Windhoek — The old-fashioned notion that a woman's place is in the kitchen appears to have been thrown into the dustbin of has-beens.

Nowadays, women are 'encroaching' on what was previously reserved and perceived to be the sole domain of the opposite sex. Namibian women cricketers are now rolling up their sleeves in an attempt to match the feats of their male counterparts pound for pound on the playing field.

The ladies will temporarily exchange their kitchen gowns for bats and runs on the cricket fields.

The Namibian Cricket Board (NCB) has a long-term vision to develop the game of cricket in the country and this noble idea has now spiralled down to the inevitable introduction of women's cricket across the length and breadth of the country.

To demonstrate its seriousness, the NCB has roped in local giant financial institution Bank Windhoek as the official sponsor of the maiden edition of the Cricket Namibia Women's League. The first ball will be bowled on the 10th of this month.

Bank Windhoek pledged a staggering amount of N$90,000 for the 2010 Bank Windhoek Ladies Cricket Namibia League, which gets underway in earnest next week.

Participating teams in the 6-team national league are: Moria Primary School, Tsumeb Gymnasium, Windhoek Afrikaans Private School, Windhoek Gymnasium Private School, Windhoek High School and Pro-Ed.

Senior Manager: Marketing and Corporate Communication Services at Bank Windhoek, Marlize Horn, says the involvement of women in various sporting disciplines is vital to the growth of any sports code, while the number of women pursuing sports such as cricket, football and rugby has grown rapidly.

President of the NCB, Francois Erasmus, applauded the NCB Executive for its tireless efforts to develop cricket in Namibia. He added that Cricket Namibia is entirely committed to development and this includes women cricket as well.

"We are not here for a hit and run, excuse the pun, we are here for a long-term relationship with our sponsors and other stakeholders."

The legal guru urged local sports fans and cricket enthusiasts to come out in large numbers and support cricket.