HISTORY MADE AS OVER 23,000 CHILDREN ACROSS YORKSHIRE TAKE PART IN UK’S BIGGEST EVER SCHOOLS CRICKET DAY AHEAD OF WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP COMING TO HEADINGLEY CRICKET GROUND
- Over 23,000* children across the region picked up a bat and ball yesterday, as schools came together for the biggest single day of cricket participation the country has ever seen.
- Australia and Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) star Jess Jonassen played her part in the celebrations at Morley Cricket Club in Leeds.
- Schools Cricket Day marked 50 days to go to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which is set to inspire the next generation of players.
- As part of its tournament legacy plan, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is aiming for 500,000 women and girls to play cricket in 2026.
- Tickets are selling fast and fans can catch the spirit of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 when it comes to the Headingley Cricket Ground and be part of history by buying tickets here: tickets.womens.t20worldcup.com/
(23 April 2026, LEEDS) With just 50 days to go until the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, over 23,000* children from 125 schools across the region yesterday picked up a bat and ball as part of Schools Cricket Day – the largest single-day cricket participation event in UK history.
The landmark moment marks a major milestone on the road to this summer’s must-see tournament, which gets underway on 12th June at Edgbaston before Headingley Cricket Ground hosts five fixtures starting from Saturday 13th June, kicking off with Australia vs Bangladesh followed by India vs Netherlands just four hours later.
From first-time batters and bowlers in playgrounds, to competitive matches on sports fields, girls and boys across the area came together to play, learn and be inspired, as schools across England and Wales truly catch the spirit of the game.
Yorkshire has marked the occasion with over 23,000* children picking up a bat and ball across the county, including five schools and over fifty children also joining a dedicated session hosted by the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation and Leeds Well Schools Partnership at Morley Cricket Club. Alongside lessons and activities, schoolteachers received training to help them become cricket ‘activators’, empowering them to bring cricket to their local communities in the long term.
These schools will be leveraging funding available to run free Dynamos Cricket programmes for their female pupils, with the girls snagging a free, personalised t-shirt and teachers earning free cricket equipment to deliver cricket sessions at their school year in, year out. If you’re interested in running a similar programme for girls at your school, you can click here to get more information before the funding expires in December.
Big names from the world of cricket, including Heather Knight OBE, Lydia Greenway OBE and Alex Hartley, also joined school events in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup host cities, becoming powerful role models and inspiring girls to believe that cricket is a game for them. Activity across the country included:
- England legend Heather Knight OBE taking part alongside over 200 children at a mass participation Schools Cricket Day event at Raynes Park, London
- Former England star and 2009 World Cup winner, Lydia Greenway OBE joining over 400 children at host venue, Edgbaston
- England player and current Hampshire Women captain, Georgia Adams helping with a cricket session at a local Hampshire primary school
- 2017 World Cup winner and Lancashire Women’s star Alex Hartley joining a cricket session with local schoolchildren at Old Trafford
Schools Cricket Day is part of the ECB’s ambitions to harness the power of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales to build a legacy that inspires the next generation of girls to say cricket is a game for them. This year alone, through various initiatives and programmes, the ECB is aiming to see 500,000 women and girls playing cricket, 300 women taking up key leadership roles within the game’s administration, and 500 Champions of Change created as part of the Young Cricket Collective, which will empower young girls to volunteer and make change at their local cricket clubs.
The day also features bespoke resources and games created by the ICC’s global charity partner, UNICEF through its “Rights in Play” programme. The games, which were integrated into the day’s activities, focused on increasing understanding of child rights through play and participation in cricket. These sit alongside a range of cricket activity ideas on a dedicated schools’ resource hub.
Australia and Yorkshire CCC star, Jess Jonassen who attended the event said, “I can’t wait for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup coming to England, and Headingley, in just 50 days’ time. Playing in international tournaments like ICC World Cups was always my goal as I was moving through the ranks back home, and initiatives like today are so important to inspire the next generation of cricketers. Major tournaments can have such a powerful legacy and today’s School Cricket Day is a pivotal step towards encouraging more girls and boys, across Yorkshire and the entire country, to pick up a bat and ball and fall in love with the sport.”
Gemma Barton, ECB Head of Strategic Growth, said “Moments like this show how the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is shaping the future of the game. Every girl and boy inspired to pick up a bat and ball today can see how inclusive, welcoming and fun cricket is. It’s not just about the summer ahead, it’s about what comes next: more girls playing, more teams growing, and more people feeling like they belong in the game.”
Catch the spirit of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 – buy your tickets now and be part of history: tickets.womens.t20worldcup.com/
