State school cricket cup 'motivating' girl players
BBCAspiring young cricketers from a secondary school said taking part in a new national tournament was "inspiring" and leading to more girls taking up the sport.
Pupils at Cockermouth School are competing in the Barclay's Knight-Stokes Cup, a cricket competition aimed at boosting participation in government-funded schools in the UK.
Head teacher Richard King said the competition was "a real motivator" for pupils, and that more girls were playing than ever.
The tournament is named after former England women's cricket captain Heather Knight and England test captain Ben Stokes, who is a former pupil at the school.
"There's a focus with the Knight-Stokes cup on both boys' and girls' competitions, which is really welcome," King said.
"As a result of having the opportunity to play in this tournament, we've done more girls' cricket this year at school than we ever have before.
"Providing that opportunity is a real motivator for them."
The school has more than 20 girls training for the competition alongside the boys' team, and has brought in a female coach from Cockermouth Cricket Club.
"Some of the girls are club cricketers and some have just started," King said.
"We've got really strong links with the club and the hope is that the increase in participation won't just be at school level, but that those girls will go on to play at the club and establish themselves with a lifelong love of the sport."
Year 10 pupils Molly, 14, and Lilly, 15, are competing in the cup contest.
"Hardball can be quite intimidating, especially because a lot of the clubs are mainly boys.
"I know some of us didn't want to join the boys clubs as they can be quite intimidating," Lily said.
"For a lot of the girls on the team, it's all quite new to them.
"Having a woman coach from the cricket club makes us feel comfortable and it's good to have women role models - you look up to them."
Molly said that historically cricket had not been encouraged among girls, and that the competition's association with Heather Knight would encourage others to have a go.
"For a woman to be involved in a big tournament for state schools, it's really inspiring," she said.
"The school team is really inclusive of people that haven't played before.
"Some people might not even be sure how to hold the bat to begin with, but it's all about teaching them the right way and making everyone feel included.
"It feels like we're all supporting each other and we're here for fun. We're going to try our best and I guess that's all that matters."
More than 1,000 schools will take part in the cup contest, with 13 schools in Cumbria entering teams.
The competition is open to Year 10 pupils and begins at county-level competitions.
Each county winner will then progress to national knockout rounds before the school holidays begin in July with the finals likely to be held in September 2026.
