Saturday 27 September 2014 12:37, UK
England Women cricket vice-captain Heather Knight hopes increased media coverage can encourage more girls to aspire to become professional sportswomen.
England began 2014 by retaining The Ashes, before reaching the final of the ICC World Twenty20 and rounding off the year with a 3-0 T20I series whitewash against South Africa.
Their exploits have generated widespread attention across the media and all-rounder Knight is pleased to be one of the sportswomen at the forefront of the shift in coverage.
"There's a massive buzz around not just women's cricket but women's sport at the moment and it's brilliant to be involved in," Knight told Sky Sports.
“Nobody would have expected how far we've come in recent years in terms of press, and contracts and new sponsorship deals etc.
“When I was growing up I didn't know anything about the women's cricket team but now youngsters growing up are seeing us on telly and are reading about us a little bit more.
“It’s great that is now the case and young girls now see it as normal to see women in sport and hopefully, they think it's cool to be a woman in sport.
"It's just great to be a part of all of it at the moment and hopefully we will keep going in an upwards direction.
“The support Sky in particular have given us is amazing and long may it continue.”
Knight, who will play Australian state cricket for Tasmania this winter, came up against former England spinner Ashley Giles in a record-breaking match on Friday.
The pair were part of a world record for the highest-ever match after playing a 10-over a side match at an altitude of 18,910 feet near the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Knight’s team won the match and the 24-year-old, who is becoming an increasingly potent weapon with the ball, was particularly pleased to have bowled out England’s former limited-overs coach Giles.
She said: "It was tough running between the wickets but it was easy bowling Ashley Giles out! Fully worth coming all this way, with such an amazing feeling getting to the top, and, I hope, breaking a world record!"
