Ladies and Lords

"Ladies and Lords" is the first academic work that explores the history of women's cricket in Great Britain from its beginnings in the 18th century to the present day. The book offers a comprehensive analysis of women's cricket at various levels, including grassroots and international levels, as well as in schools, universities, workplaces, and clubs. It draws on a variety of new sources, including players' diaries, scrapbooks, and club records, as well as the archives of the Women's Cricket Association. Through interviews with former players, it argues that women's cricket has been a significant site of feminism and an important source of empowerment for the women who participated in the sport. At the same time, it examines the barriers to women's participation and analyzes the ongoing opposition to women's sports in the 20th and 21st centuries. The book uses women's cricket as a case study to highlight the existing fundamental inequalities in the quantity and quality of women's leisure activities in contemporary Britain.