Claire Nicholas aims to inspire Wales' female cricketers of the future
- Published
Claire Nicholas in action for Welsh Fire against London Spirit in August
When Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams aired on the BBC, it gave viewers an insight into the problems cricket faces with inclusivity in the former England all-rounder's hometown of Preston.
But it also gave hope for the rewards young people can gain if they are given opportunities to join a cricket team, along with support and advice from cricketing professionals.
In Wales, opportunities have also been few and far between in the past, particularly in the women's game.
Claire Nicholas, of Welsh Fire and Western Storm, however, has been a trailblazer when it comes to improving the chances of girls in the sport, whilst also forging her own career in the last 25 years.
"I used to go along to my local men's team with my whites in the car and hope they'd be one short. I got my chance when I was nine and they let me field," said Nicholas.
"I didn't play women's cricket until I left school - I was brought up playing in boys' and men's teams. There were quite a lot of negative views that girls shouldn't get the opportunity to play."
For some, going to England to play academy cricket was the only way to begin a successful career, but Nicholas stayed in Swansea and has been at the forefront of cricket development in her country.
"When I was 16, there were only three women I knew playing cricket here," she said.
"We set up a Welsh team and had to include hockey players to make up the numbers. We had to work our way up from the bottom divisions of the game.
"Cricket Wales had to do a lot of work in the community to be able to get girls involved at a recreational level and in school so that they could go and try out for the Welsh team."
Nicholas, now 36, made her Wales debut in 2004 and was part of the side who earned three consecutive County Championship promotions between 2008 and 2010, which allowed the team to build a platform that has increased opportunities for young girls.
This was reflected in the formation in 2016 of Western Storm, representing Wales and south west England as one of the eight regional hubs in English domestic cricket. That has led to increasing numbers of professional Welsh cricketers being able to showcase their talent on a wider stage.
"We've now got quite a few Welsh players coming through in the Storm academy," said Nicholas, who has taken 99 List A wickets in her career.
"Sophia Smale, for example, was excellent in The Hundred for Oval Invincibles and that's the power that the relationship between Storm and Wales can have.
"The more Welsh players that then come through the ranks like Sophia, the more inspiration we can pass on to the next generation of female cricketers."
Not only have the Welsh players in The Hundred shown a willingness to showcase their talent, but the tournament has referenced Wales in one of the eight franchise names created in 2021, with Welsh Fire playing their home games at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
Nicholas has been impressed with how much that decision has benefited the nation in such a short period of time, despite the poor form of the men's and women's Welsh Fire sides in the last two seasons.
Sophia Smale helped Oval Invincibles retain the women's Hundred title earlier this month
"On our days off we walked round the city, and we'd see girls wearing Welsh Fire shirts," she said.
"Having that franchise based here has put Wales on the map and given us a sense of identity within the sport.
"It gives us that extra incentive to show young girls that you can represent Wales with and against the best players in the world. It's really exciting.
"Our one win against the Northern Superchargers showed us what we are capable of and to get it in front of the fans in Cardiff, who had supported us throughout, was really emotional. So hopefully we can improve next year and show the young fans what Wales is capable of in cricket."
Nicholas may be at the back end of her career, but she is still looking to contribute to the improvements in development of cricket in Wales and aims to do so long after she has finished playing.
"Hopefully I can go back to coaching at a recreational level once I've retired to help create a solid foundation for the future of Welsh cricket," she added.
"It's more visible now, luckily. Girls can see that there is a career to be had in cricket if they want it, but the players, franchises and associations need to keep pushing the sport forward."