It has been six years since NZC, concerned at the level of participation and engagement of women and girls in the game, commissioned Sarah Beaman to author the 2016 Women & Cricket Report.

Included in this report were 17 recommendations designed to address a worrying picture of declining female engagement and participation in cricket, a result of decades of under-investment and neglect in the women’s game.

Since then, considerable effort has been made to redress the balance, which has been detailed in the progress report - now available on the NZC website, and accessible through the this link.

That there is still work to be done in this area will come as no surprise; this is a long-term process seeking sustainable improvement. Quick fixes and instant solutions were never realistic options.

As the referenced report demonstrates, however, meaningful and encouraging progress has been made, and there’s no doubt the cricket environment for women and girls has been significantly improved and advanced.