Jasmine Nicholls At Yorkshire County Cricket Club Becomes First Woman To Prepare Pitch At Headingley
Jasmine, 28, led the team at the stadium to cultivate conditions for the England v Pakistan Women’s IT20 game on Sunday 19th May.
She has also played a part in priming the field for the England Men’s T20 on Wednesday 22nd.
Jasmine said: “To be the first female here at Headingley, and to create my first international pitch, you can’t get much better than that.
“I’m actually trying not to think about being the first female, it can be a little bit overwhelming.”
Jasmine has worked as part of the ground staff team at Headingley for just over a year but this is the first time she has taken the lead behind the scenes. Ahead of every match, the seven‑strong team mow, press, dehydrate and flood the field, influencing the conditions and pace of play.
As the first woman to be employed as a full‑time member of ground staff at Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) Jasmine said she had set a personal target to lead the work, describing the challenge as a “definite milestone,” and she thanked her “incredible” team for being “so supportive”.
Jasmine said: “The team here have been absolutely incredible, they’ve supported me through everything.
“I couldn’t have done any of it – including creating this pitch – without any of them, especially the boss (Richard Robinson, Head of Grounds for YCCC) – Robbo and everyone else has really believed in me.”
Stephen Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer for YCCC, said: “Jasmine’s ground‑breaking achievement is testament to her commitment and passion for the sport. Her role in overseeing the pitch for the England v Pakistan Women’s IT20 marks a significant milestone, highlighting the evolving landscape of cricket in Yorkshire.
“There are so many incredible women, like Jasmine working not only throughout cricket, but across many other industries too, and it’s great that we have been able to have Jasmine lead, alongside an equally incredible ground staff team, here at Headingley, and play such a crucial role for such a stellar fixture in Yorkshire’s calendar.
“As we witnessed a strong England Women’s performance on the weekend, it’s imperative not only to applaud the athletes gracing the field but also extraordinary individuals like Jasmine, whose tireless efforts behind the scenes, alongside all the Yorkshire team, contribute immensely to the success of the game.
“Grounds staff are essential in making sport possible, and the game as we know and love it depends on the vital contributions made by women in every area – from grounds management to coaching, refereeing, player care and representation, media, HR, marketing, finance and more.
“I hope the girls watching from the stands on Sunday will be inspired to get involved in cricket – whether that’s enjoying rewarding careers in the sport or picking up a bat and a ball and giving it a go.”
The increasing appeal and media coverage for the turf industry is fantastic news for those involved across the board, and this latest ground-breaking story is a great addition to the trailblazers within an all‑female grounds team who prepared the pitch at the Emirates Stadium earlier this year.
Images Credit: Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
