Progress the key for history-making Ramsbottom women

It is not easy to make history successful nan Lancashire Cricket League.

Formed successful 1892, it is possibly nan astir storied nine convention successful nan state and these days, nary matter really awesome nan achievement, nan chances are personification has done it before.

Down nan years you could person turned up astatine immoderate number of grounds crossed nan Red Rose region and recovered greats of nan crippled from Viv Richards to Shane Warne, Sydney Barnes to Kapil Dev, competing alongside nan locals.

But connected Saturday nan convention witnessed a uncommon first arsenic Ramsbottom's women's broadside became nan first all-female squad to play successful nan competition.

They could hardly person wished for a amended commencement arsenic a five-wicket haul from Shriya Pindoria and Grace Johnson's unbeaten 47 led them to a six-wicket triumph complete Accrington.

It is nan latest landmark for a broadside that only came into being successful 2020, erstwhile under-13 and under-15 girls' teams were established astatine Ramsbottom Cricket Club.

The pursuing twelvemonth they played their first elder matches and entered nan Lancashire Women's League.

"It was 40-over games and T20 games and past we were conscionable playing," Maeve Jones, who captained nan squad connected Saturday, told BBC Sport.

"We didn't really deliberation astir it, we were conscionable playing arsenic a squad and past arsenic nan years person progressed, we've won some titles consecutively."

After going unbeaten successful 2023 coach Iain Collier believed that nan team, which features a number of players from nan Lancashire's Thunder academy, needed a caller challenge.

The determination was made to use to participate nan men's convention and, successful November, their spot successful section 3 of nan 3rd tier was confirmed.

"Ramsbottom and Iain came to america and said, ‘how do you for illustration nan thought of possibly going into nan men's league?’" Johnson said.

"Obviously we were each up for that. Ramsbottom person been perfectly superb pinch it all, and nan convention arsenic well. It's not each time that they fto a afloat women’s broadside into nan men’s league."

While location was overmuch excitement astatine nan imaginable of playing successful specified a historical league, a small trepidation would person been understandable fixed Jones and Johnson's erstwhile experiences of men's cricket.

"I was nan only woman successful a squad and it could beryllium very overwhelming," Jones said.

"The guidance person ever been great. [But] wrong your squad you consciousness for illustration you ever get pushed down that small spot more.

"You extremity up turning up to games and you’re conscionable fielding because you consciousness for illustration they don't want you there, aliases they don't want you to beryllium portion of it."

Johnson added: "I person ever felt for illustration pinch it being a 'men's sport', successful definite environments, women aren’t welcome.

"You'd spell into a team, you'd beryllium batting 10 aliases 11, and you'd beryllium successful nan section for 40 overs, which is astir apt wherever you commencement to suffer nan emotion for nan game."

Given nan affirmative consequence to them being admitted into nan Lancashire League by "the mostly of clubs", nan dream is that Ramsbottom tin thief to enlighten immoderate remaining sceptics pinch their performances connected nan pitch.

But should they look immoderate "you can't get retired to a girl" type attitudes, Jones and her broadside will beryllium prepared.

"We girls thrive disconnected that because we conscionable find it funny and we emotion it," nan 18-year-old said.

"We usage it arsenic a small wind-up, past we find that we're past connected apical because we're already successful their head.

"I deliberation erstwhile you've been astir it for a fewer years, you do conscionable usage it to motivate and beryllium what you tin do by showing disconnected your skills."

One crippled successful and they person already begun to show that, contempt losing 2 of their apical 5 - including skipper Sophie Ullah - pinch anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

With galore of nan squad having travel done nan inferior sides, that meant Johnson, astatine 19, was their astir elder player.

Whether nan young broadside tin proceed winning remains to beryllium seen but, ultimately, that was not why they joined nan league.

Jones' connection to her squad earlier nan Accrington crippled was simple: spell and person fun.

"That is what it really is each about, improving our skills, enjoying it, and if we win, it's a prize for us," she said.

Johnson added: "Some results would beryllium nice, but arsenic agelong arsenic we're each improving, that's each that matters."

That is not to opportunity that nan value of nan team's accomplishment is mislaid connected them, though.

"It's highly important arsenic to wherever women's cricket has sewage to, and is going to," said Collier.

In taking Ramsbottom's first wicket and hitting nan winning runs, Johnson has already done amended than astir successful position of making Lancashire League history - but nan extremity is that successful years to travel Ramsbottom stay nan first, alternatively than nan only.

"It's awesome that we've evidently made nan first step," added Johnson. "And it'd beryllium astonishing to spot each nan teams that past besides make nan step, and to span nan spread betwixt nan antheral and female sides of nan game."