A borough cricket club could make history as the first club to enter an all-women’s team in the Lancashire League, taking on teams primarily made up of men.

Ramsbottom Cricket Club say they are all set to become the first club in the history of the league to enter an all-women’s team.

After winning all their games in the women’s Lancashire Cricket Foundation League last season, the club believes the change up is needed to help progress their female players.

Director of cricket, Andy Dalby, said: “The girls’ team, the first eleven, won every league game last year so, from my side of things, it was a natural progression to approach the chairman about what we do for next season.

“After we spoke about potentially entering a women's side into the Lancashire League, we then consulted with the girls themselves, the parents, and the supporters to hear their views.

“Once we were certain of their support, we approached the Lancashire League who were hugely supportive of the initiative.”

The women’s and girl’s section at Ramsbottom was set up just after lockdown in 2020. Initially, there was an under 13s team and an under 15s team.

The club has also now added an under 19s women's side and second eleven and first eleven teams.

Next summer the women’s and girl’s first eleven will join the Lancashire League’s third eleven section to take on teams primarily made up of men, playing clubs like Nelson, Colne and Bacup.

Imogen Young, 17,  a wicketkeeper batter for Ramsbottom women's and girls first eleven said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing against men next season. It will develop us all as players and as a team.

"I’m also hopeful that the move is going to get more girls down to the club. Ultimately though, I hope the move helps to develop women’s cricket in the north west."

The club believes this is an ‘interim solution’ to help progress the female players adding that the future of women’s cricket is women playing against women regularly in a competitive league.

As well as playing in the Lancashire League, the women’s and girl’s first eleven will continue to compete in the women's Lancashire Cricket Foundation League next season, where they will aim to retain the trophies they won in 2023.

Ramsbottom approached the league with their idea after the women’s and girl’s first team won all their games in the women’s Lancashire Cricket Foundation League last season.

Chairman, John Fox, said: “We’re really happy to try and be the standard bearer for women’s cricket in the Lancashire League and hopefully, the north west.

“It’s a big thing from our point of view but we want to stress that it’s the women’s game as much as Ramsbottom Cricket Club. We’re here really to try and help the women’s game progress”.

Ramsbottom Cricket Club is now urging as many people as possible to support the girls when they embark on a historic season in April next year. 

They will begin their campaign away against Bacup on April 20 and their first home game is against Accrington on April 27.