CHAIR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE REVIEW - 2025

To our Members, Players, Volunteers, and the Scottish cricket community, 

 

As 2025 draws to a close, we hope everyone across Scottish cricket who celebrated enjoyed a very happy Christmas, and we wish you all a peaceful and prosperous New Year when it arrives.

 

The past year has been an exceptionally busy one for our team at Cricket Scotland. At times it has been challenging, but above all it has been a year of consolidation and steady progress, both on and off the pitch.

 

Eighteen months into our current strategy – Uniting People and Communities through Cricket, we are now beginning to see the impact of the significant work being undertaken by our Board, Executive, staff, regional associations, club volunteers and partners across Scotland. It feels an appropriate moment to reflect on what has been achieved in 2025 and to look ahead with confidence to 2026.

 

Inspiring Women and Girls 

 

In March, we launched our Women and Girls Action Plan, setting out a clear roadmap to grow participation, visibility and financial sustainability within the women’s game. The positive impact made in this area in just nine months has been sizeable and extremely exciting.

 

The number of female coaches completing ICC Foundation, Level 1 and Level 2 has risen from 38 to 74. There has been a 40% increase in the number of girls school teams, while 32% of clubs across Scotland now offer women or girls-only cricket, a jump from 23% in 2024. Growth in the Girls Only Dynamos programme has doubled nationwide, and in the west of Scotland alone by 200%. These figures are hugely encouraging for the continued development of the women’s game, but it is only the start.

 

 

We are grateful for the continued support of Heriot-Watt University Dubai, whose sponsorship of our senior women’s team and women’s Under-19s complements the long-standing work of Beyond Boundaries at club and community level, including the successful Wee Bash programme. Together, these partnerships support the women’s pathway from grassroots through to performance.

 

In October, Cricket Scotland hosted the ICC Europe Female Leaders’ Summit in Glasgow, welcoming female cricket leaders from across Europe to share learning and leadership practice. This event reinforced Scotland’s growing reputation as a progressive voice in the women’s game.

 

 

We are also proud to have supported the launch of the Catching History research project, recognising and preserving the legacy of the pioneers of Scotland’s women’s team.

 

Embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 

 

Our EDI Action Plan, launched in June, moved from strategy into delivery during 2025. A key milestone was the introduction of Cricket Scotland’s EDI e-learning modules, now certified by the National Centre for Diversity. These modules represent an important step in creating a consistently welcoming environment across our sport, and we encourage everyone involved in cricket to complete them.

 

 

Our wider community work continues to demonstrate cricket’s social impact. Crieff High School’s participation in the National Table Cricket Finals at Lord’s received national media coverage, while Tynecastle High School was named School of the Year at the Chance to Shine Awards for its Girls Leadership Programme delivered in partnership with Cricket Scotland. Meanwhile we were nominated as Chance to Shine's Delivery Partner of the Year, recognising the consistent excellence of our staff and coaches in how they support this important partnership.

 

The drive to ensure cricket is available to all, in every community, is underpinned by accessibility. This is being supported by our teacher CPD programme, launched in January, which allows teachers in state schools to introduce cricket to primary and secondary school children. To date, more than 200 teachers from over 120 schools have received training, with this rollout set to continue across 2026.

 

 

During the year, new Street Cricket hubs were opened in Glasgow and Edinburgh, alongside a Girls-only Wicketz hub in Glasgow.

 

Creating Sustainable Success on the Pitch 

 

On the pitch, 2025 delivered a number of memorable moments.

 

The Scotland Under-19 Women reached the Super Six stage of the World Cup for the first time, a groundbreaking achievement, with several players progressing into the senior squad. The senior women picked up the ICC Global Development Award for Associate Performance of the Year, before narrowly missing qualification for the 50-over World Cup in April, despite a memorable win over West Indies. They bounced back with a win at the T20 Quad Cup in November, and now head into 2026 with a strong platform as they prepare for the crucial ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier in Nepal.

 

The men’s team enjoyed successful home series against Nepal and the Netherlands in Dundee and Glasgow, supported by enthusiastic crowds. While the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier proved disappointing, the team recovered with a strong series win in Canada and remains well placed in ICC Cricket World Cup League 2.

 

 

We thank outgoing men’s coaches Doug Watson and Craig Wright for their service and welcome Owen Dawkins and Gordon Drummond as the new coaching team.

 

In August, Scotland Under-19 Men won the ICC Europe World Cup Qualifier in Dundee, defeating the Netherlands in a thrilling final. The match was live streamed to more than 60,000 viewers worldwide, reflecting growing interest in our pathways. The squad now travels to Zimbabwe for the Under-19 World Cup in January.

 

 

Looking ahead, 2026 will see Scotland host men’s CWCL2 fixtures against Canada and UAE, and we aim to host senior women’s international cricket for the first time since 2022 as part of preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.

 

Plans are also underway to deliver both men’s and women’s regional cricket in 2026, recognising the need for a stronger bridge between club and international cricket and enhanced development opportunities for players and coaches.

 

Governance and the Business of Cricket 

 

In the autumn, we met with the new ICC Chair and CEO, strengthening Scotland’s profile on the international stage. Looking ahead to the Scottish elections in May 2026, we will continue to work closely with sportscotland and the Scottish Sports Association to demonstrate to Scottish Government that investment in facilities and funding are critical to the sustainable future of Scottish cricket, while highlighting the progress cricket has made as an inclusive, welcoming sport for all. We’ll also continue to support the Scottish Governing Bodies Running on Empty campaign to advocate for increased funding which, if successful, will see improved investment across all sporting governing bodies in Scotland.

 

 

Important progress has been made in strengthening Cricket Scotland’s governance. New Board Committees including Domestic Cricket and Commercial, Communications and Marketing are already adding value, with Performance and EDI Committees to follow in 2026 as the revised governance framework takes full effect.

 

We continue to improve how we support clubs and regions. Work is underway to integrate SCRS and CS Live into a single system with an exciting announcement to be made in the coming weeks that will simplify administration and improve data quality across the game.

 

A draft Facilities Strategy, developed in collaboration with clubs, will shortly enter public consultation. Alongside this, we are working with Regional Associations to develop 13 Local Area Development Plans, with initial engagement completed during the autumn and further progress planned in early 2026.

 

 

To our Funders and Partners - Thank You

 

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our funding partners, the International Cricket Council and sportscotland, whose continued support underpins the delivery of our strategy and the sustainability of cricket in Scotland. We are equally grateful to our official sponsors, Toyota and Parkmead Group. Together with our official partners, suppliers and charity delivery partners, their commitment, energy and shared passion are instrumental in strengthening the reach and impact of cricket across Scotland. We would encourage you to support our valued partners where you can - you can find more details about them elsewhere on our website.

 

Key Challenges and Looking Ahead 

 

While 2025 brought many successes, challenges remain. Regional and club engagement, the expansion of women’s and youth cricket and optimising our high performance and performance pathway opportunities require continued focus; while operational and financial pressures underscore the importance of strategic, sustainable decision-making.

 

Rebuilding trust, strengthening relationships and improving communication with our members, clubs, players, coaches and volunteers remains central to our strategy. We are acutely aware of the challenges Scottish cricket faces and of the financial pressures affecting sport more broadly. Progress has taken time, but the foundations are now firmer.

 

In 2026, we will continue to focus on smart, sustainable decision-making; clearer communication through improved digital systems and increased in-person engagement; and the development of performance pathways that allow Scottish players to thrive.

 

Above all, we remain committed to ensuring cricket in Scotland is inclusive, welcoming and reflective of the communities it serves.

 

Beyond 2026 

 

We remain ambitious for Scottish cricket. Plans for the long-term development of facilities, enhanced high performance and performance pathways along with major events including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2030 and the opportunity for Scottish cricket to be part of cricket’s return to the Olympic Games in 2028 remain central to our vision, as we seek to inspire players, clubs and communities across the country.

 

Scottish cricket achieves a great deal with limited resources. The team at Cricket Scotland cannot achieve the successes we’ve had without you: our members, volunteers, players, officials and supporters. On behalf of the team at Cricket Scotland, we thank you sincerely for your commitment, passion and belief in the game, and we look forward with optimism to 2026 and beyond.

 

With best wishes,

 

Wilf Walsh      Trudy Lindblade

 

Chair                 Chief Executive Officer