As a fan of the Sussex Sharks I was delighted to see that the club want to try to attract more women to the sport.

However, I was not pleased to see that Sussex have decided to have a Ladies Night on August 28 to try and do this.

Giving one night to “ladies” is not the way to attract more women to the game.

It suggests women will only be interested in attending cricket if they can dress up.

It also implies that all the other nights are for men. Having been a supporter of the Sharks since the age of five, I am very disappointed by this.

All too often at matches now there are scantily clad women such as the so called “npower girls” or the “cow girls” at the recent TW20 final.

These images encourage television commentators to comment on the bodies of girls young enough to be their daughters or even granddaughters. It creates an environment in which female fans feel less safe and welcome than before.

It suggests that cricket is still viewed as a men’s game, despite the increasing number of women watching the game and the outstanding success of women’s teams.

It is important to remember that the England women’s team, which has been greatly strengthened by Sussex players, has outshone the men’s team in recent competitions.

Clare Calder

Brighton and Hove Member of the UK Youth Parliament, Member, Sussex County Cricket Club, Shaftesbury Road, Brighton