Nottinghamshire’s Gabi Brown and Jemima Dalton have been recognised among 53 women shaping the future of cricket as the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup gets underway.

Last summer Brown became just the second woman – after fellow Notts native Sue Redfern – to be accepted onto the Professional Umpire Team. After umpiring at every women’s domestic final last year, along with appearances in the One Day Cup and The Hundred, she will stand in her first IT20 and ODI this year. She was named PCA Women’s Umpire of the Year last summer.

Brown’s umpiring journey began in 2022, umpiring in men’s club cricket fixtures in Notts alongside Second XI and women’s academy games. She also serves as an ECB tutor, mentor and developer.

“I would encourage any women and girls to get involved in cricket, in whatever capacity,” she said.

“It gives you the opportunity to be part of a fantastic community and you never know where it’ll take you!”

Dalton, meanwhile, is Nottinghamshire’s Women and Girls Officer, and has been Chair of the East Midlands Women’s Cricket League since its formation in 2019/20.

Now in its seventh summer, the league has grown from an initial 32 teams to 211 in 2026, and is recognised as the most successful league of its kind in the country.

The league offers four different playing formats, with varied entry points and a clear development pathway for both players and teams. 

At a county level, Nottinghamshire now has the highest percentage nationally of junior sections with a girls section, while there are 4,000 females playing cricket in the EMWCL. 

The collaborative work of the East Midlands counties was recognised at the ECB’s Impact of Cricket awards, with the counties jointly winning the Partnerships Award.

Captain of the Saturday 2nd XI at Blyth CC, Dalton is also Junior Co-Ordinator and Women’s First XI captain for her club, and has been an ECB Coach Developer since 2021.

“Cricket has the power to transform lives, and create positive, safe and supportive environments,” she said.

“So much of what we learn through cricket can shape the people we are; mental resilience, teamwork, being physically active, and just having fun.”