2021 was an incredibly successful year for Women’s cricket, especially for those who played in the Hundred. It wasn’t just an opportunity to showcase the women’s game, it was also a benchmark of where the game has gone and where it could go. Speaking to London Spirit’s Naomi Dattani, she discussed her campaign and her goals for 2022 with us.
“The Hundred was an incredible experience playing, especially playing for the London Spirit and calling Lords our home ground,” Dattani said.
"It was so special to walk out to the middle of Lords in front of thousands of people, to see all those faces, all those smiles, the energy was incredible.
The Hundred has done an amazing job showcasing the women’s game in the mainstream, since the competition, more and more people I speak to are talking about it.
It is already inspiring the next generation of girls and boys to take up the sport, and more so, showing girls cricket is now a career for them. The momentum is now there to continue forward year on year and make Women’s cricket and sport a game to be invested in.”
Building on an important 2021, Naomi is eager to home her skills to set herself up for an explosive 2022:
“The 2022 season is all about trusting my skills and playing without fear. 2022 is about my process each game, staying present and enjoying one game at a time.
The season is so busy with different opportunities throughout, which is why I want to be able to soak it all up and give the best version of me each game. I’m excited to take the field with Sunrisers and showcase more of ourselves this season.”
Naomi is fully aware of her role not just within her side, but within the women’s game, and how she can inspire the next generation of young girls to pick up a bat.
“As a young girl first starting cricket, I’d say have as much fun as possible! Don’t worry about anything else, apart from hitting the ball as far as you can, bowl the ball as fast as you want and throw yourself around in the field.
As time progresses, when learning technical skills, don’t forget to embrace getting things wrong, and learn for the next day, getting better and better each time. The key thing, do what’s natural and play with a smile."
Keep an eye out for Naomi as she begins her 2022 campaign with the Sunrisers.
