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Glos groundstaff Meg Lay to lead all-female Women’s Ashes grounds team

29 June 2023

With the Women’s Ashes in full swing, the series moves to Edgbaston for the first of three IT20s, where an all-female grounds team will be led by Gloucestershire and Western Storm groundstaff, Meg Lay.

The team of nine will prepare a pitch for the Edgbaston day-night fixture this Saturday, with Meg managing all pitch preparations ahead of the match.

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After a meeting of the Women in Cricket Employee Network led to conversations about the 35-woman crew that was responsible for course preparations for last year’s Women’s US Open golf major, Meg was asked to lead the grounds team for Edgbaston’s Women’s Ashes IT20.

Despite the underrepresentation of women in the industry, Meg took six weeks to pull together a team of nine women from across the country, currently working as sports turf professionals.

On the opportunity to spearhead the first-ever all-female grounds team, Meg said:

“I’m very excited to be leading the world’s first all-women’s grounds team for an international game. I couldn’t be happier with our team of nine.

“After working under the leadership of Sean Williams at Gloucestershire, I feel confident that I can deliver an Ashes pitch of the highest quality that the women’s game deserves.

“With 98% of the sports turf industry professionals being men, who work extremely hard on behalf of our female athletes, it’s time us women step up to produce pitches for the biggest stages in women’s sport.”

Known affectionately on the circuit as the ‘Kiwi Groundswoman’, Meg has been preparing pitches for Gloucestershire and Western Storm since April 2022.

The full list of women working on Saturday’s IT20:

Meg Lay (Seat Unique Stadium, Gloucestershire CCC)

Emily Geach (The Deer Park, Boconnoc CC)

Rachel Hunter-Worrall (Queen Ethelburga's)

Jess Jackson (Wellington College)

Zoe Jones (Ageas Bowl, Hampshire CCC)

Carlie Lambert (New Road, Worcestershire CCC)

Jasmine Nicholls (Headingley, Yorkshire CCC)

Zibby Parker (Dellwood Avenue, Felixstowe & Corinthians CC)

Tara Sandford (Arsenal FC)

Photo: John Mallett

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