With just 50 days to go until the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, over 8,000* children from 54 schools across the region today 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, kicking off with England vs Sri Lanka before Edgbaston hosts a further three fixtures, including Bangladesh vs Netherlands followed by India vs Pakistan 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.
Warwickshire has marked the occasion with over 8,000* children picking up a bat and ball across the county, including over 400 children taking part in a dedicated cricket session at Edgbaston, supported by former England star and 2009 World Cup Winner, Lydia Greenway OBE. Alongside lessons and activities, Warwickshire Cricket Foundation (WCF) employees supported additional events, from games and activities to assemblies, taking place across the region.
Big names from the world of cricket, including Heather Knight OBE, Alex Hartley and Hampshire Women’s captain Georgia Adams, 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
- England player and current Hampshire Women’s 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
- Australian international, Big Bash leading all-time wicket taker and current player for Yorkshire women, Jess Jonassen, supporting a cricket session at Morley Cricket Club
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.
Former England star and 2009 World Cup winner, Lydia Greenway OBE, said:
“Having the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup coming to England and Wales in just 50 days is incredibly exciting. It’s a real chance to put the women’s game front and center on a global stage, and moments like Schools Cricket Day show exactly why that matters.
“When I think back to my own debut in 2003, the opportunities for girls in cricket were so different. It’s brilliant to see initiatives like this taking the game directly to school children here in Birmingham and across the country – using the opportunity of hosting a home World Cup to leave a legacy beyond the action on the field.”
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/
Notes on data
* / **Extrapolation of student participation is based on average class sized pulled from gov.uk Dept. Of Education statistics for Academic Year 2025/26
- Primary school class: 27 pupils
- Secondary school class: 23 pupils