For Honor Black and her sister Cat, the idea behind Maiden Cricket was born from the all-too-familiar frustration of trying to play a sport in kit that was never designed for the female form.
The driving force behind the idea was more than an over-sized shirt or baggy trousers, it was the feeling that girls were an afterthought in a game that they loved. So, rather than accept that as a trade-off for playing a male-dominated game, the sisters decided to do something about it.
As Honor Black explains, the experience was personal long before it became a business opportunity.
“Growing up, Cat and I wore hand-me-downs from our brother or kit that was too big for us. One moment that really stuck with us was when Cat got her period during a match and had to leave the pitch. The boys and even the coach questioned why she was going, which showed how little people understood what girls experienced playing cricket.”
It was hardly an ideal introduction to the not insignificant challenges of playing cricket as a girl. But the sisters were not exactly over-burdened with alternatives.
“We didn’t have our own girls’ team either, and we were both getting to the point of giving up,” adds Black. “We loved the sport, but the kit and the wider experience made us feel like we didn’t quite fit in. We realised other girls were probably facing the same problems, so we decided to do something about it.”
That thought process would eventually become the Maiden Cricket brand, a business built around the idea that female players should not have to make do with equipment and clothing designed for boys and men. The only surprising thing about it is that it is a problem that still exists, despite the huge rise of interest in the women’s game.
From cricket frustration to Maiden Cricket
The project started with a conversation at home, when the sisters told their dad they were thinking of walking away from the sport. His response was not quite the one they expected.
“It started one Friday evening when we told Dad we were thinking about giving up cricket. Instead of telling us to stick at it, he suggested we try to solve the problem ourselves.”
The suggestion gave the sisters plenty to think about. The next stage involved turning the issue into a business idea, with a little inspiration from outside the cricket world.
“We spent the next few weeks coming up with ideas in our bedroom, looking at school PE kits and taking inspiration from fashion. We wanted something practical that girls would actually want to wear. Dad helped us take the idea forward, we worked with a designer and visited a factory in Portugal to look at fabrics. What started as a personal passion project became Maiden in 2024.”
The plan from bedroom brainstorm to business set-up was not simply about giving a different look to existing cricket clothing. The sisters started by identifying the needs of female players and developed the product line from there.
The idea is built into the brand’s tagline — “Built for her. Not adapted from him.”
“It means starting with women and girls, rather than taking men’s kit and making adjustments,” says Black. “We grew up wearing kit that didn’t fit properly, so we know first-hand how much that can affect your experience of playing.”
There is a wider issue at play besides the product itself. Getting girls into cricket has always been a challenge. It’s not the obvious sporting choice ahead of netball, hockey, athletics, or even football. The sisters’ experience of the game has shaped their view of how much the small details can matter in swaying that decision towards cricket.
“Getting girls into cricket is one thing, but keeping them in the sport is just as important. If they’re uncomfortable or don’t feel catered for, that can be another reason to give up. Kit that fits properly won’t solve every barrier, but it can make playing a much better experience.”
Reshaping product development
Maiden’s early progress came through supplying the sisters’ own school, where the response helped demonstrate that their experience was not isolated.
“It showed us that the problem we’d experienced wasn’t unique to us, and there was a much bigger need for clothing designed specifically for female cricketers.”
The range has since moved beyond girls’ clothing into adult kit, equipment and team-wear. But deciding what comes next is not simply a matter of guessing what might sell. Listening to the people who actually use the products plays a big part.
“A lot of what we develop comes from speaking to players and understanding what’s missing. Our community of more than 350 ambassadors helps with that, and we’ve also launched a Player Advisory Board of five professional players to give us more direct input into product development. We want the people using our kit to have a say in what we make next.”
That fledgling community has become more than a way of getting the Maiden name in front of potential customers. It also provides a route back into the business, bringing feedback from players at different levels of the game.
“It’s been a huge part of our growth. Cricket is a close-knit sport, and having people who genuinely believe in what we’re doing has helped us reach players and clubs we might not otherwise have connected with.”
Black is keen to distinguish the ambassadors from a conventional promotional network. Their value is not just in spreading the word, but in grasping the reason why the business was created in the first place.
“Our ambassadors aren’t just there to promote the brand. They’re people who understand why Maiden exists, and their feedback helps us work out what we’re doing well and where we can improve. Having that connection with players across the game has been invaluable as we’ve grown.”
Growing the women’s game beyond the kit
The ambition is, of course, to make Maiden a commercial success, but the sisters also want to help address some of the barriers that prevent girls from participating in cricket in the first place.
The business has teamed up with law firm Gateley, which has provided kit and equipment to schools and teams, alongside investment to support girls’ cricket. In addition, a partnership with SNAP Sponsorship is intended to help clubs, schools and universities find funding for their women’s and girls’ programmes.
“It’s about tackling the barriers that stop girls playing, whether that’s not having suitable kit or not having the resources to run a team. We want to help make it easier for more girls to get involved and keep playing.”
That makes absolute sense for the business, of course. The more girls who play, the greater the potential market for female-first products. And the sisters want to make that happen by helping to create a better experience for those players.
Dragons’ Den, investment and international ambition
The profile of the business received a significant early boost when the sisters appeared on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, receiving investment offers from all five Dragons. Ultimately, they decided not to take the investment, but it was not an overnight decision.
“Receiving offers from all five Dragons was incredible, especially at that stage of the business. We took the opportunity seriously and spent around a year going through due diligence after filming.”
By the time that process had played out, the business had found another route to the funding it needed.
“We actually ended up raising the funding we needed elsewhere. The process moved more quickly, so we reached a point where we didn’t need to go ahead with the Dragons’ investment. It was largely down to timing and how the business had developed.”
“It showed us that people could see the potential in Maiden, and that we could attract investment and back ourselves as young founders.”
The firm subsequently raised more than £400,000, valuing the business at £2.1m. Black says the identity and outlook of those investors mattered as much as the money.
“It’s really important. Raising that money was a huge milestone, but we also wanted investors who understood why we started Maiden in the first place. We’re ambitious about growing the business, but we’re trying to solve a problem we’ve experienced ourselves. We need people who see the commercial opportunity and understand why female-first cricket kit matters.”
Unlikely as it might seem in the land dominated by baseball, Maiden launched in the US in August 2026, partnering with the Seattle Orcas Women’s T20 Exhibition.
“The US is an exciting opportunity for us, particularly with cricket returning to the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028. Our partnership with the Seattle Orcas Women’s T20 Exhibition was our first step into the market, supplying match kit, training wear and specialist equipment.”
Making female-first cricket kit the norm
As the market develops, it’s likely that Maiden will not be the only brand looking to serve female cricketers for very long. Black accepts that competition is inevitable, but does not necessarily see that as a threat.
“We want Maiden to become the go-to brand for women and girls playing cricket, and for properly designed kit to become the expectation across the sport.”
“We’ll keep working with players, clubs and governing bodies to develop products that solve real problems. Our Player Advisory Board is a big part of that, making sure professional players have a voice in what we do next.”
“As the market grows, other brands will inevitably see the opportunity, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. More choice and investment in women’s cricket can only help the game. But we have the advantage of knowing exactly why Maiden was started, because Cat and I experienced the problems ourselves. We need to keep listening, improving our products and staying close to the players we’re here for. That’s how we’ll keep moving forward.”
Establishing a line of sportswear is only one part of the challenge; the real ambition is to create a future in which girls no longer have to search for cricket kit that fits, because they are no longer an afterthought within the game.
Key takeaways
- Maiden Cricket was founded by Honor and Cat Black in 2024 after years of playing in ill-fitting kit designed for men, including a match Cat had to leave after getting her period, which showed how little people understood what girls experienced playing cricket.
- The brand’s tagline, “Built for her. Not adapted from him”, reflects a product-first approach that starts with female players’ needs rather than adapting men’s kit.
- Maiden received offers from all five Dragons’ Den investors but declined, instead raising over £400,000 at a £2.1m valuation from investors who shared the brand’s mission.
- A community of more than 350 ambassadors and a Player Advisory Board of five professional players feed directly into product development.
- Maiden launched in the US in August 2026, partnering with the Seattle Orcas Women’s T20 Exhibition, with LA 2028 Olympics cricket as a growth target.
