The Women’s Ashes has a long history of close contests, drawn series and match-defining moments that have kept spectators on the edge of their seats. But in 2011, only a handful of people were at Bankstown Oval to witness Alex Blackwell’s bold declaration and Rene Farrell’s decisive hat-trick that swung the match in Australia’s favour and secured their first Ashes win since 2003.
What has changed most since then is not the cricket itself, but the number of people paying attention and, crucially, the number of spectators through the gates. Ground upgrades to venues such as the picturesque North Sydney Oval and Manuka Oval in Australia and the County Ground in Taunton, England have helped pave the way for this growth and more fans have been drawn in.
