It’s never too late to start playing, says Sara

November 9, 2026

SARA Neaves is a shining example that it is never too late to take up cricket.

Sara, who had never played cricket until she was in her forties, is a driving force behind the women’s section at her local club, where her two daughters now also play.

The 46-year-old is a coach at Worlington CC and captained their side that took part in the biggest ever Women’s Softball Cricket event to be held in Suffolk in early September.

Around 100 players participated in the Women’s Softball Cricket Celebration Day at Bury St Edmunds CC, which saw Tuddenham Twistas ‘A’ defeat Stowupland CC by 33 runs in the final.

Sara said: “I am 46 and when I was at school, cricket was not an option. Even though I was very sporty, we could only play netball and hockey.”

Sara Neaves pictured above batting and also main photograph

It was just after Covid when Sara saw that Worlington CC were advertising two free cricket taster sessions.

“I work in the medical field and Covid was pretty hard going for all of us. I was nearly 41 at that point and didn’t really think I could do that at my age, having never held a cricket bat before.

“However, I decided to give it a go and play cricket as you didn’t need any previous experience or lots of kit – just an open mind to have fun and enjoy yourself.

“Because I started playing my two girls Ava, who is 16, and Isla, aged 12, came to watch a few games and said could they play, and they started playing.

“My youngest daughter was very hesitant at playing hard ball cricket. We didn’t want to lose her and others to other clubs having brought them up through All Stars and Dynamos.

“So we needed different options for the older girls and women as hard ball cricket is not for everybody, but everyone can play Softball. It is fun and enjoyable.”

The eight-a-side end-of-season tournament at Bury St Edmunds CC featured an age range from 12-years-old to 60-plus, including women playing for the first time.

The Worlington Women’s Softball team

Sara said: “We have someone in the team who had never played cricket before. She sent a couple of wides down, but she then bowled the last over and there was not one wide.

“You might get out when batting and as a team you lose five runs from your total, but you stay in and you can get those five runs back. You are all in it for each other.

“It’s not taken too seriously; it is all about having fun whilst learning new skills.”

Sara’s love of the game saw her develop into a coach at the club, which runs a Women’s T20 Performance and Development teams.

Sara said: “There are plenty of clubs with Softball Cricket but not hard ball. We also have a big junior section and have also started female-only Dynamos sessions.

“We now have 10-12 Women’s Softball Cricket players in the club and around 20 hard ball players, which is enough for two teams.”

Suffolk Cricket Women’s and Girls’ Cricket Development Officer Amy Richford said: “It is fantastic to have role models like Sara developing the female game at our clubs across the county.

“It is vital that girls starting their cricket journey can see where they could be in the future, whether that is as a player, a coach or a volunteer at their club.”

If you are interested in playing Women’s Softball Cricket, please contact Amy Richford on 07928 395508 or via email  arichford@suffolkcricket.org

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