Bell took his first steps into the game at Hungerford Cricket Club, but spent much of his youth playing against boys.
That hasn't been a problem for the fast-bowling Bell, but the 23-year-old knows that's not the case for everyone and is acutely aware of the value of the girls playing together.
Speaking at the launch of the Metrobank Girls in Cricket Fund, Ms Bell said: “It's really important to get more girls involved.”
“Some girls will feel really comfortable and probably really happy on the men's team, but in order to get more girls involved, it's important to be with the other women and not constantly against the men's team. It's very important that you feel comfortable.''Certainly they want to participate and feel comfortable.
We are delighted to announce the launch of the Metrobank Girls in Cricket Fund. @ECB_cricket
we want to do that 👇
• Triple the number of women's teams by the end of 2026 ✅
• Increase the number of women's cricket volunteers and coaches ✅
• Creating a new generation… pic.twitter.com/6T2nfVUPnc— Metro Bank (@Metro_Bank) May 9, 2024
“I'm definitely more comfortable playing with girls than playing with boys. When I was in school, there was a girls' team there, but I was good enough to play on the boys' team. Girls always played with me. It was clearly scary.
The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund is co-designed and jointly funded by Metro Bank and the ECB, with a focus on recruiting, educating, supporting and celebrating the people who make women's cricket at their clubs possible. The goal is to triple the number of girls. to the club's team by the end of 2026.
The 2023 National Cricket Survey identified a clear lack of female coaches in the core women's game as one of the key barriers for women and girls at all levels.
“It's really important for kids to have female role models and women they can talk to,” Bell added. “I feel much more comfortable and much more secure.
“It’s great to have someone like Charlotte Edwards as head coach and grow and it’s really important to have more women in roles like that and there’s still room for growth in cricket. There are many.”
Bell secured three wickets against Pakistan in the first of the three-match T20 series at Edgbaston on Saturday, completing a successful stint in his native England and set to play a key role throughout the summer.
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Furthermore, she added: “The series is so exciting when you come back from being away all winter. You get a chance to play in front of your home crowd and inspire the key people you want to inspire. I can.
“It's summer time again when we're trying to inspire and entertain girls. They're inspired by last summer and want to come back.”
Lauren Bell spoke on behalf of Metrobank. Visit metrobankonline.co.uk/cricket to find out more about the Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund and help champion the future of women's cricket.