ECB launch competition for children to train with England women's team

The competition is open to girls between the ages of 7-11 across the country, with the nine First-Class Counties hosting England Women’s matches given the task of selecting one worthy winner from their county

‘I am very excited for The Hundred, the opportunity it gives the women’s game’ (Getty)

The England and Welsh Cricket Board is to team up with nine counties hosting international women’s cricket this summer as part of the Heather’s Pride competition.

The competition, fronted by England's Heather Knight, is to give 11 girls across the country a unique opportunity to join the England captain and the rest of the team for a training session ahead of the Ashes, which start in July.

It is open to girls between the ages of 7-11 across the country, with the nine First-Class Counties hosting England Women’s matches given the task of selecting one worthy winner from their county.

Derbyshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Sussex and Worcestershire are the nine venues hosting international women’s cricket this summer and therefore taking part in the competition.

Each winner will have to explain to their respective counties why they deserve the chance to be a member of #HeathersPride.

Knight is backing the campaign (Getty)

The remaining two winners will then be selected from across England and Wales by the England captain herself, as ‘Captain’s Picks’.

Speaking about the competition, Knight said:

“International Women’s Day is a great moment to reflect on the progress of women’s and girls’ cricket.

“We’ve made so much progress over the last few years and we want to keep moving forward.

“At the very top we’re pushing towards more depth and having more professional players while it’s amazing that more and more girls are playing the game through initiatives like All Stars.

“Chance to Shine also celebrated introducing cricket to its two millionth girl this week. It’s exciting to think of how many girls are now choosing cricket.

“Some of the best moments from our win in the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup was seeing young girls imitate us on the side-lines and hopefully many more will be inspired by this competition to become part of Heather’s Pride. I can’t wait to see all the winners in the summer!”

Clare Connor, who was appointed Managing Director of Women’s Cricket at the ECB in January 2019, added:

“Our strategy for 2020-24 is all about inspiring future generations and this is a great initiative from Heather and the Counties to really bring that to life by giving 11 lucky girls the chance to train with their heroes for the day.

“Heather’s and the team’s victory at the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup created a huge opportunity for us and now we must take that to the next level through this strategy. As all of that exciting work takes shape, I’m looking forward to seeing the training session with the 11 winners of Heather’s Pride and the England women’s team this summer.”

To enter the #HeathersPride competition, email supporters@ecb.co.uk or visit the website of your respective County.

Entries for the competition will close on 1 May.