Bermuda's women cricketers gear up for the season

Bermuda's women cricketers had their first practice session of the season this week with the hope of eventually forming a national squad.

Bermuda Cricket Board chief executive Neil Speight said: "The board is now in charge of ladies cricket. One of the areas we are looking to get kick-started is having a national squad."

The board hopes to encourage a schools programme having noted the growing interest in women's cricket all over the world.

However women's cricket in Bermuda has had a chequered history. A women's inter-service league launched in 2004 consisting of teams from Prisons, Police, Post Office and Customs petered out after the latter two pulled out said Paynter, a 36-year-old Police constable.

"We wanted the services to come together as the women didn't do much," she said.

Next they tried to get something at club level.

"We got a response from one or two teams but there wasn't enough to sustain a league."

But she will not be put off as the game is in her blood and her love of cricket has taken her as far as Australia last year to watch a West Indies Test match.