A New Era: Progress in the game
Today, I was joined by leading T20 Blast wicket-taker and school’s ambassador Mollie Robbins of the newly professionalised Somerset County Cricket Club’s women’s team. She kindly gave us some remarks about the progress made in cricket in the women’s game and how this new status in the Somerset team from the ECB will greatly help in bringing more young girls to the game. Expanding it so that everyone no matter who can enjoy cricket whether it’s at a competitive level, a softball league or even umpiring games so that people can play with a mediating delegate, making the game more fun for all.
Mollie spoke about her time as a youth player, at Hanham Cricket Club in Gloucestershire at an amateur level where she started off at the age of 7 playing under 11’s softball in mixed teams and then slowly climbing up the age groups until she finally made a breakthrough into adult cricket. She spoke on a game she remembered vividly with her father and brother on her team, a sense of nostalgia in it but a beginning of a trailblazing moment which would spark an inspiration into expanding the women’s game so that the girls could have their own teams instead of having no choice but to play mixed cricket or in men’s teams. “I think the point where I realised I could be a professional cricketer really spurred me on to really want it,” she said.
As she made her way through the ranks of amateur cricket, she found her path into the Western Storm Academy (which has now formed into the Somerset Women’s team of today) and had a real opportunity to prove herself and put great leaps of effort into finally achieving a dream of playing cricket as a professional. Her story shows heights that were untold of when she was playing village cricket at Hanham, but due to the efforts of many like her and of course her giving back to the community and the game, she now has an opportunity to help young girls across the south west to achieve the goal that she once did not know was possible. “I remember being younger and people like Fran Wilson and Sophie Luff were involved,” she said. “I looked up to those people, and I guess the realisation that this is now something I can do for other young girls is really special.”
Today, Mollie plays for Somerset, and a new chapter has been opened. She spoke on the excitement created in the dressing room and around the ground for this new professional side which intends to achieve great heights despite last year’s short comings, they hope to not only win competitions and play at this standard they have set but they have also hoped to inspire the new generations of girls playing cricket and give them hopes and dreams of one day making it to her position.
She has even taken a position as a school ambassador. Visiting schools and inspiring the younger generations to strive for their dreams and never give up so that they too can make it to these heights. Even if they do not make it where she is, to keep enjoying cricket and keep active and healthy. Her position as a role model creates dreams and creates a healthier generation as well as expanding the game everyone at Somerset adores.
She goes on to explain how other female cricketers she looks up to and shows her realisation on how she is now one of those few who can be a big inspiration on other young girls. As she suggests in this quote “I remember being younger and like people like Fran and Luffy like you look up to those people and then I guess the realization that that’s now I can do that for other young girls it’s really special.” Now she is starting to become that role model, young players look up to her as someone who is determined on that pitch, as she shows publicly her mind set and strong inspiration.
