Speaking from personal experience, I was one of those people that didn’t enjoy watching a game of cricket or at least I thought I didn’t.

The truth is I had never really given it a chance.

My brother played cricket at school for a while and I always felt it was a male dominated sport…something girls just never got into. To be honest it was a little intimidating.

How quickly my attitude towards the game changed and it was all to do with my first day out at the cricket.  It was a beautiful sunny day 4 years ago in Brisbane. I was invited to a game with a boy I had just started dating. It was day one of the first Ashes test against England.

The Gabba was packed with thousands of excited fans. It was the first time I had ever heard about the ‘Barmy Army’ which are a group of fanatical English fans that like to dress up in red and white and make a lot of noise with instruments and their hysterical chants. Watching the Barmy Army support their fellow Englishmen is an experience not to be missed.

Drinks in the sun, great entertainment, lots of laughs and great company are always a good mix.

The rivalry between the two countries was unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. Australia and England are old enemies when it comes to cricket. The history goes way back between the two sides and as a spectator I could feel the tension as soon as I walked through the gates. 

Now, four years later, I am married to that same boy that introduced me to the game on that sunny afternoon in Brisbane. I now have a new respect and knowledge of the game that I once found intimidating.

I can relate to all the women out there who think of cricket as a day out for the boys but I can assure you nothing is further from the truth. It is a very social day where you get to have fun and meet new people.

You don’t have to be an expert to be able to appreciate it. Because I never played cricket growing up I didn’t understand the rules of the game, but the great thing about cricket is that it is easy to learn the finer points quite easily.

There is no better time to start appreciating the game than now as the pinnacle of Cricket; the Ashes, starts in November and goes right through to January. During these 3 months there will be a host of ladies luncheon’s and high teas that will be organised by Cricket Australia and the McGrath Foundation.

The atmosphere of the Ashes being played on Australian soil will be something you won’t want to miss.

So, have an open mind, try something different and you never know you may be transformed just like me!