Presenter Biographies

Joe Ashdown, Joe Ashdown Sports
I am a Level 3 Cricket Coach,  and have been coaching cricket for over a decade across schools, clubs, and community settings. I work with players of all ages and abilities—from complete beginners in school, club players, county-level juniors, and higher—but I’m especially passionate about helping girls fall in love with the game. My focus is always on creating a fun, inclusive environment where every player feels valued, supported, and inspired to keep coming back each week. 

Leigh Burns, CEO and Founder Lacuna Sports Ltd
Leigh Burns is the founder and CEO of Lacuna Sports Ltd, a women’s performance cricketwear company created to address the massive gap in the market for female cricketers.  Starting in 2019, Leigh identified this gap from the experience of her teenage daughter, excelling at the sport yet being forced to wear ill-fitting clothes made for boys or men. 6 years on, Lacuna has gained a passionate following and is one of the pioneering young British brands shaping the future of inclusive sportswear.
Prior to launching Lacuna Sports, Leigh had a long corporate career in global healthcare management. She spent the 10 years prior to Lacuna Sports at International SOS, a global travel risk management and assistance company, holding various executive commercial and strategic roles serving complex, multi-cultural environments around the world.
Leigh holds an MBA in Healthcare Management and Strategy from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. She proudly serves as a Trustee to Bat for a Chance, a charity providing upcycled and unused kit and equipment to players in need, an Advisor to GB hockey player Tess Howard’s Inclusive Sportswear movement and a volunteer within state schools through Inspiring the Future.

Amanda Bacon
Amanda, 52, is a mother of energetic seven-year-old twin daughters and has dedicated over four decades to women’s cricket, playing both indoor and outdoor formats at club, county, and even country level, where she has had the honour of captaining. For the past 15 years, she has shared her experience and passion for the game through coaching, inspiring the next generation of players. Although she once retired from competitive cricket, Amanda made a return after relocating from her home county of Nottinghamshire to Liverpool, where she continues to both play and coach. Alongside her sporting achievements, she is supported by her wife and has built a successful career outside of cricket, balancing professional ambitions with family life and her enduring love for the game.

Jane Hough, Derbyshire County Cricket Club
I learnt to score 38 years ago at Etwall Cricket Club. Following a break for children (you can’t score and look after toddlers) I returned to the game when our daughter started playing kwik cricket. I scored for both of the children’s teams and in 2012 I returned to senior cricket scoring for our village team, Ockbrook & Borrowash CC 2nd XI.  After a promotion to score for the first team in 2014 I decided to extend my scoring knowledge and booked on to the ECB ACO’s Level 2 course where I met Polly Rhodes (Somerset Men’s 1st XI) and Sue Drinkwater (Worcestershire Men’s 1st XI) who were the tutors.  They opened my eyes to the world of Professional Cricket and encouraged me to seek more opportunities. In 2015 Derbyshire advertised for 2nd XI scorers and I applied and was successful. In 2023 I was appointed as Derbyshire Men’s 1st XI scorer. Alongside my job I volunteer in cricket running Ockbrook & Borrowash’s Women’s section and am the National Scorer Development Lead for ECB ACO

Jemima Dalton, Chair of the East Midlands Women’s Cricket League

Jemima has played cricket at Blyth CC in North Notts since she was 8 years old and has been junior co-ordinator and lead coach at the club since 2018. Since 2019 she has captained the Saturday second XI team in the Bassetlaw & District League. In 2019 Jemima set up the women’s section at Blyth which has grown significantly with 3 women’s teams, including Softball, Super 8s 100 and XIs. Since 2021 she has been captain of the Women’s XI. In addition to her roles at Blyth she is Chair of East Midlands Women’s Cricket League, coaches at NCCC where she is also the Women and Girls Development Officer and became an ECB Coach Developer in 2021. Jemima is a qualified umpire and has stood in Women’s cricket and open Saturday league cricket.

Gemma Barton, Attenborough Cricket Club

Following her love for sport, Gemma has undertaken a number of roles in the industry, starting out at British Gymnastics before moving to the ECB in 2023. Gemma is currently Head of Enabling and Inspiring Women’s and Girls’ Participation at the ECB, responsible for growing the game across the country, and enabling more women and girls to pick up a bat and ball. With over 18 years’ experience across the sports sector, locally, nationally and internationally, she has driven cultural change, championed inclusion, and led national programmes. As a player, coach and manager of Attenborough Cricket Club’s Women and Girls’ section ‘The Starlings’ she shares her passion for participation, education, and equity.