As featured on Wisden.
Wisden is proud to be partnering with Maiden Cricket as our official Women's and Girls' Cricket Kit partner.
Despite record growth in women's and girls' cricket in the UK over the last five years, cricket kit is still predominantly designed for men. A 2025 study by the ECB and Inclusive Sportswear found that 80 per cent of professional female cricketers surveyed had issues with trousers, while 61 per cent of recreational female players reported concerns about fit and sizing.
Two years ago, sisters Honor and Cat Black decided it was time for change. Having grown up frustrated by playing cricket in kit designed for boys and men, they founded Maiden to address the gender kit gap. Maiden now creates clothing, teamwear and equipment specifically for women and girls, guided by its principle: "Built for her. Not adapted from his."
Since it was founded in 2024, Maiden has worked with clubs, schools, universities and county boards across the UK, and has built a community of more than 350 ambassadors. Recently, Honor and Cat were featured on BBC One's Dragons' Den, receiving offers of investment from all five dragons, and have expanded into the US.
The Player Advisory Board
This week, Maiden launched its new Player Advisory Board at The Oval, which also marked the start of a 12 month partnership with Wisden. Over the next 12 months, Maiden will have a regular presence across our Women's Cricket Weekly podcast and wider channels. We'll be working together to raise Maiden's profile, bring the brand to life and collaborate on other opportunities throughout the year.
The Player Advisory Board features former and current professional players: Alex Hartley, Phoebe Graham, Naomi Dattani, Fi Morris and Mia Rogers, who will advise on product development, equipment and bat strategy, player sponsorship and wider business decisions, helping ensure their experiences shape what Maiden creates and how it grows.
"Until around two years ago, even the shorts we were given as professional players had pouches designed for boxes," said Morris. "Some of the best players in the world have still been playing in kit designed for men. Earlier this year, I was involved in a situation where the men's measurements had been used for a women's game. How is this still happening when we're full-time professionals?"
Hartley, who was part of England's iconic 2017 World Cup win at Lord's, remembers struggling with pads that were too heavy, and straps that did not fit during her playing career. "Pads for me were always a nightmare," she said. "The straps were always too long and the pads too big and too heavy."
Maiden co-founder Honor Black said: "More people than ever watched this year's Women's T20 World Cup, but too many players are still being told to make do with kit that was never made for them. Cat and I know that feeling, and I don't want the next generation to feel the way I did.
"If we're going to grow cricket, it has to start at grassroots, with girls feeling the game has got them, and that starts with the kit. Bringing the best players into the business means we build what female cricketers actually need, not what they're expected to put up with."