Labour has called for the England women’s cricket team to be granted equal access to the prestigious Lord’s cricket ground, citing the privileges enjoyed by public school rivals Eton and Harrow.
Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell pointed out the discrepancies that still exist between the opportunities and resources available to the men’s and women’s teams.
Her comments come after a report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) published last month found the sport is deep-rooted with widespread institutional racism, sexism and class-based discrimination.
The report also noted that the “England Women’s team are yet to play a Test match at Lord’s, the home of cricket”, adding: “Women continue to be treated as second-class citizens with unequal access, pay and treatment.”
Speaking during Culture, Media and Sport questions in the Commons, Ms Powell insisted the Government must play an active role in addressing the “serious findings” and promoting inclusivity within cricket.
She said: “Despite their successes on the international stage, the ICEC report showed that there is a lot to do to increase diversity and participation in cricket.
“They found that English cricket suffers from sexism, elitism, and racism. Does the Government understand that it also has a role to play in addressing the serious findings?
Does he agree with me, which I am sure he does, that it's about time the women's team had as much access to Lord's cricket ground as Eton and Harrow?— Lucy Powell
“For example, what discussions has the minister had with the Department of Education about increasing the take-up of cricket in state schools and ensuring better access to pitches, equipment and coaching?
“And does he agree with me, which I am sure he does, that it’s about time the women’s team had as much access to Lord’s cricket ground as Eton and Harrow?”
The Eton v Harrow cricket match is an annual match between Eton College and Harrow School.
It is one of the longest-running annual sporting fixtures in the world and remains the sole school cricket match played at the prestigious Lord’s cricket ground on an annual basis.
Culture minister Stuart Andrew replied: “She is absolutely right. And on the day of the publication of the report, she (Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer) met with the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board).
“We have said that we will be following developments of their plan very, very carefully. And she is right that we need to see more access for facilities for women and girls, not just at Lord’s but right across the country.”
