Her World Cricket Tour

At last the world has woken up to the thrill of women's sport.

In 2023 two billion people tuned into the women's World Cup soccer and the WNBA hit US prime time. The 2024 Olympics achieved gender parity. In cricket, 53 million people watched the 2020 T20 World Cup, and a record-breaking crowd of more than 86,000 packed the MCG for the women's final.

Cricketer and former journalist Jenny Thompson wanted to learn about this explosion in women's cricket firsthand, and set off on a solo global adventure through Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. In more than fifty countries she saw how cricket opened doors to friendship and fun, and provided education and income to women of all ages.

In Hong Kong Jenny played alongside a team of Filipino domestic helpers, in Vanuatu she met the grandmas playing island cricket with their granddaughters, and in Brazil she spent a week with the professional women's team - women who fight for change, for their sisters to be on pitches and boards, on television, in the newspapers and on murals, to be recognised, rewarded and counted.

Her World Cricket Tour is not about the ball or the format. It's a story of solidarity, community, resilience and building something bigger than cricket. And it's a travel adventure for any cricket lover who has dreamed of batting on a beach or volcano, or bowling in the jungle or desert.

About the Author

Jenny Thompson is a former journalist with ESPN Cricinfo who's based in Adelaide but loves travelling the globe playing, writing, talking, scoring, coaching and mentoring cricket. She lives by the beach on Kaurna land with her partner Matt and Bam Bam the cat.