British cricket brand Maiden Cricket has been named founding apparel and equipment partner of the inaugural Seattle Orcas Women’s T20 Exhibition, its first commercial agreement in the United States. The partnership was announced last week.
The tournament launched in August and features three teams competing in six round robin matches before a final. Fixtures are being streamed nationally alongside youth activities and family focused events.
Maiden Cricket, which appeared on Dragons’ Den, is supplying the team’s official playing kit, teamwear and specialist equipment, including women’s batting pads, wicketkeeping pads and gloves.
Organisers said the exhibition had been created to address a gap in competitive opportunities for female players in the United States. An estimated 500 women play cricket across the country, but only around 20 are regularly in contention for the national team, and many players average just 35 competitive matches over seven or eight years.
The event brings together leading international players alongside domestic talent in what organisers described as a high performance environment designed to strengthen the pathway towards a future Major League Cricket Women competition.
Olympic return in 2028
Cricket returns to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 for the first time since 1900, with the United States competing as host nation. The International Cricket Council has confirmed that the T20 competitions will run from 12 July to 29 July 2028, with six teams in each of the men’s and women’s events and all matches played at the Fairgrounds in Pomona.
Maiden was founded by teenage sisters Honor and Cat Black after they grew frustrated with playing in kit designed for boys.
“When Cat and I started Maiden, it came from our own experience of loving cricket but never feeling like the game had been designed with girls in mind. We wanted to change that,” said Honor Black, co-founder of Maiden Cricket.
“We’ve seen women’s cricket grow so much over the past few years, especially here in the UK, and it’s really exciting to see that momentum building in the US too.”
She added: “We’re incredibly proud to support the inaugural Seattle Orcas Women’s T20 Exhibition. We hope it inspires more women and girls across the US to pick up a bat and see cricket as a sport where they belong.”
The brand’s US arm is led by Aashna Jain, 16, owner of Maiden Cricket US.
“I’ve followed cricket for years, and I’m excited to bring Maiden to the US,” Jain said. “I want girls to have access to cricket apparel and equipment designed specifically for female players and to feel like there is a place for them in the sport. I hope Maiden can inspire more girls to get involved in the game.”
Organisers and players react
Sean Cary, chief executive of the Seattle Orcas, said: “This exhibition is an important opportunity to showcase the talent that already exists in women’s cricket and create a competitive environment where players can continue to develop.”
He added: “We wanted a kit partner that understood the specific needs of female cricketers, and Maiden brings that perspective to the tournament. We’re excited to be working together and help establish an event that can continue to grow in the years ahead.”
Anika Kolan, a USA women’s senior team player and Maiden Cricket US athlete ambassador, said: “Being part of the first US women’s cricket tournament is an important milestone for the sport and for the players who have been working to grow the game here.”
She added: “Having uniforms and equipment designed specifically for female players makes this moment even more meaningful. It shows that women’s cricket is being taken seriously, and I’m proud to be part of it.”
Commercial activity around the sport has been building in Britain, where Goalhanger Ventures agreed a partnership with the content brand Backyard Cricket in May as part of a move into creator led media.
Female founded companies remain a small share of British venture funding. Investing in Women Code figures published in July showed women receive less than 2 per cent of UK venture capital, a share that has been broadly unchanged over the past decade.
Jamie Young
Jamie Young is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, covering SME finance, employment law and Westminster policy since 2016. He has reported on every Budget and Autumn Statement since 2018, helped make sense of the 'covid era' and the bounce-back loan scheme from launch through the fraud investigations, and broke the magazine's coverage of the 2024 late-payment reforms. He joined Business Matters straight from completing his BA in Administration from Exeter University and is NCTJ-qualified. Reach him at jyoung@cbmeg.co.uk
