Lucy Arman: “It’s been an outstanding season”
Tuesday 25th August 2026
With Kent Women’s final home Metro Bank One Day Cup group match taking place at the St Lawrence Ground on Sunday 6 September, we caught up with our Head of Women’s Cricket, Lucy Arman, to discuss the Horses’ progression in the second year of Project Darwin, as well as celebrating the successes throughout Kent Cricket’s Female Talent Pathway.
From my perspective, it’s been an outstanding season so far for Women and Girls Performance Cricket at Kent in 2026, with lots still to play for both for our Women’s first-team and in our Girls’ Age Group squads.
Firstly, there has been an incredible level of achievement and progression across our pathway. From our youngest County Age Group players through to the senior Women, teams and individuals have demonstrated the talent, determination and commitment that continues to drive the growth of women’s and girls’ cricket in Kent.
With impressive results, national competition success, valuable learning experiences and memorable moments, this has been a season to celebrate, and one that highlights an exciting future for Women’s & Girls’ cricket in Kent.
Kent Women
If we take the end of our first year in Tier 2 as the starting point, Kent Women have had an impressive year so far this Summer.
‘The Horses’ have reached a Vitality T20 Blast Finals Day, and have already qualified for the Semi Finals of the Metro Bank One Day Cup. This is a huge improvement on last year’s disappointing finishes, and is a testament to both the hard work and the culture building from the coaches to provide a platform for players to impress.
One player that has made the most of this is, of course, Coco Streets. Coco has been a revelation with the bat this Summer, and is currently well ahead of the chasing pack in terms of One Day Cup runs. Her multiple centuries are the headline here, but I must also draw attention to her ability in the field – on multiple occasions, she has taken some brilliant catches and has now earned her place in the conversation for potential professional contracts.
This is something relatively new to supporters of our Women’s team, that there’s potential for players that have done so well for Kent to then get picked up by a Tier 1 county.
Although it’s disappointing in the short term should players move on, we should be celebrating the strength of our pathway in having produced so many professional and international players. That has not showed signs of slowing down, with our Pathway still one of the strongest, and I’ll come on to that more later.
Our final first-team group home match is on Sunday 6 September, and a win there could see us secure a home semi-final in the One Day Cup. This comes off the back of reaching a T20 Finals Day after winning four matches in a row to propel ourselves back in the hunt after having been off the pace for a long part of the competition.
This shows that the squad have the talent and the mentality to achieve in the face of adversity, and I hope that we all make the most of our home advantage against the Leicestershire Foxes.
Don’t forget, entry to women’s home matches is included in all Kent Memberships, White Ball Passes and Youth/Junior Season Tickets, so I emplore you all to come and support your women’s team at the start of next month.
The end of the season will be the time for us to fully review this season, but for now, we must stay focused on 6 September.
Emerging/Academy Players
The 12 talents on our female Emerging Player Programme (EPP) have enjoyed a fantastic season, with every player excelling across their cricket environments and continuing to demonstrate their potential.
Seven of our players have earned placed in the Tier 1 Surrey Academy, and continue to make excellent progress within their professional academy programmes. As I mentioned above, seeing Kent players part of Surrey programmes might be a disappointment at first to Kent supporters, but these are opportunities to train and play in a professional cricket environment – something that seemed unthinkable even seven or eight years ago. We will always support players in their journey to becoming professional players.
The depth of talent across our own EPP and Tier 1 Academy players is hugely exciting, and the future for Kent Women and the professional game looks incredibly positive.
Genevieve Jeer, who has also been playing in our first-team this season, was selected for England Women U19s’ Tour to Australia earlier this year. This is an outstanding achievement and an important step in her international journey. We’re excited to see what the future holds for Genevie and her England opportunities, with her own ambition of one day captaining her country.
Four Kent players have also been selected for the Super 4s Best vs Best programme at Loughborough and have been invited to the School Games as part of the England U19 selection process.
We are incredibly proud to see our players being recognised at the highest levels. Their progression, ambition and commitment reflect the talent within our Pathway, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for these young players produced in Kent.
County Age Group Girls
Going down the Pathway, this has also been a fantastic season for our Girls’ County Age Group squads, with huge success, progression and learning across every age group.
This season saw an increased number of ECB competitions for our U14s and U16s, providing the girls with valuable opportunities to test themselves against some of the strongest teams in the country.
Our U13s and U15s, competing in non-ECB competitions, have made tremendous progress throughout the season. Both teams have shown great development, resilience and a real appetite to learn, with every match providing valuable experience. Both age groups also enjoyed summer tours to Rugby and Oakham, creating memories that will last a lifetime and strengthening the friendships and team spirit within the squads.
The U14s have gone from strength to strength, playing 18 matches and winning an impressive 15 of them. Their consistency and hard work throughout the season saw them finish top of the table, a fantastic achievement and a testament to the commitment of the players and coaching team.
Our U16s excelled in the T20 competition and enjoyed an outstanding run in the National 50-over competition, reaching the Quarter-Final and ultimately finishing 8th in the country, an incredible achievement that reflects the quality and progress within the squad.
There is still more to come from our U18s, who will play Hampshire in the National Semi-Final on Sunday 30 August, with the National Final taking place on Sunday 20 September.
Every player should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved, both individually and as part of their teams. The future looks incredibly exciting for Women and Girls’ cricket in Kent, and this season has demonstrated the talent, commitment and potential within our County Age Group programme.
Early Engagement Programme and Kent Regional Development Programme
The Girls’ section of the Kent Regional Development Programme (KRDP) has continued to grow from strength to strength this season, providing talented girls from U10 through to U17 level with valuable opportunities to develop their skills, gain experience and progress within the Kent Talent Pathway.
Talented young players from across the county have come together for development opportunities and festival matches, allowing them to test themselves in a supportive and competitive environment.
The programme has also strengthened links with recreational clubs in our county, helping to support player development within the recreational game and creating a clear pathway for young cricketers to progress up to county level.
The enthusiasm, commitment and improvement shown by the players throughout the season has been fantastic to see and provides a strong foundation for the continued growth of girls’ cricket across Kent.
Thank you
Finally, thank you for all of your support of Kent Women so far this Summer.
Whether you’ve been at Canterbuy and Beckenham to cheer us on, followed us away around the country, or even been at one of our two T20 Double Headers this Summer, we’re really appreciative of your continued backing of our Kent Women.
I hope to see as many of you as possible at the St Lawrence Ground on Sunday 6 September against Leicestershire Foxes, as we look to secure a home Semi Final in the One Day Cup.
Up the Horses!
Next Women’s Home Match
Kent Women close the group stage of the Metro Bank One Day Cup at home on 6 September:
Get your tickets now
Entry is INCLUDED in all 2026 Memberships, White Ball Passes & Youth/Junior Season Tickets!
The St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury will be hosting a Women’s One Day International between England & Bangladesh on Tuesday 21 September 2027!
The second of a three-match series, this will be a day/night fixture, beginning at 12:30pm.
This will be the first time that Bangladesh Women will have played at the St Lawrence Ground in the venue’s storied 183-year history, and the return of a Bangladesh international side to Canterbury since Bangladesh’s Men’s side faced Australia in a Men’s ODI in June 2005.
Canterbury’s International Women’s matches are always extremely well attended, with last year’s International fixture between England Women & New Zealand Women at the St Lawrence Ground selling out in record time.
The Ticket Ballot for this fixture will open on Wednesday 2 September, with successful applicants notified via e-mail on Thursday 1 October.
You can register your interest in entering the Ballot today via the form below:
Register your interest now
Kent Life Members & 2027 Annual Members do not need to enter the Ticket Ballot for next Summer’s ODI in Canterbury – they will have an exclusive pre-sale ticket priority window to get their tickets at special Kent Member prices. Life Members and 2026 Members have been contacted via e-mail with more information.
Everyone that attended England Women vs. New Zealand Women at the St Lawrence Ground this Summer also do not need to enter the Ticket Ballot – they will also enjoy an exclusive ticket priority window to secure their tickets before the public Ballot closes, and all purchasers from 2026’s International fixture have been contacted via e-mail with more information.
The Ticket Ballot for Non-Kent Members, and those that didn’t attend England Women vs. New Zealand Women in Canterbury back in May, will open on Tuesday 2 September.
You can register your interest in entering the Ballot today via the form below:
