The Municipal Cricket Ground in Montjuïc opens its doors this weekend with the celebration of the first stage of the "No boundaries” Spanish Women’s Cricket League.
This is the city’s first cricket ground and has come about thanks to the initiative of the women’s 11-a-side cricket team, formed of young women from the districts of Raval, Trinitat Vella, Poble-sec, Badalona and Santa Coloma.
This event marks an important landmark for Catalan sport, as it is the city’s first ever cricket ground and the first national women’s league to be held in the Spanish state.
Competing in the National Women’s Cricket League will be teams from all over Spain, and all matches will be played at the Municipal Cricket Ground in Montjuïc over four weekends between April and November.
- Stage I – Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 April.
- Stage II – Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June.
- Stage III – Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October.
- Stage IV – Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 November.
The teams taking part in this first National Women’s Cricket League are: Barcelona Storm, Múrcia Cobras, València Vipers, Màlaga Fire, Madrid Royals and Sevilla Scorpions.
The 11-a-side cricket team is part of the Criquet Jove BCN sports programme, a project promoted by the Centre for African and Intercultural Studies (CEAi) and the Barcelona Foundation for Sport and Education (FEEB), which since 2012 has been part of the Convivim Esportivament programme, promoted by the Barcelona Institute of Sports.
This sport is more than just a physical activity, as it has become a space for social cohesion, inclusive participation and non-discrimination.
Championing women’s sport
The promotion of women’s cricket has meant that for many years Barcelona was home to the only women’s teams in the whole of Spain and the national squad is made up almost entirely of young women from the city. And this is thanks to the will and commitment of a group of young women and girls who have fought for the right to enjoy one of the most popular sports among the city’s Asian communities.
This vindication of women’s cricket in the city responds to the need to find spaces for practising sport that promote trust, care and strength, and which also foster social cohesion, participation and intercultural dialogue through the promotion of a sport that people identify with such as this one.