Flamstead Cricket Club has begun its 140th season of cricket with the honour of playing the first game falling to the club’s U11 girls.

It is the first time in the club’s history that there has been a girls’ team at Flamstead and chairman Nic Brownlie believes it will be the first of many.

“We have a great history of involving girls in our club - current first team player Helen Gibson is a county women’s representative at just 17 years of age - but this is the first time we have worked to develop a squad of girls to compete in a girls league. The response has been fantastic,” he said.

Flamstead’s U11s are playing in the Hertfordshire Junior League this summer and began their campaign against a seasoned Harpenden team at St George’s School on Sunday morning.

Despite the challenge of playing against more experienced players, every member of the Flamstead team scored their first runs for the club and the honour of taking the first wicket fell to Charlotte Bennett.

Club President, Harry Birtley, who has been involved in cricket at Flamstead for more than 50 years, was on hand to congratulate the newest recruits to Flamstead’s cricketing ranks.

Flamstead, who obtained ECB Clubmark status at the end of last summer, is still on the lookout for new players. Contact can be made via the club’s website at www.flamstead-cc.co.uk.