Jennie grew up in a cricket-loving family in Bowral, where Sir Donald Bradman grew up as a young boy and although not playing the game she always had an interest in the sport. However, it was later in life when her own daughter, Bianca started playing U11’s that Jennie really started to get involved in the administration of the sport and helped establish a girls team at her local club Drysdale CC before heading to the Geelong CC in Cricket Victoria’s Premier Cricket Competition to help the Club with its ambition of having their own girls/women’s teams in the Premier Competition.

Within a few short years Jennie, an excellent organiser with a sharp eye for detail and a strategic thinker, joined the Club’s committee, was then appointed Secretary – this soon morphed into a Vice President’s role and prior to the current season was elected President of the Geelong CC! 

There have been a few hurdles to jump for the Club along the way but it is clear in the discussion with Jennie that her passion for the sport and the growth of women’s cricket will definitely ensure sustainable success for the Club in the future. 

Links:
Geelong Cricket Club website
Cricket Without Borders website

Sheila is the co-founder and first CEO of Sport Environment Alliance but that is just part of her outstanding contribution around growing the awareness and introducing strategies and plans around sustainability in sport to ensure a healthier planet and happy people!

This includes presenting at a number of international Sustainability Leaders conferences  and last year Sheila was Head of Sustainability for the FIFA Women’s World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.

Sheila has recently established her own business “ Happy Planet People “    

Happy Planet People

We also have a fascinating discussion about early childhood growing up as a child of hardworking refugee parents and some of the valuable lessons about life passed on to her by her parents. 

Megan is the granddaughter of the great Victorian and Australian batsman Bill Ponsford after whom a grandstand is named at the MCG.

She is a Ponsford and proud of it!

Megan is also the author of two books, one a photographic record of the Melbourne Cricket Ground including some wonderful behind the scenes areas that are not generally seen by the public and the other titled “The HAS-BEENs and NEVER-WILL-BE's, A boys own adventure of Australian cricket and the Raj“ is a fascinating insight into Australia’s first cricket tour to India in 1935/36 albeit an official tour.

We chat, of course, about Megan’s grandfather and her publications and current projects.

Georgie is a dynamic young journalist and commentator from England who is currently in Australia covering the summer of cricket as well as other sports .

Georgie has covered World Cups, Olympic Games and as well as working on cricket this summer will also be doing some commentary on Volleyball.

She is also a Young  Ambassador for the MCC Foundation (UK) and co-hosts a podcast called Women’s Cricket Chat.

Georgie has been very open about some of the challenges she has faced with mental health challenges over the years and during the podcast provides some sound advice to those who may be facing similar challenges.

This is a really vibrant epsiode and a “must listen” for those who follow CWOB !  

The CC Morris Library is the largest collection of cricket literature and memorabilia in the Western Hemisphere and was established in the 1960’s. It has a fascinating history and included among its collection is a three-handled trophy presented to the winning team in the USA’s first interscholastic girls' cricket match held in 1895.

Throughout the 19th Century and for almost 100 years until the 1920’s, cricket, with its particular emphasis upon ethics and sportsmanship, was a distinctive element in the social life of the Philadelphia area and at the time was probably the only city where for a brief period, cricket could draw as large attendance and command as full journalistic reporting as baseball.

Paul has a wealth of knowledge about the history of cricket in the Philadelphia area and some of the great players in the USA from years gone by and offers some interesting thoughts on cricket in the USA today as well as his former college, Haverford College where cricket is still played by both male and female students.

He also provides information about an annual cricket festival in Philadelphia and the wonderful museum that forms part of the CC Morris Library.

Links:
CC Morris Library website

Tamara established Cricket Kindness in 2016 dedicated to addressing the desperate shortage of cricket equipment in developing countries around the world and in disadvantaged communities in England and Australia . 

Cricket Kindness was inspired by Tamara’s heartfelt determination to make the world a happier place for cricket loving communities unable to access proper equipment and uniforms. 

Over the past ten years, the Cricket Kindness Project has given thousands of children, teenagers and adults throughout Antigua &Barbuda, Barbados, Trinidad, Nevis, Guyana, Sri Lanka, Fiji, The Solomon Islands, Nepal, Sierra Leone, England and Australia the simple joy of access to equipment to play the great game of cricket. 

Tamara has also worked at Cricket NSW and assisted in the management of their Cricket Foundation and is currently a Non Executive Director at Kit Bag For Kids. 

Natalie is someone who has done it all in the game of cricket and is still making a significant contribution to the sport.

As a young player Natalie represented Victoria at the U17 /U19 levels and was also an Australian U17 representative but it is arguably since her junior playing days that she has made an even more profound contribution to the sport.

Natalie played a key role in the establishment of the Bacchus Marsh CC  Women’s and Junior Girls program and as a current Director she provides advice and technical knowledge around the delivery of the women’s cricket competitions,

Natalie is still playing for Essendon Maribyrnong Park Ladies CC  where she is captain /coach of the Third Eleven and earlier this year she also accepted a role in Singapore as High Performance Coach of the Singapore Sunbirds (women’s team) in preparation for a forthcoming Tri-Series Competition.

In between all of her coaching, playing and administration, Natalie established her own business, Fierce Girls Cricket supplying female designed clothing and equipment and offers sponsorships and ambassador programs including advocacy for Female Cricket!

Natalie has simply done it all!!  

Tawanda Karasa, Founder and Secretary of Grassroots Cricket whose mission is to partner with organisations and individuals to build a world where all children are equal and have access to fulfill their potential. 

Tawanda is passionate corporate social responsibility and youth development and social justice and has introduced a number of successful programs in his home country of Zimbabwe combining sporting skills and life skills to disadvantaged children. 

While this episode is not specifically about women’s cricket it is a “must listen”to hear how cricket is helping thousands of young people in need. 

Lauren is a freelance journalist in South Africa possessing a powerful storytelling ability, along with the intentionally honed skill of creating ease and calm while interviewing individuals and whose words and comments are vital to a carefully curated and researched story. 

Lauren is a specialist in the area of women’s news, analysis, sport, profiling and interviewing. She is passionate about women’s empowerment in the sporting world and hosts her own sports journalism show called “ She Speaks Sport”. 

This is a fascinating discussion     

Nicole is a young woman who has come through the traditional cricket pathway since starting the game in a boys cricket team in Moe in Gippsland Victoria.  

Nicole toured with CWOB to Fiji in 2015 and it was easy to see even then she was a naturally talented player and leader. 

She has represented Victoria and the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL as a wicketkeeper and top order batter and is one of the young shining stars in Australian cricket and it is wonderful to hear about her journey in the game thus far.