s not just about what the girls do on the pitch, it’s the about the whole Club now!” 

“England’s footballers winning the Euros changed women’s sport in this country emphatically, not just in football, but we have seen a huge rise in our sport and it’s great that young girls now have role models to look up to and that’s what I want these girls to do.”

“I think that after England Women won the Cricket World Cup at Lord’s in 2017 the commercial support around that is nothing like it is now.” 

“I think for the last five years, The Hundred has been a massive boost for women’s cricket. That in my opinion has changed women’s and girls’ cricket as it’s become family days out at The Hundred, and that’s want we want to see here at Canterbury for the double headers with the men (this year on Sunday 13th July when both men and women face T20 games against Middlesex).”

“It doesn’t matter if people come in halfway through as we want to be able to show what we can do as a women’s team!” 

“The one word that comes to mind when I’m asked what to expect from us this year is enjoyment. What we are doing already as a tier two team is raising the enjoyment of every opportunity that we are getting – we loved being part of the County’s media day last month and have never been a part of it before.”

“I think for supporters to come and enjoy our games and enjoy the event to create match days as events for the family. We want to spur young girls who may have never watched cricket before to say to mum and dad that they want to play cricket now.”

“Even if they don’t and just enjoy watching, that’s terrific, as that’s what we want to do this year – we want everyone to enjoy the experience and be on the journey, whatever it’s going to look like for the next five to ten years.” 

“We have the Metro Cup, which is fifty overs, the T20 Blast and then the County Cup which is another T20 competition, so there is a good balance of one day cricket. This is the largest season ever of women’s cricket – last year we played twelve games and this year it’s a minimum of eighteen and that’s without getting through in any cups, which I am sure we will!” Lucy told us almost defiantly! 

“There are so many opportunities for families, members, any supporters to come and have a great summer with us and really enjoy the experience as we really want supporters and people here backing our women’s team as without that I don’t think the women will feel as valued as they should do and they deserve that as they have worked so hard to get to where we are!” 

“We have signed Surrey’s ex captain Amy Gordon who is a dominant batter, an amazing fielder, and turns the ball well when she spins it. I could honestly reel off the whole squad as they all bring something special as we have a big differential in our squad this year which we have never had – we have strength in depth!” 

“And I cannot express how much the skipper Megan Belt is one of a kind! She understands more than anyone in the squad what it means to wear the Invicta Horse in her badge.”

“She has played for Kent since she was nine years old, and her passion and her frustrations just prove how much she wants this. And that’s not just wanting to become professional, it’s the want to prove that women can play cricket at Kent as she can already feel a change in the whole environment and her development as a captain has come on leaps and bounds over the winter and she is such a role model.”

“Not just for our team but what she does in the community; how she works in a school and goes into local Clubs and supports young girls. She really is fantastic!” 

“It’s going to be a great summer, and we can’t wait to get started!” 

Kent’s first game is away to Middlesex Women at Radlett on Easter Sunday in the One Day Cup whilst their first home fixture is the following Saturday (April 26th) when Derbyshire are the visitors to Canterbury.

There are six further games at home base in both the One Day Cup and T20 as well as two home games at Beckenham in August. 

Picture supplied by Kent Cricket.