As this year’s Hundred gets underway, worth remembering this presentation from our #CRN2026 conference which blew away the facade of gender equality surrounding the comp. In the era of new owners, this is the kind of thing to watch / listen out for.

Raf Nicholson@rafnicholson.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Our 1st panel at #CRN2026 is on Gender. Two brilliant presentations first up centring on lived experience of female cricketers in franchise comps, including The Hundred. Huge contrast between hype of "equality" & persistent disparities in Georgia Norman's interviews with players. I gasped at this!

Cricket is awash with betting ads, most from companies operating where they have no licence (so illegal). I’ve updated research in this article; it’s getting worse & now betting ads in the 2026 Hundred, a competition marketed at kids 🤮 @cricketacademic.bsky.social www.playthegame.org/news/new-res...

New research: Cricket flooded with betting sponsorships after pandemic

Research by Play the Game reveals a surge in betting deals, with 1737confirmed partnerships between betting companies, cricket teams, tournaments, and players in the last two decades.

playthegame.org

Great piece of work by @pobjourno.bsky.social for @playthegame-org.bsky.social on cricket governance @cricketacademic.bsky.social www.playthegame.org/news/greed-a...

How cricket's 55 million USD development fund gets gamed

The International Cricket Council distributes tens of millions of dollars per year in development funding through a system insiders say is loosely monitored and easily manipulated.

playthegame.org

Video recording of this now available on our YouTube channel: "Building Leadership in English Cricket"

CRN Panel: Beyond Cathedrals and Congregations Building Leadership for Cricket’s Ecosystem

This is a CRN hosted panel to move the conversation on: away from the cathedrals vs congregations debate per se, and towards what kind of organisational capacity in general, and leadership competence specifically, the whole game needs if it is serious about long‑term sustainability and growing participation, audiences, visibility, relevance and value. By “cricket ecosystem” here is meant the web of cricket‑specific organisations and actors – ECB, first‑class and non‑first‑class county clubs, recreational boards, leagues, clubs, coaches, player pathways and supporter structures – and the relationships between them. This sits within, (perhaps intersects with -tbd), a wider civic and commercial ecosystem of schools, local authorities, funders, sponsors, media, community partners and the local market/population.

eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com

Cricket Research Network@cricketacademic.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Leadership will shape the future of English cricket: 🏏 Join us on 21 May, 2pm BST, for a webinar on Building Leadership in English Cricket 🏏 Featuring John Swannick, former Leicestershire CEO Sean Jarvis, & John Neal 🏏 We’ll discuss governance, investment & sustainable growth. DM for the link!

Fascinating conversation, yesterday. Thanks to the panellists, and to @rafnicholson.bsky.social for hosting. Much to ponder, but ultimately frustrating — lots of leadership _potential_ within the game (yes), if only leaders at the top (ECB) would relinquish control.

Leadership will shape the future of English cricket: 🏏 Join us on 21 May, 2pm BST, for a webinar on Building Leadership in English Cricket 🏏 Featuring John Swannick, former Leicestershire CEO Sean Jarvis, & John Neal 🏏 We’ll discuss governance, investment & sustainable growth. DM for the link!

IYCMI - here is a recording of this week's Cricket Research Network webinar on Cricket and Sustainability. Lots of interesting discussion about various aspects of this very important topic! www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDp0...

CRN Panel: Cricket and Sustainability

YouTube video by Cricket Research Network

youtube.com

🏏🌍 WEBINAR: How can cricket become more sustainable? Join us on 13 May at 7pm BST for a panel on Cricket and Sustainability, organised with PASIC and The Centre for Sustainable Design® at UCA. DM us for the link!

We're excited to invite you to TWO webinars this May 🏏👇 📅 13 May, 7pm BST 🌍 Cricket and Sustainability Circular design, bamboo cricket bats & sustainable cricket clothing. #Cricket #SportsResearch #Sustainability #Leadership

New investigation from @jackkerr.bsky.social and myself on how shady offshore betting operators linked to porn are exploiting women’s cricket for @playthegame-org.bsky.social @cricketacademic.bsky.social www.playthegame.org/news/from-po...

How offshore betting targets women's cricket

A Play the Game investigation reveals gambling operators linked to pornographic content access live data from women’s cricket. This exposes such risks as match-fixing.

playthegame.org

Thank you Tanya Aldred for a lovely write-up of our Cambridge conference in @theguardian.com This gives a great taste of what went on last week and what the Network is all about 🏏👏

The Spin | Going for gold? Why China’s female cricketers may benefit from Olympic aim

The Cricket Research Network was told how the sport is perceived in China and why the women’s side is seen as the national team

theguardian.com

Our latest episode is now live, thanks to the amazing team over at @cricketacademic.bsky.social who held their highly successful conference over the weekend at Hughes Hall in Cambridge. You can listen via the link below & on all podcast platforms ⬇️ open.spotify.com/episode/4sVF...

The Keynote from #CRN2026 has now been released on the @sportinhistorypod.bsky.social #podcast! Happy listening! @sportinhistory.bsky.social @bssh.bsky.social @icshc.bsky.social @rafnicholson.bsky.social @tjaldred.bsky.social @crickether.com 📌 linktr.ee/sportinhisto...

Cricket Research Network@cricketacademic.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Our Keynote panel focused on the #ICC Women's #T20WC2026, involving Laura Entwistle, Laura MacLeod & @rafnicholson.bsky.social moderated by Tanya Aldred. Fantastic conversation touching on legacy, pathways, counties, media, governance and hope for the game! @sportinhistorypod.bsky.social #CRN2026

Today I was at Hughes Hall, Cambridge by the iconic Fenner’s Ground at the 3rd Cricket Research Network conference. My head is buzzing from information overload & a fabulous mix of talks & people. Thank you to Raf Nicholson & Jeremy Lonsdale & others for all their brilliant work 🙌

And that’s a wrap on #CRN2026 I’m shattered but my brain is buzzing with thoughts and ideas after so many great presentations today! Safe journey home, everyone, and hope to see you all next year 🏏

#Panel5, the last of this year, brings to the conversation to improtant topics of governance and sustainability, chaired by @rafnicholson.bsky.social @bournemouthuni.bsky.social @theguardian.com #CRN2026

@shubhamjain224.bsky.social argues that cricket's "South Asian Paradox" - whereby players do not want to speak out because competition for places is so strong - is having a negative impact on player welfare. Nobody wants to complain about poor air quality or other environmental issues. #CRN2026

Our final #CRN2026 panel is focused on Governance and Sustainability. @stevemenary.bsky.social shares worrying findings about illegal betting sponsorship, which doubled between 2021 and 2025. Harry Brook, Steve argues, is (inadvertently) helping to promote illegal betting in the screenshot below.

Remember this? Hannah Thompson-Radford at #CRN2026 gives us food for thought about whether Katy Perry performing at the T20 World Cup final was empowering, or whether this kind of 'hyperfeminisation' was actually just reductive / ‘gimmicky’.

#Panel4 is devoted to representations of cricket, chaired by Dominic Malcolm @lborouniversity.bsky.social #CRN2026

Some quite depressing findings from Richard Jones about cricket’s place in the sports news agenda, showing its decline. His analysis of regional press, national radio & X posts suggests cricket is disappearing from some commercial media, and is heavily reliant on the BBC for prominence. #CRN2026

a cricket game is being played on a field with a referee wearing a emirates shirt

ALT: a cricket game is being played on a field with a referee wearing a emirates shirt

media.tenor.com

And Kieran Holly talks about Irish cricket fandom. His key conclusion is Irish men's cricket lacks a distinctive fan identity, partly b/c there is no permanent stadium & limited fixtures v major Test nations. Would be fascinating to see an equivalent study of Irish women's cricket fandom. #CRN2026

Following a delicious lunch, we've moved onto a panel about Inclusion. Ross Ensor presents data showing that ethnically diverse volunteers face issues with racialised stereotypes ("they don't volunteer"), and cultures which force players to adopt a "white mask" to negotiate inclusion. #CRN2026

#Panel3 focuses on cricket and inclusion, chaired by Tom Fletcher @leedsbeckett.bsky.social #CRN2026

The Q&A was recorded and will be made available as a podcast via the @bssh.bsky.social podcast, so keep an eye out for that in the coming days! #CRN2026

Raf Nicholson@rafnicholson.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Really enjoyed being part of a Q&A panel at #CRN2026 with Laura Entwistle (ECB) & Laura MacLeod. We were meant to be discussing the World Cup & its (hopeful) legacies, but got a bit sidetracked into a debate about governance / women's cricket running itself (guess which side I was on)! 😂

Our Keynote panel focused on the #ICC Women's #T20WC2026, involving Laura Entwistle, Laura MacLeod & @rafnicholson.bsky.social moderated by Tanya Aldred. Fantastic conversation touching on legacy, pathways, counties, media, governance and hope for the game! @sportinhistorypod.bsky.social #CRN2026

#Panel2 focuses on cricket from a historical perspective, chaired by @jeremylonsdale.bsky.social #CRN2026

Panel 2 at #CRN2026 starts with Anand Rampersad (University of West Indies), who is working on the history of West Indies women’s cricket (hurrah!) Same old story in terms of the "merger" of women's & men's boards in 2008. Men very reluctant to accept responsibility, women's autonomy lost. Sigh.

Chuckles in the room as Max He (Xi’an Jiaotong University) explains the Chinese women's team is institutionally prioritised over men’s, and a female cricketer in an interview told him she felt better after a loss when "a teammate told me, 'it’s alright, men cannot win a single game'". #CRN2026

Our 1st panel at #CRN2026 is on Gender. Two brilliant presentations first up centring on lived experience of female cricketers in franchise comps, including The Hundred. Huge contrast between hype of "equality" & persistent disparities in Georgia Norman's interviews with players. I gasped at this!