Former World Cup winner and trailblazing cricket coach Sarah Taylor was at Lord’s this morning to highlight the importance of getting more females into coaching. 

Taylor, who enjoyed a glittering playing career, including winning the ICC Women’s World Cup with England at Lord’s in 2017, before becoming the first ever female coach in men’s county cricket with Sussex, took part in a cricket session with the latest graduates from MCC Foundation’s Female Coaching Scholarship programme. 

The initiative, launched in 2023, aims to create opportunities and break down barriers for 16–18-year girls taking their first steps into cricket coaching. Participants complete a two-year programme which includes ECB coaching qualifications and the delivery of coaching on the MCC Foundation National Hubs Programme – a 10-week winter training programme for state educated cricketers. This year saw 50 girls graduate from the programme and collectively volunteer 500 hours of coaching. 

The former wicketkeeper who was also part of the coaching set-up for the England Lions tour of South Africa last year, passed on advice and tips to the young coaches as part of a session in the Indoor Cricket Centre with pupils from nearby St. Edwards Primary School.

This morning’s event follows recent evidence of a decline in female coaches across all levels of sport with latest data from UK Coaching’s 2025 Gender Spotlight report highlighting a 6% fall in female coaches overall since 2022 and a 10% decline in female volunteer sports coaches. The data also highlights a steep (15%) drop in the number of female coaches in team sports.  

The decline in the number female coaches comes despite record attendances, TV audiences and huge increases in female participation in some of the country’s leading team sports following the recent success of the Lionesses, Red Roses and the England Women’s cricket team who have progressed to the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. 

Hugo Hammond, an England PD team player, and former Love Island contestant turned influencer, joined the session and took part in the drills with the children. Hammond is passionate about inspiring people to enjoy sport and get moving and has a level 3 ECB advanced coaching badge. 

Sarah Taylor, commented: “We’ve seen huge strides taken in women’s cricket and women’s sport, with record attendances and a massive growth in participation. Whilst this is great, we are not seeing this translate into coaching. That is why the MCC Foundation’s Female Coaching Scholarship programme is so important in breaking down the barriers for girls when it comes to coaching and sending the message that coaching as well as playing is something for them. 

Coaching is such an important part of cricket and any sport so it’s vital that young girls having coaching role models as well as playing ones to look up to.” 

Angus Berry, MCC Foundation, CEO, added: “This programme is all about supporting the next generation of female coaches, whether they go on to volunteer with their local clubs, in their local communities or coach at the elite end of the game like Sarah. We’ve made great strides over the last couple of years, and it’s been brilliant to see our graduates out there taking their first steps in coaching, but we’d love to expand and scale up the programme. There’s so much more work to tackle the gender imbalance and opportunities when it comes to coaching.” 

Berry Clarke, from Hull who graduated from the programme and went into a paid coaching role earlier this year, said: “It was great to be at Lord’s to showcase the female coaching scholarship programme and put our practice to work. Meeting Sarah was amazing. I’ve was a massive fan of her as a player, so coaching with her today has been truly inspiring.

“Since starting the programme, I’ve networked with so many people and found that coaching opportunities have come flying in.”

The MCC Female Coaching programme is generously supported by The Neville Abraham Foundation.