Lovell: Outdated facilities are bowling out women’s cricket

By Taylah Baker

May 20, 2024

**On the back foot:** Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell says significant barriers exist to females’ participation in cricket.

What stops women in the region from slipping on the whites, crashing and banging with the bat, and bowling a few pearlers?

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Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell believes the issue lies not on the field but in the change rooms.

Following reports that young women had had to change behind cars due to the lack of female-friendly change rooms, Ms Lovell recently addressed Victorian parliament to advocate for modern change rooms for grassroots cricket clubs.

“Elite competitions receive substantial funding for renovations and upgrades, but grassroots cricket, where every future champion starts, is severely underfunded,” she said.

“The problem is especially serious for women and junior players, where a lack of suitable change rooms can be a real barrier to participation.”

According to Goulburn Murray Cricket, most change-room facilities in the region are outdated and have not been upgraded since the early 1980s.

Many are not female or junior-friendly and do not meet the current standards of Cricket Australia.

Goulburn Murray Cricket operations manager James Stokes has asked the minister for community sport to assist in building better cricket facilities.

Ms Lovell agreed, adding that the government must invest in modern, comfortable and safe facilities.

“The minister for community sport must allocate funds from the ’24-25 budget to upgrade the change rooms at Goulburn Murray Cricket clubs,” she said.