A cricketer who says she faced sexism from opponents when she first started playing in a men’s league is working to help more women get into the game.
Georgia Inkley first tried cricket 17 years ago and became part of her local men’s side in Leicestershire because there was no women’s team.
Despite facing discriminatory comments from opposition players in her early seasons, the Countesthorpe Cricket Club player says she has become “obsessed with the sport”.
The 24-year-old is now helping organise taster sessions for women and girls in a bid to get more into the amateur scene in Leicestershire.
Inkley told the BBC she started playing cricket at school after her school head teacher suggested she try a taster session.
She said: “At the end of one of the sessions, Dips Patel, who’s from Leicestershire County Cricket Club, and who was leading the session, came over to me and said if I didn’t join a cricket club, he’d quit his job.
“That night, when my dad picked me up, I told him ‘I really fancy joining a cricket club’.”
There was no local women’s team at the time so she asked the men’s team at Countesthorpe CC if she could join.
She said the players were “totally welcoming from the start”.
However, not everyone in the amateur cricket scene in Leicestershire treated her the same way.
“When I started playing senior men’s cricket I realised how unusual it was to have a woman on the team based on the comments and some of my experiences that I was having,” she said.
“I do get a fair few sexist comments.
“I went to a game once and as I was going to bowl one of the players told me I shouldn’t be here.
“Later on in the game one of the players turned to me and said I couldn’t bat.”
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