On Friday (10 July), another piece of sporting history was made, as England and India stepped out on to the hallowed turf of Lord’s for the first day of the first ever Women’s test match to be held at the ground.
And as part of the historic occasion, the MCC has welcomed photographers to submit their imagery from the community game to celebrate the joy of Women’s and Girls cricket around the country.
One of Bedford’s sporting photographers has made the cut, meaning her work will now be displayed around one of world sport’s most famous arenas.
Jean Fitch, who is the photographer-in-chief for many of Bedford’s community sporting clubs, including Bedford Hockey Club and Bedford Cricket Club, submitted her work in the hope of being featured in the exhibition.
And after learning her work had been accepted, photography of Bedford Cricket Club’s players will be featured as part of the historic exhibition.
Part of a rapid growth
“I was thrilled to be contacted by the MCC Communications Officer, informing me that my images were to be a part of the display on the Warner Stand concourse at Lord’s”, said Jean.
“Whilst it was, clearly, a huge personal honour, my greatest pride was in knowing that my teammates were going to be celebrated as a part of this immensely significant moment for women’s cricket.”
The MCC, owner of Lord’s Cricket Ground and the traditional “guardians of the game” launched their ‘Inside the Kitbag’ initiative to highlight the ever-growing Women’s game at grassroots level, with Bedford following many clubs around the country in rapid growth.
The latest stats available from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) cite nearly 600 new girls’ teams and 550 new women’s teams from July 2024 to August 2025.
This is on top of the 1,000 new women’s and girls’ teams created at the end of 2024.
One such club contributing to the rise is Bedford Cricket Club.
The Women’s team at The Bury has grown from a handful of players to being part of the ultra competitive Hertfordshire Premier Division, alongside Ampthill Town, Luton, Harpenden, Broxbourne and St Albans.
Games in that division are 35 overs a side, while they also play in the T20 competition, winning one of their group games at Ampthill before coming up against strong opposition in Flitwick and Luton.
Despite sitting fifth in the six-team division, there is still plenty of time for Bedford’s women to make ground as there are seven games remaining in the Hertfordshire Premier Division.
Their next game is against second placed Harpenden, due to be played at The Bury on Church Lane in Bedford from 1pm on Sunday, 19 July.
You can find out more about how to get involved here.
For now, they can sit back and watch a piece of history being made as England bowl first against an always strong Indian side at the Home of Cricket, knowing that Jean’s photography is being seen by all in attendance.
