22-05-2025
Charlotte Edwards portrait a far cry from Long Room ban for women
When Charlotte Edwards started playing cricket in the mid-1990s women were not allowed in the Lord's Long Room. On Thursday the former England captain, who was appointed head coach of England Women earlier this month, was in attendance as her portrait was unveiled in that very same space.
It felt fitting in this of all weeks, which marked the latest giant stride forward in the women's game. Project Darwin may sound a slightly sinister name but it has, for the first time, put in place a proper pyramid for women's cricket, with three tiers of teams, which include the 18 first-class counties and minor counties.
The eight top-tier teams — Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey and Warwickshire — have fully professional squads. That
