In the busy atmosphere of the inaugural Women’s Hundred auction circus on March 11, 2026, at London’s Piccadilly, MI London’s head coach Lisa Keightley felt satisfied with her squad. The team includes stars like Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge. However, she was also disappointed by a clear gender imbalance.
She was the only female head coach among the eight teams, which also included the rebranded via IPL franchise owners’ investments in Sunrisers Leeds, the defending champions from Northern Superchargers, Manchester SuperGiants, and her own MI London, which was formerly known as Oval Invincibles and won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.
Keightley took this moment to highlight the slow progress in women’s coaching leadership ahead of the sixth edition from July 21 to August 16. Keightley has a strong resume that includes coaching England, Australia, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Thunder, Delhi Capitals, and Mumbai Indians, as well as winning last year’s Superchargers title. She successfully bid for West Indies allrounder Chinelle Henry, Australia’s Nicola Carey, and uncapped English wicketkeeper-batter Kira Chathli for £80,000 in competition against Welsh Fire and Sunrisers.
Chathli’s performance in 2025, 220 runs at a 24.44 average and a strike rate of 150.68 for London Spirit, promises excitement at the top of the batting order. “Look, it would have maybe been nice to get another power hitter in the top five, but we’ve still got some batting there, especially up top with our openers,” Keightley reflected, considering The Oval’s boundary-friendly pitches.
The batting depth till number 9, she believes MI London is ready to perform under pressure. The real issue for Keightley at the auction was the lack of a female head coach. “The only thing I’m disappointed in is that I look around the room, and I’m the only female head coach,” she told ESPNcricinfo.
“So for me, waving the flag and hopefully, as we move into cricket, we get a few more female head coaches here.”
Assistants like Sarah Taylor (Manchester Super Giants, with previous roles at Manchester Originals, England Lions, and Gujarat Giants) and Anya Shrubsole (Southern Brave, with roots in Southern Vipers and RCB’s WPL success) offered some hope. Yet, Taylor mentioned on the Powerplay podcast that she feels she is “not there yet” for a head coach position.
Drawing from her own pioneering journey, Keightley encouraged women to take opportunities. “As females, you always think you’re not ready, and you’re happy to be an assistant, but if someone says they want you to be a head coach, don’t think you’re not ready. You’ve got to jump at the chance, be brave and back yourself.”
She balances optimism with realism: the game is growing through the T20 franchise successes in India, England, and Australia, pushing for pay equality. “We’re not there, but it’s moving, and it’s moving pretty fast” Still, top jobs require a lot of effort. She predicts that change will take about five years as former players make their way up. Keightley’s honesty highlights an important moment for the Hundred.
Record bids show investment, but true equity needs more women in leadership roles. As MI London enters a new era, her voice inspires the next generation.
(Quotes sourced from ESPN Cricinfo)
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.