At a similar level, fast bowling can be more of an advantage in men’s cricket, while batters in women’s cricket tend not to hit the ball as far. But both of these are major generalisations. Other differences include the opportunity to play and gain experience in first class matches.
The game itself is almost identical for men and women. The only difference in the Laws of Cricket is the ball. For men it must weigh between 5.5 ounces and 5.75 ounces and have a diameter between 8.81 inches and 9 inches. The respective figures for women are 4.94 to 5.31 ounces and 8.25 to 8.88 inches. Some playing conditions, which vary between competitions, have differences. Most notably PowerPlay fielding restrictions normally involve a 30 yard circle for men and a 25 yard circle for women; the numbers allowed outside the circle can also vary.
The practical differences between men’s and women’s cricket can vary significantly depending on the level of the game. For example, in club or amateur cricket, a woman playing competitively alongside men is not unremarkable. At professional level, the differences are much more significant. For example, England international Sarah Taylor playing in Australia’s male “grade cricket” (a tournament featuring teams from the same state) was considered remarkable.
Most of the key differences between men’s and women’s cricket involve biomechanics, both in the size and strength of the player and the way the differing bodies (such as relative pelvis size) affect technique.
Arguably the most consequential difference is bowling speed. Fast bowlers consistently exceeding 80 miles per hour is far more common in men’s cricket than women’s cricket. This threshold is important as it is around the point that the ball travels so fast that a batter will not have time to track the ball’s movement and consciously adjust. Instead, the batter will need to anticipate the likely delivery in advance and rely on reflexes to adapt at the last moment.
This means the relative advantage of fast bowling is greater in men’s cricket. This means swing/seam and spin bowling have a greater relative advantage in women’s cricket so will often get more emphasis in training and selection.
On average, a male batter can hit the ball further than a female counterpart, increasing the chance of a boundary. This is partly because of the batter’s physical capabilities and partly because they are more likely to be facing a fast ball, adding to the momentum of a clean hit. Depending on the competition and facilities, a women’s game may be played with shorter boundaries, the aim being to create a similar balance of risk and reward with hitting boundaries vs hitting short of the boundary and running the runs.
To a lesser extent, the comparative greater wrist strength of men may mean they are more likely to be able to perform some spin deliveries more easily or reliably.
Some other differences, or perceived differences, are simply to do with the facilities and opportunities available in the womens game. For example, women have considerably fewer opportunities to play test matches, while domestic first class matches are rare. This means players in multi-day matches will usually have much less experience in the varying tactics that come with the format.